Matt Weber (Street photography), Color, Old New York, Times Square

Times Sq. 2010

Maybe my nostalgia gets a little carried away sometimes…This metal piping was used over 100 years in many subway stations to keep people from falling into stairwells and subway tracks. Hardly ornate, I was still sad to see all remaining traces of this removed from the 96th Street station. It would be nice to have just a smidgen of tradition here and there…

Same thing goes for Coney Island. Ruby’s bar is probably gone forever and should have been given a reprieve. Yes, upgrade the rest, but for once don’t clean the slate completely…

All Photos © Matt Weber

Matt Weber (Street photography), Fights & Playfights, Old New York

“Snow Brawl” 1988

I like looking at old work. I find stuff which I have no memory of at all. This was obviously taken on Central Park West. Snow was always a great treat for me when I was driving a cab. The people were grateful to get a ride, and the city was a winter wonderland. Late at night was great as there were very few other motorists on the streets. That’s why these guys could rumble in the middle of the avenue without fear of being run over…

 

All Photos © Matt Weber

Matt Weber (Street photography), Color, Coney Island, Kiss Kiss

Coney Island 2010

I don’t know if these buildings are still standing, but Joe Sitt is in the process of tearing them down. He will replace them with one story taxpayers. When the outcry is sufficient, he will probably be paid handsomely to turn the properties over to other developers. This is what he has always done. Business is business, and to hell with history. Coney Islands last handful of nineteenth century buildings will make way for a Duane Reade or Walgreens! I have been going to Coney Island since ’61 and It hurts that one rich scumbag can do this and that our billionaire mayor will twiddle his thumbs and let him get away this…

 

I should create a category called “Nauseating” just for this picture…

All Photos © Matt Weber

Matt Weber (Street photography), Kids & Teens, Men of New York, Old New York

Columbus Ave. 2006

All of us “Eisenhower Babies” are getting old. Soon we’ll be like him. This guy probably served in WW II and now has to navigate through a gauntlet of punks just to go shopping. How do I know they are punks? Every third word that they utter is NIGGER. Most of them aren’t even black and it’s their favorite word by miles. I know that I didn’t grow up in Washington Heights where many of them live, but 40 years ago, this neighborhood wasn’t the yuppy filled place that is now. We knew enough about history not to throw around the “N” word…I’d hope that gangster culture as attractive as it for the young ones of today, gives way to a more peaceful and less angry attitude…

All Photos © Matt Weber