Photographs and text by Stephen Harmon
Ever since I moved to the Upper West Side in the 1970s, friends and family who live in other parts of the city or in the suburbs or different states, have frequently asked me why I love this neighborhood so much.
It’s easy to tick off the obvious reasons — access to two great parks and public transportation, rich cultural institutions and museums, stunning architecture — but what I love most about the UWS is its “street life,” which is always all around me and filled with interesting people and sights.
It may just be people crossing the street or a parent walking a child to school or music students with their instruments. Sometimes it’s people in a coffee shop window or lining up for breakfast in front of a food cart or at Gray’s Papaya. It may be the odd things I notice, like the newspaper delivery man who walks through the street with a stack of papers on his head or the pigeons that fly close by. I could go on and on.
Here are some photos I took of UWS street life. I hope you find something to enjoy.
Ah, loooove the photos!
These photos were taken by someone who is talented and loves NYC with a good eye for what will please and touch the viewer.
Thank you and be well!
These photos are part of what make the Rag so rich and unique
Brilliant!!
Love the dog! Also, many fond memories of Magnolia.
Concerned re first familiar street crossing, where 2 people are on their phones and most others don’t look alert while crossing
They have the light. The cars have stopped. Pretty safe to cross. No reason to assume they didn’t look before they stepped into the roadway.
You love the dog because it is a truly great portrait. The photographer hasn’t captured many facial expressions here. I think his older pictures had more. Is the photographer avoiding front-facing shots or is it just a selection?
I appreciate the documentation of the neighborhood, but I don’t see anything in these that I can imagine would spark nostalgia in the future the way the photographer’s other, older photos do today.
guess we’ll see about that
Love this, and love NYC! It is, in my view, a city of endless interesting moments and people.
I share your love of the Upper West Side and all the wonderful people who share it.
Very nice and fun photos. Thanks for sharing them.
Great photos! Perhaps I can finally get a professional’s answer to a question I haven’t been able to answer: when taking photos in public that have faces, does the photo ask for permission to publish? I read that in public there is no expectation of privacy, but in the real world, does the photographer get a release, out of courtesy or law? Thanks!