From See Old NYC:
The 1980s are often remembered for neon excess and Wall Street greed, but in neighborhoods like Bushwick, Brooklyn, a very different reality played out. Photographer Meryl Meisler documented this era not through sensational images of poverty and crime, but through a deeply humanizing lens.
Her photographs peel back the layers of neglect, revealing the lives lived within the burned-out buildings and crumbling storefronts. We see children finding joy and freedom amid the rubble – impromptu games of stickball, shared moments of laughter, and an unyielding youthful energy.