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Discovering archival footage of the Bowery is pretty much a rarity, so it’s easy to foam at the mouth when a new clip surfaces in cyberspace. Shot in the 1960s, “How Do you Like the Bowery” offers a microscopic look at the boulevard of broken dreams in its prime via man-on-street interviews. Simply put, this 12-minute reel is illuminating as it is moving. Lots of great stories lost to time…

One vagrant proclaims, “[The Bowery] is a wonderful place to live when you’re broke.” When asked why they came to the Bowery, many of the respondents agreed that, “Misery loves company.”

There are also visual shout-outs to many of the flophouses. The Sunshine, Fulton, Alabama, Boston, Gotham, Delevan, and Madison Hotels amongst others.

Some of the streetscapes portrayed in the film remain unchanged, yet we now must contend with the sky-scraping eyesores and glut of restaurants and hotels.