I'm infatuated with New York City in the 70s and 80s. I saw footage the other day that rekindled my infatuation. It was of businesses somewhere Downtown or Midtown Manhattan. What was remarkable about the storefronts is they had a very dusty, homegrown look to it. These streets, that are probably jam packed with upscale shopping or chain stores today, once had Mom and Pop businesses, in gritty stone tenements, with old furniture, hand-made signs and fluorescent lighting. Looking at the footage of the decayed neighborhoods in the Bronx, you see the vibrancy that still exists on some blocks. How can someplace be so vacated, yet so vibrant? You also see the people and businesses keeping the neighborhood alive as they can, young people expressing themselves with this new colorful culture of Hip Hop. There's a certain innocence through adversity that is unique to that time period.
Check out this cool montage of the Bronx in the 70's and 80's:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5zqGiLPbW8&t=350s
If you have a few hours to spare, check out the classic Hip Hop movie, Beat Street, (now Free on youtube). Watching this now is like watching a time capsule of a lost civilization:
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