July 1970: Harlem, full of life

[demmiblue]

Source: Mashable

In the 1960s, large numbers of residents left Harlem for neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, seeking better schools, improved housing and a stronger sense of safety. Left in Harlem were the people who couldn't afford to or chose not to move.

Despite massive federal investment throughout the 1970s, in 1978 the New York Times would publish an article titled "Harlem's Dreams Have Died in Last Decade, Leaders Say."

Yet, as these pictures show, that didn't mean Harlem in 1970 was lacking in vibrancy. In the words of Camilo José Vergara, another photographer documenting Harlem during the decade: "There was something vital going on in Harlem in the '70s."

Image: Jack Garofalo/Paris Match via Getty Images

Inside the African-American bookstore.

Image: Jack Garofalo/Paris Match via Getty Images

Billy, a butcher, his wife and children in their two-room apartment on 8th Avenue.

Image: Jack Garofalo/Paris Match via Getty Images

Image: Jack Garofalo/Paris Match via Getty Images

Image: Jack Garofalo/Paris Match via Getty Images

More: http://mashable.com/2015/02/10/harlem-1970s/?utm_cid=hp-hh-pri

[ND-Dem]

1. k&R

[AgingAmerican]

2. New York was a wild place back in the 70s

Ever seen 80 blocks from Tiffanys? Good documentary about 1970s South Bronx.