Incredible Black and White Photos Capture Street Scenes of NYC in the 1950s

However, after peaking in population in 1950, the city began to feel the effects of white flight to the suburbs, a downturn in industry and commerce as businesses left for places where it was cheaper and easier to operate, an increase in crime, and an upturn in its welfare burden, all of which reached a nadir in the city’s fiscal crisis of the 1970s, when it barely avoided defaulting on its obligations and declaring bankruptcy.

Have you ever wondered what life used to be like in New York? These black and white photos were found by EspressoBuzz that give you a glimpse into the life of New Yorkers in the 1950s.

More: Flickr h/t: vintag.es