Vintage Albany, NY photos!

The intersection of I-87 and I-90 as it appeared in the 60's. The portion of road at the bottom left is where my little sister was born 11 years ago.

Ad for Colonie Center

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Pepe Gonzales Filming Locations

Pepe Gonzales was a skit on Saturday Night Live in the infamous sixth season (1980-81). It stars a young Gilbert Gottfried as "America's only living bullfighter". The skit is of special interest to me because it features vintage footage of early 80's New York City. Let's see if we can pinpoint the exact filming locations...

The first shot that had clues as to its location is this one of Pepe trying to ward off a street cleaner. Notice the sign for Commerce Street. I think this might be the intersection of Commerce and Seventh Ave, but I'm not sure.
For reference, this is what Commerce and Seventh looks like:

Do you guys think this is the same location?

In this scene, Pepe is in the way of a woman pushing her baby's carriage. There is a statue in the background that looked familiar to me when I first saw it. What you are looking at is the statue in Columbus Circle, right across from the current site of the Time Warner Center.

I'm pretty sure that this next shot is on the long-gone West Side Highway Viaduct, which was still abandoned at the time this was shot.

This is the reverse angle. That certainly looks like the Meatpacking District back there.

Lastly, on a more somber note, when it cuts back to Pepe, note the Twin Towers in the background.

More things destroyed by greedy developers

4. Universal Studios Stage 28: The oldest stage on the Universal lot, it was home to the Opera House set from the 1924 Phantom of the Opera film. In 2014, Universal demolished it to make room for more theme park bullshit. Not even a petition was enough to prevent its destruction. Thankfully, the Opera House set was preserved and presumably put in storage.

5. Times Square: Now I know what you're thinking; "But Jared, Times Square still exists!" Oh, it does. But it's not the Times Square that your Daddy grew up with. Ever since that dunce Rudy Giuliani started a modernization project in the '90s, Times Square's trademark grittiness has slowly been replaced with a clutter of big business and annoying tourists backing up traffic. One of the last holdouts of the old Times Square was Howard Johnson's, but that closed in 2005, replaced by American Eagle Outfitters. If by chance you happen to find a building in the area that has not been affected, please by all means save it from "modernization".

more awesome stock footage

http://footage.framepool.com/mov/826-168-851.mp4

http://footage.framepool.com/mov/948-143-576.mp4
I'm guessing this was filmed on the Metro-North heading to New York City.

http://footage.framepool.com/mov/501-393-282.mp4

http://footage.framepool.com/mov/544-283-017.mp4

http://footage.framepool.com/mov/334-696-709.mp4

http://footage.framepool.com/mov/510-808-558.mp4
Angels Flight in Los Angeles (this whole area was demolished not long after this was taken)

http://footage.framepool.com/mov/975-443-594.mp4