15 images that capture the chaos of 1970s NYC

[A]usterity and urban decay dominated the streets of 1970s and early 1980s NYC. A bankrupt city government, failing institutions and diminished industries left the city in a state of abandonment. By the end of the decade, over a million people had moved out.

While the hustlers and dealers ruled street life and crime rates surged, a new generation of artists moved into empty industrial buildings. Eventually leading to the city’s creative renaissance and the birth of hip-hop, these troubled days are a version of NYC not often shown in popular culture.

Edward Grazda cut his teeth as a photographer during this transformative decade, capturing the human side to life, the highs and the lows of Manhattan’s hardscrabble era. A place where you could rent a cheap place to live, hang out on the corner, where mass consumerism and tourism hadn’t quite taken over.

Gathered in print for the first time Mean Streets is a poignant collection of Grazda’s images of New York life from 1970 to 1985. Preview images from the book below and find out more on the powerHouse books site.