A Picture Comparison of New York City Past and Present

12 Apr 2014

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1900: Mott Street has been the center of New York's Chinatown for more than 100 years.

2013: Even today, the buildings remain largely unchanged, with the exception of modern conveniences and signs.

1907: Bowling Green is the oldest public park in NYC, built in 1733.

2013: After suffering neglect after WWII, the park was restored in the '70s and is now one of the most visited places in the city.

1915: The arch and colonnade that welcomes motorists on the Manhattan Bridge was built as a part of the City Beautiful movement "to create moral and civic virtue among urban populations."

2013: After decades of being covered in graffiti, the city made the arch a landmark in 1975, and restored it in the 1990s.

1922: Bryant Park has evolved over the years. Here, a "demonstration garden" is planted on the eastern end of the park.

2013: More than 90 years later, the park is still an urban sanctuary. Note the New York Public Library in the background.

1937: When the 8th Avenue/14th Street subway station opened in 1931, this impressive building was home to the New York Savings Bank.

2013: Today, the neoclassical structure is a CVS pharmacy, and the subway station has an elevator.

1938: A man crosses First Avenue on the Upper East Side during the Great Depression.

2013: The building in the center remains largely untouched, but the UES has markedly transformed with cars, trees, and paved roads.

1942: From the steps of St. Bart's Church, one could see the New York Central Building rise above the other structures on Park Avenue.

2013: Today the building is known as the Helmsley Building, and is dwarfed by Midtown's skyscrapers.

1965: New York's Racquet and Tennis Club on Park Avenue was surrounded by skyscrapers 50 years ago.

2013: The buildings may be taller, but the Racquet and Tennis Club looks the same.

1968: Here's a vintage glimpse of Delancey Street on the Lower East Side, with a view of the Williamsburg Bridge.

2013: Today, Delancey Street is much cleaner and has more trees (though you can still see the Williamsburg Bridge!).

1968: Orchard Street in downtown Manhattan was filled with people and stores.

2013: Those brick buildings are still there, but the street looks much quieter.

1968: The Lower East Side's Essex Street Market was built in the 1930s to house street cart vendors.

2013: Now, the market is run by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and still houses a few dozen stalls.

1968: Here's a look at lunch hour on Nassau Street in the Financial District, with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the right.

2013: There are more cars than people, but the bank is still there.

1968: South Street Seaport market — specifically Schermerhorn Row — was in rough shape before it was taken over by the South Street Seaport museum.

2013: The buildings were renovated in 1983, but The New York Times said the changes made the block "into something flat and dull."

1970: The Chapel of the Good Shepherd was erected on Roosevelt Island in 1888. At the time of this picture, residential complexes were just about to be built on the island.