A Walk Down 56th Street: A Photo Collection

I have previously written about how former mayors Giuliani and Bloomberg have sucked the personality out of New York City and essentially transformed Manhattan into a gated community for the rich. Now that mindset is spreading to the outer boroughs: take out a subway map and use it to chart the future course of gentrification. Even subway stations are getting gentrified! So you can imagine my surprise when, earlier this year, I walked down West 56^th Street and saw so much real New York personality. Yes, one block away from the 57^th Street detailed in the Moyers & Company documentary The Long, Dark Shadows of Plutocracy. Fortunately, I had my camera to document it because who knows how long it will last. What surprised me about me this street was how unchanged it was: I was a student at John Jay College during the late 1980’s when one of the campus buildings was on 56^th and 10^th Avenue. While the surrounding neighborhood and John Jay campus have changed significantly, I found that 56^th Street, from 8^th to 11^th Avenues, was relatively unchanged. I hope you enjoy these photographs as much as I enjoyed rediscovering this street.

Rusted Banister

Flower Pot on 56th

Dog on 56th. First he barked, then he posed.

Wall Molding