A photo of the Port Authority Bus Terminal located in New York.

Photo credit: Osugi / Shutterstock

It could be argued that New York City herself was the artist of the latest exhibit inside the Port Authority Bus Terminal. She’s certainly the subject. And possibly the medium. It’s all in how you look at it.

“PABT Time Lapse 2017” is the exhibit of Tony Gregory, local bartender and photographer. His bar is right next to the terminal’s entrance of Eighth Avenue, and he’s spent months capturing footage of the thousands upon thousands of people and vehicles who pass through the depot every single day.

He was inspired by the news that the Port Authority planned to replace the current terminal, which has been a transit hub in the city since 1950.

“I thought there was no better time to document the building and its surroundings,” he told an interviewer from the Port Authority’s blog. “So that in the future, people can enjoy seeing what this neighborhood of NYC once looked like.”

While plans to replace the building have since been put on indefinite hold, his documenting of New York life still resonates with all who see it. Time lapse is a magical way to film a city. It brings a magical quality to all of the rushing and crowds, reminiscent of children’s toys and playful things. It”s the wonder of Shining Time Station, of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. It’s familiar, even if it’s the first time you’ve ever seen New York City. His video captures reflections in skyscrapers, families waiting to reconnect, the workers who keep it all running, and much, much more.

Gregory’s videos will loop in the gallery space in the Terminal’s south wing, near the Ninth Avenue Entrance, through the month of April. Still photos by Gregory will also be on display around the Terminal. Even in those stills, he captures a city that is always, forever in motion.