[imagesource: Sally Davies / Ammonite Press]
When we think of New York apartments, they either come to mind as some version of something that we’ve seen on television or in film, or a tiny hole in the wall that’s barely inhabitable by humans.
Renowned street photographer Sally Davies decided to dig a little deeper, and she found something magical behind apartment doors in the city.
Her new coffee table book, New Yorkers, ventures into the living spaces that house the last remnants of New York’s alternative scene, before those in old apartments in areas slowly being gentrified are forced out of the neighbourhoods.
Each photo is accompanied by, per The Guardian, the inhabitants’ “testimonies and tales, and their illuminating observations on what it means to be a New Yorker”.
Take a scroll:
“When I first arrived in New York City on 14 February 1980, I knew immediately it was where I was meant to be. It had a certain gritty, dark elegance that was gorgeous to me and remains so. New York City is like a living organism, always growing and changing.” – Suzanne Mallouk.
“When I moved into this tiny apartment I decided that I would think of it as a small parlour in a much larger home, rather than the small apartment that it is.” – X Baczewsky.
“I’m grateful I came to the city when it still had a wild heart, when a broke young person could get a cheap apartment in Manhattan and you could make theatre for free in raw lofts. It was a time of danger and heartbreak. We lost a lot of beautiful people. But this gentrified century of swollen rents and Disney-fied city life is not good for art.” – Liz Duffy Adams.
“New York is magic to me. Gentrification is inevitable. You can choose to resist it or live your privileged life and be grateful for what you have. I choose to focus on how incredibly blessed I’ve been in this life. I live in a famous landmark building that’s been under construction for eight years.” – Gerald DeCock.
“I love architecture and even though all the new construction in New York City is not so affordable any more, I still enjoy watching the city transform itself. Many people say that NYC’s best days are passed and that it was more exciting back in the day, but I believe it’s still exciting and holds the same opportunities today for a 22-year-old as when I moved here at 22. Just different, but the same” – Steven Hammel.
You can read more tales of the city and browse more snaps of incredible apartments here.
And, if you’re keen to get your hands on a copy of the book, you’ll find it here.
[source:guardian]
