- In a new book, photographer Joshua Charow documents the rich history of New York City’s artist lofts.
- Protected by the Loft Law, a generation of artists were able to preserve their live-work spaces.
- Nearly impossible in today’s rental market, these spaces still inspire people around the world.
When he was a teenager, photographer Joshua Charow would sneak into buildings around New York City in search of the perfect rooftop shot. One factory in Brooklyn’s South Williamsburg held his fascination as he discovered the raw, eclectic live-work spaces of artist’s lofts.
In his early 20s, Charow returned to the building hoping to live there himself. He soon discovered he was “ten years too late” — all the lofts were taken by tenants living under New York City’s historic Loft Law, protections for loft tenants passed in the early 1980s.
In a city where 115-square-feet can now go for $1,200 per month and the average rent continues to soar, the romantic notion of a massive, affordable loft seems nearly impossible to imagine.
Fascinated by the Loft Law’s history and its impact on New York City’s culture and legacy, Charow mapped out every building that fell under this protection and set out to document the residents who are still benefiting from the law.
Over two years, he photographed 75 tenants and collected their stories into “Loft Law, The Last of New York City’s Original Artist Lofts,” now available from Damiani Books.
Here’s more on Charow’s research of the Loft Law and a look at six of the subjects he covers in his book.
