New York City is constantly changing. Cycles of growth, decay, and renewal have altered the bricks and mortar of its physical environment and the humans who live here. “Living in the City” vividly illustrates how the housing landscape in New York City changed during the four decades from 1961 to 2001. Selections from more than 150,000 historical photographs, recently acquired by the New York City Municipal Archives from the Department of Housing, Preservation & Development (HPD), illustrate both the human and physical aspects of these changes.

Throughout this period, talented HPD photographers documented their agency’s work to improve and preserve New York’s housing stock. Images from the 1960s depict a city little changed from earlier decades. But beginning in the 1970s, and gaining momentum through the 1980s and 1990s, the photographs show the massive city-wide preservation efforts that helped to restore dozens of neighborhoods. Rich with images of community residents, politicians and personalities, street scenes, storefronts and advertising, the photographs chronicle a city in transition.

Living in the City: An Inside Look at Four Decades of Changing Housing in New York City

Featuring: Various Artists

Curated by: Michael Lorenzini Matthew Minor

Locations

• #History
• #Neighborhoods
• #New York City
• #New York Stories
• #NYC