Maybe this is just me imagining things and is being completely wrong. I have just been thinking about this question and especially after watching Home Alone 2 in New York. It may just be that I think it looks more crowded in the movies because it actually is a set filled with people, but also there probably should be some truth to it as you now can do so much online that makes people able to stay inside instead of walk to a location.
I am also wondering if the movies represent the real life rush hour, and probably always shows the “most crowded” times of the day.
Are any of you living of have been living in New York that has seen a difference, or am I just imagining the change?
The screenshot is from this video (1993): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT4lDU-QLUY witch I feel is giving me the vibes I am talking about.
The movie Koyaanisqatsi has some documentary footage of New York City streets from the late 70s, and there are some scenes where they’re packed. I’ve never been to NY so can’t speak from experience, but if they’re less busy now, maybe that has to do with cultural changes and the internet replacing much of what we used to do in real life?