Viewing NYC Articles Categorized Under Vintage Film

[VIDEO] History of Queens, NY

2026-04-30T12:00:00-04:00

This video delves into the rich history of Queens, New York, tracing its origins from the geological formation shaped by glaciers around 18,000 BCE to its present-day status as a diverse and dynamic borough. It explores the early settlements of Algonquin-speaking natives, the arrival of Dutch and English explorers and settlers, and the establishment of communities like Flushing and Jamaica. The narrative covers Queens' role during the American Revolution as a loyalist stronghold, its agricultural growth in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the impact of the Long Island Rail Road on its development. The video highlights key 20th-century milestones such as the opening of the Queensboro Bridge, the construction of LaGuardia Airport, and the hosting of two World's Fairs at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, marked by the iconic Unisphere. It also touches upon the borough's population growth, increasing diversity fueled by immigration, and resilience in the face of challenges like Hurricane Sandy, celebrating Queens as a borough of unique and vibrant neighborhoods.

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[WATCH] New York City in the 1970s

2026-04-27T12:00:00-04:00

The video documents New York City's struggles in the 1970s, a decade marked by economic collapse, rising crime, and widespread urban decay. Factories closed, jobs vanished, and a phenomenon known as "white flight" saw the middle class depart for the suburbs, leaving behind struggling communities. Public services deteriorated, leading to piled garbage, crumbling infrastructure, and graffiti-covered subways that commuters feared. The city faced near-bankruptcy, famously rejected by President Gerald Ford, and the 1977 blackout plunged NYC into darkness, sparking widespread looting and fires, especially in areas like The Bronx. Despite these immense challenges, New Yorkers displayed incredible resilience, fostering new cultures like hip hop and punk rock, and slowly rebuilding their communities from the ashes.

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[VIDEO] Vintage New York City Film Shows Possible First Ever Dash Cam Footage in Circa 1900

2026-03-16T12:00:00-04:00

With video cameras getting smaller and more sophisticated, dashcam videos are ubiquitous nowadays. Back in 1900s however, can you imagine the size of the video camera mounted on the "dash" of this carriage riding through the streets of New York?!

Possibly the very first dash cam footage ever recorded. New York City Circa 1900 - An extremely interesting watch!

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[VIDEO] Madonna's First Gig in New York City at Danceteria in 1982

2026-02-27T12:00:00-05:00

Madonna has been making headlines and selling out stadiums for decades, but she wasn't always that big. Check out this vintage video of her performing at the Danceteria in Hell's Kitchen back in 1982. She is young, full of energy and a fresh voice, plus has 3 backup dancers that look like they came from a high school talent show.

via absmadonna

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[WATCH] "The Top" - 1910s Coney Island Roller Coaster That Moved Round and Round Underneath the Carts

2025-12-30T12:00:00-05:00

The Scenic Spiral Wheel was a unique roller coaster installed in Coney Island's Luna Park back in 1917.

It was a 45 ton, 70 foot diameter steel wheel that was tipped towards its heavier side where it rested on its bottom edge. Roller coaster track spiraled around its outer rim from its top to its bottom. As the four car train circled the rim of the wheel, its weight changed the wheel's tilt so that the entire rig gyrated around like a top running low on spin. The train slowly spiraled down and covered 3200 feet of track in two and one half minutes. A second train with a separate admission climbed up to the top of the wheel, then descended through a long tunnel.

Apparently, the ride was not as exciting to ride as it was to watch, so it was shut down in 1921 after only 4 years.

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[WATCH] 12 Things From 1960s New York That No Longer Exist

2025-11-20T12:00:00-05:00

You could grab a hot meal from a wall, ride a train above Manhattan, and lose hours flipping through records in Times Square — all before lunch. That New York? It's gone. In this video, we explore 12 forgotten pieces of NYC you’ll never see again. From the neon chaos of St. Marks to the silence of a newspaper strike, these moments didn’t just vanish — they were ripped from the city’s soul.

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[WATCH] What Living in 1970s New York City Was Really Like

2025-11-08T12:00:00-05:00

New York City in the 1970s was filthy, dangerous, and completely unpredictable. 🚇💥 Crime ruled the streets, Times Square was a neon-lit jungle of vice, and the subway? A graffiti-covered nightmare where getting mugged was just part of the ride. The city was on the verge of collapse—bankrupt, lawless, and abandoned by the government.

But despite the chaos, NYC had an energy that today’s polished city could never replicate. Punk rock was screaming from CBGB, disco was taking over Studio 54, and hip-hop was being born in the Bronx. It was a city of extremes—both terrifying and electrifying.

What was it really like to live in this version of New York? Let’s take a trip back to the gritty, dangerous, and unforgettable streets of 1970s NYC. 🌆💀

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[WATCH] What Wall Street People Sounded Like In 1979. Are They Different Today?

2025-10-29T12:00:00-04:00

These man on the street interviews were recorded by me a long time ago. 1979. At the time, the concept of an information society, and information economy, the end of the industrial age, was a new idea propelled by Silicon Valley startups. I was the director of a documentary called the information society which ran on national public television in 1979. One of the ideas I had was to record little clips of people around the country answering questions. I directed them to answer largely with one word for montage that I was going to build, and these are the outtakes. I found a can of 16mm film and magnetic audio in my basement and had them copied to digital. Of course Wall Street is a unique place on the planet and we knew that the people we would interview would be smart and to some extent, involved with computers and information technology.

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[VIDEO] This Colorized Video Shows 1930s Midtown Manhattan from Car's POV

2025-10-26T12:00:00-04:00

This great vintage film from the 1930s shows a drove through Central Park, down 5th Avenue and through Times Square, and own Park Avenue near Grand Central. While the color and sound are not original, they were added to the video to enhance the scene. Check it out!

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[VIDEO] NYC in the 2000s: 20 Amazing Things That Are Gone Forever

2025-10-22T12:00:00-04:00

Remember when you needed a MetroCard to ride the subway? When a trip to Blockbuster was part of movie night? When CBGB was still alive and Virgin Megastore ruled Times Square? Yeah... that New York is gone—but not forgotten. In this video, we’re taking a nostalgic walk through 20 things from 2000s NYC that disappeared forever. From iconic clubs and cafés to record stores, flea markets, diners, and street fairs—these were the places that made New York feel raw, real, and unforgettable.

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