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.
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Delaney started taking one-week trips to New York in the mid-1980s.
"When I visited New York during these years, 1984 to 1987, I was happily taking photographs because I was in love with the place," she told Business Insider.
During one trip, while she was staying at a friend's loft, she came back at 3 a.m. and realized she had forgotten her key.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider