james maher documents the changing nature of new york city

titled ‘luxury for lease’, this image sequence by american photographer james maher exposes new york’s abrupt change in dynamics after 9/11. the iconic energy that would permeate through the streets suddenly became tainted with the ‘selling out’ of the city and a growing alienation of its character.

a woman searches for a quiet moment in the noise of the city
all images © james maher photography 

as james maher puts it, ‘just a few decades ago, new york was known as a soulful city: gritty but free; dirty but alive. people came here for acceptance and freedom to be as they wanted, and a culture of creativity blossomed. however, in the post-9/11 world, mandated change accelerated. suburbia and wealth began to move back to the city with an insatiable appetite.’ 

the sight of an advertisement steals a shopper’s attention

today, that ‘new york energy’ of constant street interaction is being steadily replaced by disconnection, hyper-gentrification, conformity and consumerism. the city is becoming weary, solemn, and full of automated faces and reactions in the midst of a numbing urban landscape. 

people staring at their phones/ pads during a conference

a trendy crowd on line for a sample sale

people line up outside a clothing store to fill out job applications

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom