I generally like to spend CC weekends doing some armchair traveling with some car spotting too. With that in mind, here’s the familiar scenery of New York City captured through some very casual snapshots. About half of these images date from 1956, with others coming from 1958 and one each from 1960 and 1963.
Other than the approximate date, no information came with these. I’m not familiar enough with New York to add much detail to each, but I’m sure those acquainted with the city and its history will bring some of that information in the comments section.
Great old pics…!!! 😁
Those were the days!
Thx!
That last photo is a superb shot. Not only does it convey the “concrete jungle” aspect of the city, but the little Rambler in the middle of all of those big cars is perfect. It’s the automotive version of the effect of walking down the street with all of those giant buildings.
Second to last photo (China Town?)
Is that a ’58 Cadillac on the left? Then the VW may also be a 1958 (small tail lights, but large rear window). I don’t recognize anything newer on the street. Someone living well either lived in or was visiting China Town. My money goes on the VW to win the bump & crunch parking of NYC with its deluxe bumpers.
Yup Chinatown. Yup 58 Caddy. Don’t know VWs.
Think I found the Google map photo for the China Town photo above.
In the Google photo, look at the building behind the white USPS van in the far background. Looks very similar to the building in the China Town photo above.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7156095,-73.998531,3a,75y,204.73h,81.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seuuEg_3HPI9RFikU6tVUxA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
The man in the Chinatown photo (across from the Caddy, on the edge of the sidewalk) looks like he’s in the process of barfing a lungnger into the gutter!
I noted the same thing this morning. So obvious!
The ’55 Olds looks like the perfect spot for a Beat 😎, such as Allen Ginsburg, doing a poetry slam 😆😅🤣
In one of its incarnations, The Metropole Cafe was a strip club.
(Just sayin’ 🤣)
In one of the pictures I see a 1955 Dodge Royal Lancer convertible with the top up. However, more importantly is that you are taxing my mind to locate all of these places. The photo with the Empire State Building off to the left may be Hudson Street. Thanks for the fun photos. The one under t EL with the ’54 green Chrysler sedan baffles me as to exactly where this is. HELP!
The streetsign says Oliver St which leads to Chatham Square in Manhattan.
One reason, late ’50s cars never appealed to me, is they are commonly overstyled.
Looking at an individual 1958 Buick or Olds in a scene or photo, is one thing. But when you see streets filled with so much garishness, it becomes a tribute to dubious taste.
Looks like an Eldorado,. Handmade then
That’s just a Coupe DeVille.
I was struck by the obvious size difference between the Ford and the Buick in the first photo. Fast forward five years and the difference wasn’t so obvious.
You could pull out any square inch of these pictures and say NYC immediately.
Great shots. I’m struck by how grimy the city is, and wonder to what extent various pollution measures – followed by some building scrubbing – had an impact in NYC. London in photos from the 1950’s is almost unrecognizable under its coat of soot, but there the culprit was distinctly coal – not so common a fuel in North America.
At some point, pictures like this transition from ‘the recallable past’ to ‘lost world’, even for those of us who were alive then. These ones have made the jump. 🙂
Your 2nd Image is our 57 Ford “CUSTOMLINE ” in black, pink , black (in Australia top was repainted white to minimize the aust; summers!
The photo with the Empire State Building was taken at 6th Avenue near Minetta Lane and West 3rd Street.
That is a 56 Ford the black and coral car. 57 had fins
3rd Photo: Two cool dudes and ’58 Olds:
In the Google photo, look at the building behind the orange truck. In the above photo, look at the building behind the head of the cool dude with the black shirt. Very similar.
The clue was the subway station to the left of the street sign of Varwick St which is at the intersection of Canal St.
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7227262,-74.0063481,3a,15y,137.23h,89.45t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sxzc8Hg9BYN3Irk8zVwrV1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
I too spotted the Dodge Rag Top, very pretty .
As Paul mentions, you had to walk n those old heavily built up American cites to believe them ~ streets in shadow most of the time , always nasty and filthy .
I *do* miss the cast iron buildings, they were beautiful .
The VW is 1958 ~ 1960 .
-Nate
The VW could be as late as a ’61 model.
Too bad the streets were not identified, Some were obvious like Chinatown , others not so . None the less , great pictures from the 1950 ‘s !
Can you imagine if that generation were in present times now, with the rules that changed over time, the congestion of traffic today, plus no distractions back then , in regards to the Internet and smartphones, drivers today just need the feel to text, behind the wheel, causing more problems.