THE WAY WE WERE: NEW YORK CITY GUIDE

"Rockefeller Center's sunken plaza - for those who can afford it"

"Fresh fruit and vegetables are less expensive in the pushcart markets"

New York Volumes

¶ New York State Guide

¶ New York City Guide

¶ New York Panorama

The New York City contingent of the Federal Writers' Project was perhaps the most radical group in the organization. As seen here the writers made biting social commentary regarding the disparities in wealth found among New Yorkers:

Map of Harlem

"Perhaps the contrast between wealth and poverty is more heightened in the Middle and Upper East Side than in other parts of the city. The Gashouse district on the East River front above Fourteenth Street, for example, has been a slum area since the 1840's, while Stuyvesant Square, adjoining the west, has maintained a middle-class calm which is accentuated by the presence of several hospitals. Slightly farther to the west, the children of exclusive Gramercy Park play behind a high fence that is locked against the public. "

Even the photos and their captions carry a social message. "For those who can afford it" juxtaposed against an image of street vendors offering low cost fruits and vegetables as we see in the images to the left, must be considered a shot at the social conditions of the city.

This volume is available as a free online e-book, downloadable from the Internet Archive: View the e-book here.

New York City Guide - Sponsored by The Guilds' Committee for Federal Writers Publications, Inc. - F.128.18.F37 - First published 1939