Bruce Davidson spent two years photographing the residents of one block of East 100th Street in the mid-1960s. The photographs, which document the poverty of an East Harlem slum, provide a grim view into a city that has often failed its inhabitants. This image of children playing is a notable exception in that it records a moment of levity away from the cramped interiors of decrepit buildings. With a view of the Triborough Bridge in the distance, the children use East 100th Street as their gameboard while neighbors chat with each other on the sidewalks. Davidson’s photograph captures the way that the streets of the grid provide social spaces for their residents, occasionally serving as racetrack or ball field when the need arises. CY