Marlis Momber, a German-born photographer, has documented the dramatic evolution of Loisaida, her home, for decades.
South of 14th Street and north of Houston, east of Avenue A to the East River, Loisaida is all but unknown to some late-coming East Villagers. Though time and gentrification have transformed the neighborhood, Loisaida’s streets still reflect its distinct culture and history.
Many of the murals that are a signature of Ms. Momber’s photographs have faded, but her body of work helps explain the Loisaida we see today.
During a walk through Loisaida, Ms. Momber describes a community that is more than a sign tacked onto Avenue C; Loisaida — a community, a culture, a past not forgotten.
NYU Journalism’s Molly O’Toole reports.
Timothy Krause on taking portraits of subway riders.
“I’ve been shooting subway pictures with a camera app for my smartphone. I love the intimacy that this affords, as smartphones are near-ubiquitous these days, and few seem to notice one more person playing with one on the subway.”
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Inspired and framed by the opening monologue of Woody Allen’s
“Manhattan,” Phillip Kalantzis Cope tells an East Village story through his images and Mr. Allen’s words.
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The community contributor known as eastvillagedenizen discusses three decades of taking photos in the neighborhood.
“The East Village was a different world when I first encountered it 48 years ago. Rents were cheap (really cheap), there were great bars (Stanley’s and The Annex on Avenue B, Rocky’s across the Broadway divide), double features at the Charles movie theater on Avenue B. St. Marks Place didn’t have souvenir shops for tourists (no tourists). It had Stan Brakhage and Kuchar brothers movies (they were called “underground” films) and jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll.”
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Gloria Chung on photographing East Village gardens in the fall.
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For the past six months, Steven Hirsch has used a combination of photography, video, and monologue to document the tribe of tattooed denizens who hang out on Crusty Row in Tompkins Square Park.
“There has been an evolutionary change in Crusty subculture. It’s a much darker scene now than it was even two or three years ago. Many of the kids today are heroin addicted. From my interviews, I realize most come from the suburbs or rural areas, leaving behind broken homes or parental abuse. That’s not necessarily a recent trend, obviously, but the level of despair seems to be higher than ever.”—Steven Hirsch
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Vivienne Gucwa discusses photographing the ever-changing landscape of the East Village.
“I started documenting my walks around New York City neighborhoods in an effort to capture the evolving landscape of the city. The East Village is a place that I spend a tremendous amount of time in and it’s a neighborhood which embodies this constant evolution.”
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John Galayda John DeRobertis.In April 1904, Paolo DeRobertis opened a bakery on First Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets, which he named Caffe Pugliese, after his birthplace in the Apulia region of Italy. Today, John DeRobertis Jr., grandson of Paolo DeRobertis, commutes to New York City daily from Nutley, N.J. to work at the bakery (now renamed DeRobertis Caffe) to continue the long family tradition.
Mr. DeRobertis, who grew up on 11th Street, says he is filled with memories from his childhood every time he looks out the store window. “I take pleasure in serving our customers, who come from all parts of the world and seeing their pleasant faces,” Mr. DeRobertis says.
The bakery is open every day from 9:00 a.m. until midnight and ships orders across the country. “All of the baked goods are made on the premises,” boasts Mr. DeRobertis. He says that the best-selling items are the shop’s Pignoli cookies and cannoli. “We also have a huge selection of wedding cakes. If people see a wedding cake they like, they describe it or bring us a picture, and we recreate it,” he adds.—Deanna Yurchuk
Sarah Tung on finding compelling images in the East Village.
“As a sketch artist, I often see the world in cropped focus. Interesting people, shapes and colors most often catch my eye because my hand itches to record their essence on a thick sheet of drawing or water color paper. But in a fast-paced city like New York, I simply don’t have time to sit and draw for hours or days on end. Luckily, digital photography has been my savior.
And the East Village never ceases to amaze me.”
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NYU Journalism’s Rachel Wise describes taking pictures in the East Village.
“The changing leaves and crisp autumn air make the East Village irresistible this time of year. I could spend every day outside enjoying the scenery. As I looked up to admire this particular tree, a gust of wind blew, sending leaves cascading down on me and my camera. It reminded me of the possibility of serene moments, even against the backdrop of a buzzing East Village.”
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Michelle Rick, a community contributor to The Local East Village, turns her lens on New Yorkers in motion.
“The homeless man in this shot is as oblivious to this woman as she is to him. Is this mutual indifference a function of being a New Yorker? I hope not. Ideally, I’d like to pierce the armor before I take the shot.”
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Today, The Local East Village begins a new recurring feature highlighting the work of local photographers who are our community contributors.
Regular readers of The Local are likely familiar with the photography of Gloria Chung, whose contributions often grace our morning roundup of blogposts known as The Day. Ms. Chung, who’s lived in the East Village for seven years, discusses some of her favorite images and how she found them.
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