Aging In NYC: Photographer Captures Senior Life In The City

I was walking on 73rd Street when I saw Lloyd and two other people sitting on the bench outside Hamilton House. I stopped to say hello. I had initially started talking with one of the women sitting there. She made it clear that she would be happy to speak with me but under no circumstances would she be willing to allow me to photograph her.

Lloyd showed an interest in my camera and told me that when he was younger, he was very interested in photography. He had owned several high-end Nikon cameras. He gave it up a long time ago because it was too expensive a hobby. He was never involved in digital photography. His dream was to own a film Leica, but the cost was prohibitive.

Lloyd is 72 years old and has been retired for 15 years. He was a steelworker and worked on many high-rise buildings in Manhattan. He spoke about how he would often work with members of the Mohegan Tribe. They were known to be able to work at great heights with no fear. One of the projects he worked on was the original World Trade Center twin towers.

He would walk from beam to beam as casually as he would walk across the street on firm ground. He was not afraid of heights and takes pride in being a part of the building industry. He had already retired when the rebuilding of the Freedom Tower began. He would have liked being part of the construction.

Lloyd was born in Manhattan. If he has to go somewhere, he pointed down the street towards the subway and said: "I have my iron horse right there to take me anywhere I need to go." He said Manhattan is the place to live. Everything he could want or need is either in walking distance or a quick ride on the bus or his iron horse.

Lloyd was married a long time ago but it didn't last very long. He has no children. Clearly, he relishes the freedom to enjoy the cultural and social advantages of living in New York City. He does not spend much time in his apartment, he gets out as often as possible. I imagine he walks around Manhattan, admiring at and taking pride in his contributions to the skyline of the city.

Herb Bardavid is a social worker with a passion for photography going back to his childhood years. When he was 12 years old, Bardavid commandeered his family's only bathroom to serve as a part-time dark room for developing photos. At his wife's suggestion, the Upper West Side resident chose to chronicle the lives of New York City senior citizens for a year-long photography project.

Bardavid, who's in his 70s, is inspired by New York City's elders who don't let their age get in the way of how they live their lives.

"Elderly people in New York City are sometimes invisible," Bardavid told Patch. "People walk by and nobody pays attention to them. So when I stop people they are not only surprised but also happy because people don't often talk to them."

Check out Bardavid's blog here.

Photos by Herb Bardavid