Great photo essay(s) on life and block parties in NYC.
Text by Sandra E. Garcia
Produced by Jeffrey Furticella and Rebecca Lieberman
Sept. 15, 2019
Photographs by Mark Abramson, José A. Alvarado Jr., Gabriella Angotti-Jones, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, Gabriela Bhaskar, Sarah Blesener, Oscar Durand, Kholood Eid, Demetrius Freeman, Todd Heisler, Elizabeth D. Herman, Mary Inhea Kang, Kirsten Luce, Jonah Markowitz, Brittainy Newman, Desiree Rios, Stephen Speranza, Hilary Swift, John Taggart and An Rong Xu
New Yorkers, we live on top of one another, so it’s only natural that sometimes we spill out onto the concrete. It happens especially during the sweltering summer spells, when even the apartment walls seem to sweat.
There are very few backyards in the city, so to avoid walking up flights, a steamy basement or balmy bedrooms, we hug the block.
Across all five boroughs New Yorkers set out on their streets with lawn chairs, pools, bouncy castles and tables full of food, to enjoy the summer together. Throughout the day there is a cacophony of familiar music, the laughter of children playing and the sizzling sound of meat on a grill. No cars are allowed.
According to a New York Times article from 1923, this tradition of gathering on stoops and visiting with neighbors goes back as far as the 1860s. By the middle of the 20th century, the custom had blossomed into a full-on celebration.
This is the New York City block party.
