During tough times people find a way to express their sorrow in artistic ways. Heroin had been the main drug trade in this area for years, and then the crack plague made things even worse!
All Photos © Matt Weber
“Anti-Crack Mural” Spanish Harlem 1988
Black and White Street Photographs of New York City by Matt Weber 
Extraordinary shot.
That is very kind of you mam!
During my addiction to opiates, I would often pass this building on 118th/119st between 2nd & 3rd ave. Now Harlem (river to river) is no more. I guess it’s for the better. However, I used to love the way the world changed when you would walk to the Harlem side of 110st and above 96st on the east side. West Harlem (aka Morningside Heights) was not the same as it was from Morningside Drive or 8th ave toward the East Side, but it was still old Manhattan. They can take our Streets & Buildings. But, not our memories. Thanks to your photos we can relive our younger days.Great Photo(s)!
Thanks again Dave…I’m finding a lot of interesting frames from those years which I had never scanned.
The city was changing so rapidly that I bought the camera to preserve the things I saw disappearing, and
it makes me very happy when someone like you appreciates these pictures!
I was born in Manhattan (Mt. Sini Hospital in the 60’s and I grew up and live on the Upper West Side, 97st between Columbus & Amsterdam). In fact, I’m still at the same address. I know every square inch of NYC…from the LES to Inwood and every street in between. Not only do I know every street, I lived on the street for 3 years by choice. I let my addictions get a firm grip on my life toward the mid to late 80’s. Being I was on a 24/7 mission, there was no real need to have a home. Back in the days, not too many buildings were locked, there were no iron gates, etc;. So, you could always find a place to crash (it can’t be done now like you could 20-25 years ago). Plus, I felt I would miss out on something if I went in. I loved the older days. I was much younger and I felt I was simply camping out on the streets. But, all things come to an end. I had fun growing up in NYC, I liked when NYC was dirty, grimy, corrupt, etc;. Now it’s no longer an adventure when you go outside. Everything is so commercial and Disney like. I miss the older days, I would not go back to that lifestyle again, as I have morphed into a different person. Plus, I’m too old for that non-sense and have too much to lose.
As I mentioned before, I can relive my youth through your photos. Thanks SO much for sharing them Matt.
Interesting…I was born in Mt Sinai hospital in the late ’50s and lived on the upper west side my whole life. The neighborhood is nothing like it was, and I guess considering I
have an eleven year old daughter, the safety is a good thing. I never lived on the street but I did stay out all night and worry my parents to death. Many of my friends ended up
on the street and if I had done heroin, I surely would have too. I think my decision to stay away form that drug probably was the best decision I made…I don’t want to romanticize
the days when you had to know which side street was passable or get mugged. It was kind of exciting but at the same time if you had a daughter or a sister, it was very stressful.
Old ladies were being mugged and raped, and my cars were broken into literally a dozen times, with broken glass all over the seats. I just wish all the normal folk weren’t pushed out
of the neighborhood by the landlords, but landlords were doing this 1,000 years ago to the serfs…Human nature will never change.