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Blogging...The New York Times Then and Now
Allen B. Schwartz's Manhattan Tech Pad

010509_sz_SchwartzLR.jpg During our break the New York Times published a piece looking at the renovations of founder of the ABS clothing line, Allen B. Schwartz's Manhattan apartment. The piece showed photos from both the late 1970s, when Schwartz originally remodeled the space, and its current incarnation. What we love is that, even in the late 1970s, Schwartz was quite the geek. Above is a photo of his living room circa '79, which featured carpeted stadium seating, a mammoth TV and neon strips running along the wall. “Big screens had just come in, and the family room,” he told the Times. “The whole focus was to put in some bleachers. People would come over and you’d rent a movie — in 1979 it was cool to rent a movie. I was always a very trendy guy. I just thought it was very cool.”

After the jump a few more before and after photos featuring some of the old and new tech Schwartz included in his home...

 
 

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Schwartz's living room post extreme makeover.

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Schwartz's kitchen. Check out the TV in the back. Was he the first to bring TVs into the kitchen?

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Kitchen now.

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Bedroom '79

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Bedroom '09

via NYT
photos: '79, Eddie Hausner/The New York Times; '09, Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

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Blogging..., New York Times, Allen B. Schwartz

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Comments (4)

I love how his original kitchen looks like a santa fe airport burger king.

posted by maximumHOTbottom on January 5th 2009 at 2:09pm
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woah, I just noticed there's a mirror above his bed in the 70s. P-I-M-P

posted by lil' soso on January 5th 2009 at 3:56pm
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I saw that, too! Hah! And good call on the Santa Fe airport Burger King (circa 1988 - he was about 10 years ahead of his time in tacky).

The new place is an improvement I suppose, but it already looks a bit dated.

posted by sunspot42 on January 6th 2009 at 12:26am
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I kind of love the custom built-in headboard and footboard in the old bedroom.

posted by Jezebella on January 6th 2009 at 4:51pm
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