MICHELLE SIU
Stills+Motion

September 25, 2015, Niagara Falls, New York-- Jeri Lynn Garland, 54, lives with her boyfriend and son. "The (American) dream is not dead. I just live one day at a time. It's all you can do. Get through one day and I can get on with the next one." She goes on to say "this used to be the honeymoon capital of the world but now nobody is doing anything. Now all we got is the falls. There's nothing left. You go down the street and half the street is boarded up."`

October 6, 2015, Niagara Falls, New York-- Although some industrial businesses remain, the city continues to be deeply affected by 40 years of job losses from the decline of industry such as chemical production plants.

Sunday, September 27, 2015-- Kaleema Jones who was born and raised in Niagara Falls poses for a photo on a Sunday afternoon.

October 13, 2015-- A trained sea lion circles in a small and visibly dated aquarium after performing.

October 4, 2015: Niagara Falls, New York--As a child Dee Johnson moved away from Niagara Falls to Baltimore after his brother was murdered. He has since returned and has lived in the city for the past 12 years. "I love America because we are free. The American dream is not about having a green picket fence but a white picket fence, having some kids, having a wife and living so I don't have to worry about someone knocking on my door telling me they're going to cut off the electricity or my gas. Of course that has happened to me. I am young and I am black."

A hat resembling that belonging to the fictitious character Uncle Sam, who often personifies the American government, sits outside a factory.

October 6, 2015, Niagara Falls, New York-- Angela , poses for a photo while working at her boyfriend newly opened dream business-- Carmine's. "I want her to leave the city because there's no opportunity here and there's no job. I've had three businesses go under" she says about her only daughter. Angela has a business degree and is currently in school for criminal justice and hospital administration.

October 6, 2015, Niagara Falls, New York-- The plastics recycling company, The Tulip Corporation, endures although the city continues to be deeply affected by 40 years of job losses.

October 12, 2015-- Canadian tourist Cynthia Espinoza, 32, poses for a photo with her dog Chiquita after spending a night visiting the American side of the falls for a shopping trip. She likes the city and has visited many times but was not aware of the financial and economic struggles of local residents.

Sunday, September 27, 2015-- A boat ride advertises "Hear the crashing waves. See the breathtaking views. Soak up every drop of powerful spray aboard the Maid of the Mist. It’s the only way to experience one of the world’s most amazing natural wonders right here in the U.S.A."

October 12, 2015-- Kay, 57 (left) and Dale Garrett, 62 (right) from Arkansas pose for a portrait as they wait for a helicopter ride along the Niagara River during their 32-day road trip. They are retired and have been married for 32 years and do not plan to venture into the city past the tourist area.

The Rainbow bridge separates the Canadian and American border and provides visitors with a prime view of the falls. Few visitors step beyond the tourism area.

September 25, 2015, Niagara Falls, New York-- Tim Strack, 61, has lived in Niagara Falls his entire life and is living with Esophageal cancer. "My American dream is alive each time I wake up to live another day" he says.

September 7, 2015, Niagara Falls, New York-- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber factory remains although the city has seen decades of job loss.

October 13, 2015, Niagara Falls, New York-- Tamara Kozak, 56, who grew up in a small Ukrainian village before marrying an American and moving to Niagara Falls 20 years ago, poses for a photo while re-painting a building. The mother who has since divorced says "this wasn't what I pictured when I moved here but I am a very strong person and very hard working. I can survive anywhere. I'm not afraid. This place is depressing but I want this city to look like all American cities. Beautiful, clean, lights and I want people to want to do better. Everything seems so hard here. I want them to see the opportunity to see this is a city of opportunity"

October 11, 2015-- A hotel heat lamp casts a dim light echoing the neon lights shining on the American tourist strip that pales in comparison to the bright lights of the Canadian tourism centre.

September 7, 2015, Niagara Falls, New York-- Shane Stark, 41, finishes his shift as a welder. He who moved to the city a year ago from Rochester because of the crime. "America needs to wake up...I wouldn't want to live here. If I was able I would be gone but I was lucky enough to find a job here. There are lots of drugs here and even though there are good people there are lot scammers and hustlers. Most plants are condemned and shutdown and the big chemical companies left."

September 27, 2015-- The decline of chemical production plants that used the hydroelectric power from the falls resulted in companies and residents moving away. While its Canadian counterpart excelled in investing in tourism, the New York side failed.

Tyrone Junior, 31 (left) and Tyrone Senior, 59 (right) on their front porch.

October 11, 2015, Niagara Falls, New York-- The faint light of the sole casino in Niagara Falls, New York shines on an abandoned building.