19 vintage photos that show what New York City looked like in the 1980s

Janet Delaney

New York City during the 1980s was a very different place.

The New York City of the 1980s is quite different from the city we know today. Homicides were at near-record highs, the crack epidemic was raging, and NYC had not yet experienced the wave of gentrification that has marked it in modern times.

Janet Delaney grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, but she always wanted to experience the city life. Though she never officially moved to the Big Apple, she took several trips and ended up taking some beautiful photos there.

Below are some of her photos that depict what New York City was like decades ago.

Jack Sommer contributed reporting to an earlier version of this article.