The Wildest Decade Manhattan Ever Lived (1980s): 12 Memories

Before it became the world’s safest billion-dollar playground, Manhattan in the 1980s was something else entirely. 💥 A wild collision of money, art, danger, and desire where Wall Street’s cocaine-fueled greed met the raw creativity of East Village squatters. From Times Square’s neon sleaze to subway chaos, from Studio 54’s final nights to Basquiat’s meteoric rise, this was the city at its most alive—and its most unforgiving. 🔥 Step back into the Manhattan that could make you rich, break your heart, or swallow you whole. 💭 What’s the first image that comes to mind when you think of 1980s New York? Tell us below and SUBSCRIBE for more raw, cinematic looks at the city that never slept. 🗽