Eccles Photography

The Face of New York (Self-Published Book) The Five Boroughs of New York

In 2017 we travelled to New York for an extended stay. After visiting this amazing city every year for some twenty years on business, it became apparent that there were big changes occurring both in the make-up of the people but also in the layout of the city. The old village areas of Soho, Greenwich and Chelsea are becoming like everywhere else. losing their individual shops, eateries and quaintness in favour of expensive apartments and franchise outlets. So before they disappear altogether it was Steve;s ambition to travel through the five boroughs more leisurely and to meet the people of this great metropolis, to talk with the locals and to photograph them at their places of work, play and in their native habitat.

The five boroughs comprise Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx. Independently each of these boroughs could have been an entire city in its own right up until 1898. Today of course this is not the case. Brooklyn is no longer the poor neighbour to Manhattan, Williamsburg is the new hipster hangout. Bushwick, which leads on to Queens is fast becoming the next affordable place to move in to. In the other direction going from Manhattan up to the newly gentrified Harlem, you must travel through the Upper East and West Sides with the fabulous mansions of the super rich and of course the wonderful Central Park. Then onwards to the Bronx.

All these journeys were undertaken on public transport and mostly on foot, walking at least ten miles a day. This is by far the best way to meet and talk to the people and most of them feature in this book. From the homeless and down and outs to the drug addicts and those reformed. To the artists, artisans, shopkeepers to shop-workers. To the law enforcers and breakers, the old and the young and the the ones who would never need to be any of the above.

It was a fascinating and enjoyable collaboration. Most of the hugely diverse people were warm and friendly, with interesting back stories that we will never forget. It only proved to enhance our view of this incredible city and our understanding of what makes it unique.

Sheana Hollowood