New York in the 80's

New York in the 80's was a city that was buzzing with life. It was a hugely cosmopolitan city, with huge influxes of immigrants growing the city's population past 8 million. Wall Street was booming, turning New York into an economic leader of the world. There was a great sense of materialism throughout the city, and can be seen reflected in the work of the Neo-Expressionists. Whilst the city has a thriving art and culture market, there was also huge increases in crime rates. New York City was not the New York City we know today. It was a place filled with racial tension, a massive and growing  drug market, serious crime and many destitute people. It was a place of tension and fear.

Similar to Weimar Berlin, through the chaos, fear and tension emerged an attitude and approach to life that was raw and open. People expressed themselves as they wished, and homosexuality thrived when the city outlawed discrimination against gay and lesbian citizens and many people sought happiness from parties, drugs and alcohol.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2497751/Gritty-1980s-New-York-City-lens-renowned-street-photographer.html

http://gothamist.com/2012/01/18/amazing_photos_of_1980s_new_york_ci.php#photo-1

http://horvatland.com/WEB/en/home.htm

http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-city-used-to-be-a-terrifying-place-photos-2013-7?op=1