The Songs of New York exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York may take up a relatively small physical footprint, but what it delivers is enormous. In a compact space, the museum manages to distill 100 years of New York City culture through music, proving that scale has nothing to do with impact.

One of the most striking elements is the interactive floor projection. The five boroughs are illuminated beneath your feet, and as you step onto each one, a defining artist from that borough springs to life. Staten Island triggers the unmistakable sound of Wu-Tang Clan, Queens fires back with the raw punch of Ramones, and so on. It’s playful, intuitive, and quietly brilliant—turning the visitor into part of the performance.

If there’s one criticism, it’s that New York Hardcore—a genre that helped define the city’s aggressive, DIY spirit—doesn’t get much attention. Given the museum’s otherwise thoughtful curation, its absence is noticeable, though it hardly derails the experience.

What Songs of New York does exceptionally well is capture the texture of the city itself. From subway grit to street-corner electricity, the exhibit makes it clear that these artists weren’t merely inspired by New York—they were shaped from it. The city isn’t just the backdrop; it’s the co-author. In that sense, the exhibit doesn’t just tell you what New York sounded like—it reminds you what it felt like.

For its size, Songs of New York hits with remarkable clarity and heart. It’s proof that a small exhibit, when thoughtfully designed, can tell a story as big and loud as the city it celebrates.