The Boom Box Emerges

The boombox came to the United States in the mid-1970s and, not long after, seemed to be everywhere in New York. Teenagers famously cranked up the bass, but this new technology, allowing people to bring recorded music everywhere, appealed to both young and old. 

In 1978, the parks of New York totaled about 29,000 acres, roughly equal to the entire land mass of San Francisco or Boston. New York City has 14 miles of public beaches along the ocean and bays. Solitude has never been more than a short walk away. So, too, is company. And music. 

Text and photo (shot in 1978) from the New York Times 

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