Vlog: Living in 1970s New York

Inspiration

I’ve always been curious about what “affordable” really meant in the past. Old photos and price charts are interesting, but I wanted people to feel 1970s New York tiny apartment, A/C hum, cheap coffee, noisy streets and see, in human terms, what an $800 paycheck looked like.

What it does

The film is a first-person “vlog” from 1977. We follow Michael, a 30-year-old insurance clerk, through one ordinary day: subway, diner, office, bar, bedroom. On-screen, we show real prices for rent, food, subway tokens, beer, and savings, turning cost-of-living stats into a lived, emotional experience.

How we built it

I outlined Michael’s day like a modern YouTube vlog, then used AI video and image tools such as OpenArt, Fal, Kling, and Veo to recreate 1970s New York apartments, streets, signage, clothes, and subway cars. I designed the edit in CapCut, added voiceover with ElevenLabs, and overlaid simple motion graphics to show prices and paycheck math. Finally, I refined pacing and transitions so it feels like a seamless “time tourist” vlog while still clearly highlighting the real historical numbers.

Challenges we ran into

The hardest part was nailing the period authenticity: getting fashion, cars, storefronts, and signage to feel like 1977, not generic “retro city.” I also had to balance educational overlays (numbers, prices) with story flow so it stayed emotional and human, not just a moving infographic.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I’m proud that the film feels both nostalgic and educational. People come away saying, “Wow, that seems cheap but also still kind of tight.” It turns abstract cost-of-living debates into one specific, believable life you can step into for a couple of minutes.

What we learned

I learned how powerful POV can be for explaining economics, and how AI tools can recreate a past era when guided by careful research. It also taught me how much small details alarm clocks, receipts, street noise matter in making a time period feel real.

What's next for Living in 1970s New York

Next, I’d love to expand this into a mini-series: similar POV “time tourist” vlogs for different decades and cities 1970s Mumbai, 1990s London, 2020s San Francisco so viewers can compare how a paycheck’s power changes across time and place.

Built With

• capcut
• elevenlabs
• fal
• kling
• openart
• veo