2. Bowery & Bleecker

Something that will become evident as this series goes on, is how much New York City has changed in the 30 plus years of Scorsese’s career. There are not only storefronts, but entire neighborhoods that have gone through radical changes since Scorsese filmed Mean Streets. Take for instance this scene in which Charlie, Robert De Niro’s character Johnny Boy and David Proval’s character Tony are driving to help out a mutual friend. Where the corner of Bleecker and Bowery now has restaurants and art galleries, back in the early 70’s all those shops were used by small businesses: selling paint, lumber and other building equipment .

For more history on The Bowery. Check out The Downtown Doodler’s Tour of the Bowery.