50th St Between 2nd Ave and 3rd Ave

Depending on which direction you walk down this street, you may either experience an improvement in your disposition, or, a slow decline into terminal depression. This is a bit of a contradiction for myself, as I'm a fan of the Turtle Bay area...in particular 2nd Avenue. However, the east end of this block is in such a state of disrepair as to make one wonder if it's slated for demolition anytime soon. There's nothing particularly charming about the west side near 3rd Avenue, but at least the buildings appear to be occupied.  

Scattered throughout the block are various small business (a salon, a music workshop for kids, a restaurant) which each provide a nice degree of diversity and comfort to the block. But I have a hard time getting over how broken down the street appears to be. Now, as a photographer, I relish urban decay, it invariably makes for interesting photos. But it saddens me to see such a bustling area, which still has a good deal of nice, old buildings, falling to the ravages of time. It seems like only a matter of years before these units are cleared and made into a large condo development.

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Comments

[mlgreen8753]

The small businesses bring value to the community through jobs and shopping experiences, even when the rest of the neigborhood seems to be broken down. If they keep advertising smart, they can beat the conditions and survive the economic environment.