Vibrant photos give a rare look into the Lower East Side's thriving immigrant communities in the 1980s

Because of the constantly shifting demographics, common tongues in the neighborhood included Spanish, Chinese, Yiddish, and Polish.

Throughout New York's history, the Lower East Side served as a launching pad of opportunity, where newly-arrived immigrants from places like the Dominican Republic, Poland, China, India, and Japan could find community and success.

From housing newly-arrived Irish immigrants in the 1800s, to becoming the "capital of Jewish America" in the beginning of the 20th century to serving as a hub for Caribbean occupants in 1940s and beyond, the cultural history of the area is ingrained into each street.

The neighborhood was called everything from a "war zone," "a community virtually destroyed by the rampant heroin and cocaine trade," and a "corridor of poverty and violence."

Among this narrative, according to Giovan, little attention was paid to the everyday lives of those who called the Lower East Side home.

"The regular life was rarely focused on or addressed," said the Long Island-based photographer whose recovered images peel back the stigma of the community. "All of these neighborhoods sort of morphed together and were changing all the time."

"Everyone thinks that the islands are these tropical serene places, but, in fact, where our house was, it was loud and there were roosters, dogs barking, and music. So to transport to that in my apartment in New York City in some ways felt kind of familiar, strangely," Giovan recalled.

Moving to Manhattan's Lower East Side in 1984, Giovan's archival process had little political motive or desire to promote an intentional counter narrative — the stories of the people around her and families she encountered were easily accessible to anyone who took the time to notice them.

"I felt like I was part of the community, even though I can't say that I was hanging out with people who knew everybody's name, but of course that's a New York City thing. You know the people at the bodega, you know the people at the dry cleaner or the laundromat, and it did feel like a community."

The landscapes appear as if they're familiar enough to fit in any urban site, while still feeling uniquely New York.

The shuttered storefronts or dilapidated buildings take a peripheral stance, opposing popular depictions of the time. The vibrant subjects, often families, are at the forefront of the setting we, as onlookers 40 years into the future, know to be on the brink of change.

"To walk around and see some of the old storefronts that were so representative of a time, an era that had passed," Giovan added. " I have recently wandered around a bit and it's a completely different landscape but still feels like the Lower East Side. It has its own unique quality."