They are all part of an acid flashback to the early 1970s, courtesy of the deuce, an hbo series about the new york sex industry that once defined 42nd street. By the 70s, these blocks formed a frightening caricature of urban threat. Kung fu on 42nd street 28 sep i recently came across files of ads for kung fu movies that played new york theaters back in the 1970s, material id accumulated while researching a proposed book in the early 2000s on manhattans 42nd street and its movie culture. The work of peter funch is, in the most captivating sense of the term, lost in time. The deuce, by the way, was a nickname for west 42nd street between 6th and 8th avenues. Donald trumps first manhattan hotel to be torn down new. Clay recalls the drab and dusty mood in new york city at the end of the 1970s. During the 70s and 80s, the crime rates were high, and police morale was low, with over 2,300 crimes committed every year in a oneblock radius. In 1990, the city established the new 42nd street, a nonprofit dedicated to the revitalization of 42nd street between 7th and 8th avenues arguably times squares most dangerous and seedy area.
History of peep shows in times square new york curbed ny. River to river is an impressionistic, graphic history of one of the worlds most infamous streets. Kung fu on 42nd street brian camps film and anime blog. In the 1970s, pimps and prostitutes haunted times square and drug dealers worked openly. Jun 24, 2006 while the deuce as its friends and foes knew west 42nd street between 6th and 8th avenues has become the new 42 more or less, a stretch of new york city that has become the place that tourists flock, or are herded to, theres still a remnant, or two, of its former highs and lows to be found there and in the streets surrounding it in times square. Theaters may fill times square today, but theyre a far cry from the movie palaces that once populated the neighborhoods. During the late 70s and early 80s, new york citys subway system was one of the. The new 42nd street is a notforprofit organization based in manhattan, new york city. Feb 08, 2019 the building with which donald trump made his name in manhattan real estate is facing the wrecking ball.
However, in the 1930s, many theatre producers were failing. The pictures were taken from the book the pavements of new york photography by nicolai canetti and commentary by sandy leesberg. Local photographer and real estate agent maggie hopp captured these incredible color photograph of times square back in the 1970s, the essence of old new york. The pornfilled 42nd street jungle on a saturday night in 1989 new york post the street has six lanes, with parking lanes, the same width as 42nd street, said mickle. Street, a new book of her images, is a celebration everyday life in spite of hard times main image. In 1960, the new york times called 42nd street the worst block in the city, and eventually, nearly every block became jampacked with porn theaters, gogo bars, adult bookstores, and peep shows. Spend an afternoon on 42nd street in times square in 1978. If 1990sera new york was a decade that finally demanded change, 1970s new york was the decade that truly warranted it.
While the deuce as its friends and foes knew west 42nd street between 6th and 8th. Rare photos of nyc underground in the 70s and 80s a. Playland stayed at this location through the 1970s and 80s. Todays times square is known as the iconic tourist destination of new york.
The book 42nd and vanderbilt is published by tbw books. Gone is the seediness once depicted in martin scorseses film taxi driver. Jun 29, 2016 todays times square is known as the iconic tourist destination of new york, becoming the most visited place on the globe and attracting over 1 million visitors a year. During its heyday in the 1950s and 60s, the block of 42nd street between seventh and eighth avenues was know as the fortydeuce or simply. After showing readers the seedy and sinister side of times square in the 1980s with his first fangoria presents book, our lady of the inferno, author preston fassel is taking us back even further in time for beasts of 42nd street, the second book in his infernoverse. Likened to a dna strip of new york city, the street has ranged from the glamorous to the derelict, housing everything from peep shows to such international institutions as the united nations. The street has six lanes, with parking lanes, the same width as 42nd street, mickle told the new york post. New york was teetering on the verge of bankruptcy and 42nd street was the festering wound in the heart of a dying city. The new york times described 42nd street between seventh and eighth avenue as the worst place in town in the 1960s.
The street is the site of some of new york s best known buildings, including east to west the headquarters of the united nations, chrysler building, grand central terminal, new york public library main branch, times square, and the port authority bus. See more ideas about new york, new york city and nyc. Gothamist is a website about new york city news, arts and events, and food, brought to you by new york public radio. May 14, 2006 teaching at the graduate center of the city university of new york, then on west 42nd street, berman was sometimes called on to escort women students to subway stations or the bus terminal by. By the 1970s, the area was synonymous with sleaze and depravitya pimps paradise where flesh and drugs were peddled openly as apathetic cops did their best not to get involved. Apr 18, 2016 in 1990, the city established the new 42nd street, a nonprofit dedicated to the revitalization of 42nd street between 7th and 8th avenues arguably times squares most dangerous and seedy area.
But before it became home to broadway shows, chain restaurants, and television studios, it spent the latter half of the 20th century as the symbol of new york s decay. The area was full of strip clubs, and not the classy ones either, the iwillprobablygetadiseasefrombeinginhere type clubs. By 1934, of the ten theatres that were on 42nd street, only the new amsterdam theatre was still running as a playhouse. A history of americas most infamous block was an interesting book for one lover of new york, theater, and the original broadway. The book sleazoid express, a travelogue of the 42nd street grindhouses and the films they showed, describes the unique blend of people who made up the theatergoers. Apr 25, 2019 in 1960, the new york times called 42nd street the worst block in the city, and eventually, nearly every block became jampacked with porn theaters, gogo bars, adult bookstores, and peep shows. Jul 2, 2019 explore mrjackpots8559s board 70s new york. A history of americas most infamous street was an interesting book for one lover of new york, theater, and the original broadway. Hbo show the deuce, james franco and maggie gyllenhaal portray 1970s 42nd street staples, living deep in the chaos that was new york. Sheldon nadelman, the bartender, shot over 1,500 black and white portraits during his ten year stint there from 19721982. If you go to times square, its worthwhile walking on 42nd street to 5th avenue, but. It is traditionally considered to be bordered by 34th street to the south, 59th street to the north, eighth avenue to the east, and the hudson river to the west until the 1970s, hells kitchen was a bastion of poor and workingclass irish. As an aspiring artist, starting at 17ish, i would travel to ny every once in awhile to show my illustrations.
The sex scenes are shot as filler in the manner of routine 1970 product, with some vaginal and penis closeups. Times square 42nd street 1975 adult movie theaters youtube. Time square at the peak of its depravity in 70s and 80s. Take a trip with us down the grittiest streets in times square the faded marquees of the grindhouses, the neonlit prurient delights of eighth avenue at night. The large grand hyatt hotel, next to grand central terminal on 42nd street, is being sold. Photographic views of new york city, 1870s 1970 s, from the collections of the new york public library. In the 1970s and 1980s the orpheums 3rd floor was taken over by the new paris theatre. Mar 02, 2009 a look into the lurid and depraved and some would say more interesting times square and 42nd street of the past. Times square, 1974 42nd street, new york city, nyc. Remembering the lost theaters of times squares deuce. Jan 11, 2014 if you want a quick answer to this question rather than words what comes to mind are films, specially taxidriver or midnight cowboy.
Back in the bad old days, new york city was at a low point, rife with crimefilled subways and suffering. The new book fear city documents the slide of new york city from vibrant social. As a 17yearold, he would travel to nyc to document the now longlost treasures that times square once held in the 80s. Back when 42nd st was grittier and seedier view from washington square hotel 1972. Hells kitchen, sometimes known as clinton, is a neighborhood on the west side of manhattan in new york city, west of midtown manhattan. Experimenting in the 1970s with color film, and commissioned to document buildings and signage in midtown in violation of the blight ordinances, american photographer maggie hopp. The 1933 film 42nd street is based on the bradford ropes novel of the same name, which reads less like fiction than like a documentary about new york s theatre people. Jul 29, 2014 in 1978, photographer fernando natalici, the creative mind behind the graphic design for iconic venues like cbgb and the mudd club, spent four hours shooting the seedy scenery of times square and. Fangoria announces preston fassels new book beasts of. Our live hd webcam on new yorks 42nd street offers an extraordinary view of one of midtown manhattans most buzzing arteries.
In 1990, the new 42nd street was formed to oversee the redevelopment of seven neglected and historic theatres on 42nd street between seventh and eighth avenues, and to restore the block to a desirable tourist destination in manhattan. The princess of 42nd street, surviving my childhood as the daughter of times squares king of porn will be released september 6th, 2018. Feb 27, 2018 street, a new book of her images, is a celebration everyday life in spite of hard times main image. But before it became home to broadway shows, chain restaurants, and television studios, it spent the latter half of the 20th century as the symbol of new yorks decay. Teaching at the graduate center of the city university of new york, then on west 42nd street, berman was sometimes called on to escort women students to subway stations or the bus terminal by. The churchs fried chicken site is now occupied by the multicolored highrise westin new york hotel, opened in 2002. Williams arrived in new york city where she saw an ad in the show business magazine that lay open on the port authority bus terminal station floor. Sep 10, 2017 the pornfilled 42nd street jungle on a saturday night in 1989 new york post the street has six lanes, with parking lanes, the same width as 42nd street, said mickle. Street ventriloquist, east 42nd street, 1977 photograph. From the bold innovations of oscar hammerstein and florenz ziegfeld through the pornladen 1960s and 1970s to the presentday disneyfication of new york s bright lights district. In the early 1970s, there was an attempt to clean up 42nd street. If you want a quick answer to this question rather than words what comes to mind are films, specially taxidriver or midnight cowboy.
This was 42nd street in new york city more than 35 years ago. The thriving theater district of new york city experienced a steady decline from the great depression to an all time low in the 1970s. Ferries can, in fact, be spotted throughout the day as they head to the city docks. The pimps and prostitutes of 1970s times square, contd. This 2003 sundance jury prize winner for short film explores the customers who frequented the terminal bar, a downandout watering hole in times square across the street from the port authority.
The building with which donald trump made his name in manhattan real estate is facing the wrecking ball. Once know for its workinggirl laden meatpacking district, rundown pockets of neighborhoods, and peepshow heaven 42nd street, new york has transformed itself. Apr 16, 2016 these startling 1970s new york photos reveal a city undergoing an unparalleled transformation fueled by economic collapse and rampant crime. Patterson knew where to place a new printing press on 42nd street. Romola hodas, daughter of time squares king of porn, marty hodas documents 1970 s time square, the peep show industry and how the face of new york city changed. How seedy was 42nd street in new york city at its worst. In 1978, photographer fernando natalici, the creative mind behind the graphic design for iconic venues like cbgb and the mudd club, spent four hours shooting the seedy scenery of times square and. Mar 22, 2018 the new 42nd street studios 6 seconds this 10story complex opened in 2000. I often tell people who didnt live in nyc in those days, to think of the film taxidriver as if they had watched. Reeling from a decade of social turmoil, new york in the 1970s fell into a deep tailspin provoked by the flight of the middle class to the suburbs and a nationwide economic recession that hit new yorks industrial sector especially hard. According to new york songlines jim naureckas, 8th and 42nd was long notorious for male solicitation.
New york, particularly 42nd street, was not doing well during the 1970s. Discover the dirtiest hotel in america and the most dangerous block in new york city. Maggie hopps color photographs of times squares sex. Oct, 2009 ghosts of 42nd street stirs your imagination as it takes you on a historical journey of this glamorized strip still known today as the crossroads of the world. Ghosts of 42nd street stirs your imagination as it takes you on a historical journey of this glamorized strip still known today as the crossroads of the world. These gritty pictures show times squares journey from. From the early 1900s until 1930, 42nd street was experiencing a golden age. Hbo transforms washington heights into 1970s times square. Todays times square is known as the iconic tourist destination of new york, becoming the most visited place on the globe and attracting over 1 million visitors a year. May 07, 2011 times square 42nd street 1975 adult movie theaters. New yorks streets are constantly changing to reflect the dreams of each new era. Montgomery clift was arrested here even after his oscar nomination in 1948. From the late 1950s until the late 1980s, 42nd street, nicknamed the deuce, was the cultural center of american grindhouse theaters, which spawned an entire subculture. It gives the good and the scum of the earth in its pages.