What books best describe/approximate what it was like to be in New York City during the 1970s/80s?

• What books best describe/approximate what it was like to be in New York City during the 1970s/80s? I'm looking for books - both fiction and non-fiction - that give a good idea of what it was like to be in New York City during the 1970s and 80s, the time long-term New Yorkers seem to refer to as the "real" New York. Clearly, I wasn't there, but am fascinated, and so this reading is for my own enjoyment rather than any sort of professional/academic interest. I've read some of the more obvious choices - fiction like Bright Lights, Big City and The Bonfire of the Vanities - and I like movies like Taxi Driver. I've also searched on some library databases, but have found surprisingly little. I'm mainly just interested in books that show, through fiction or historical accounts, how seamy and interesting the place really was before my tenure here. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - thanks, in advance!

• Answer:

  American Psycho describes the rich in a different sort of way than Bonfire of the Vanities, but I can't actually vouch for its accuracy. Certainly feels accurate from my experiences with the rich in this city. Jonathan Lethem's Fortress of Solitude (and, to a lesser extent, Motherless Brooklyn) do a good job with 70s Brooklyn.