The city of New York or New York City (NYC) is one of the most developed cities of the world. It is not only the biggest city of the USA but also the most populous one in the country. It is known for its skyscrapers and modern architecture but do you have an idea how it used to look before it became New York City?
In 1664, when British took the control of New Amsterdam from the Dutch, they renamed it as New York after the name of Duke of York. NYC is the USA’s biggest city since 1790 and it was also the capital of the country from 1785 to 1790.
Here are some photographs of New York City from the 1800s when it was undeveloped with the photographs of the same location in today’s time, just to give you an idea how much New York has changed.
Times Square is an important business intersection of the city along with one of the most visited tourist attractions as almost 50 million visitors come here annually. It has been developed as the entertainment center which is also called “The Crossroads of the World” or “The Heart of the World”.
Here is Times Square of 1920:
Image Source: www.businessinsider.in
This is Times Square of today:
Image Source: media2.s-nbcnews.com
It is named after Madison square which got its name after James Madison, the fourth President of the USA. Madison Avenue runs from Madison Square till Harlem River Drive and the areas that it passes through are Midtown, the Upper East Side (including Carnegie Hill), East Harlem and Harlem.
Here is how it looked in 1836:
Image Source: baomoi-photo-1-td.zadn.vn
This is how it looks like today:
Image Source: www.departures.com
In 1925, the intersection on 8th avenue used to look quite different but now it has become the major transportation hub of the city. Port Authority Bus Terminal has been set up there, which is main gateway for interstate buses and it is owned and operated by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Here is the 8th avenue in 1925:
Image Source: content.argaam.com
And it looks like this nowadays:
Image Source: images.adsttc.com
It is the neighborhood in the Lower Manhattan which is mainly residential with lots of shops and small restaurants. It is a part of Manhattan community board 2 and also of the Sixth Precinct of NYPD. The West village of 1927 used to give a very rustic feeling:
Image Source: www.snyar.net
And now it has a modern look:
Image Source: wp.zillowstatic.com
Also known as Grand Central Terminal, it is an intercity railroad terminal situated at the 42nd St. and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It serves people travelling on Metro-north railroad to Putnam, Dutchess and Westchester counties in New York.
Here is the photo from the 1920s:
Image Source: www.boweryboyshistory.com
This is the Grand Central Station of today:
Image Source: www.carltonleisure.com
It is an important and historic crossing where the Broadway and the former Bowery road came together. Its name itself suggests that, “here was the union of the two principal thoroughfares of the island”.
This is the photo of Union Square from 1904:
Image Source: www.businessinsider.in
While it is the Union Square of today:
Image Source: res.cloudinary.com
It is a historic area in the New York City and has some of the oldest architecture in downtown Manhattan. Maximum 19th century buildings can be found here which are restored and renovated including original mercantile buildings, renovated sailing ships and the former Fulton Fish Market.
Here is South Street Seaport in 1937:
Image Source: www.businessinsider.in
This is South Street Seaport of today:
Image Source: d21xlh2maitm24.cloudfront.net
It is a neighborhood area situated in the Upper east side and is a part of Manhattan Community Board 8. It extends from 86th to 98th Streets, from Fifth Avenue up till Third Avenue but doesn’t include the Third Avenue.
Here is the Carnegie Hill of 1882:
Image Source: allthatsinteresting.com
This is how Carnegie Hill looks like today:
Image Source: .cloudinary.com
This suspension bridge crosses the East River in NYC and connects the Lower Manhattan at Canal Street with Downtown Brooklyn. It started operating on December 31, 1909, and the designer of this marvel was Leon Moisseiff.
Here is the Manhattan Bridge during the construction in 1901:
Image Source: gizmodo.com
This is the Manhattan Bridge of today:
Image Source: www.nycgo.com
It is also known as The Dakota and is the most prestigious and exclusive cooperative residential buildings of Manhattan. It was built in 1884 and was home to the former Beatle John Lennon from 1973 until he was murdered in 1980.
Here is the Dakota of 1884:
Image Source: ipstatp.com
See how it looks like today:
Image Source: .cityrealty.com
A traffic circle which is heavily trafficked, it is named after the monument of Columbus that is in the center. It was designed in 1857 and its name is used for the neighborhood, which is little near to the circle.
Here is the Columbus circle in 1892:
Image Source: zadn.vn
And here is the Columbus circle of today:
Image Source: www.italiachiamaitalia.it
It is the seat of New York City government and is situated at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center Area of Lower Manhattan. It is the oldest city hall in the USA and all the government functions are still conducted here. Its construction started in 1803 and finished in 1812. It is also listed in National Register of Historic Places.
Here is New York City Hall of 1893:
Image Source: vietbao.vn
This is the New York City Hall of today:
Image Source: www.nycgo.com
It is the northernmost of five boroughs of NYC and this county is the third most densely populated in the USA. Its name came from Jonas Bronck who was responsible for establishing the first settlement in the area.
The Bronx used to look like this in 1898:
Image Source: kienthuc.net.vn
And now it looks like this:
Image Source: www.whitestarlimo.com
It is the home to American writer Edgar Allan Poe and it is located on the Kingsbridge road. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is said to be built in 1797.
This is how it used to look like in 1899:
Image Source: gramunion.com
Here is how it looks like now:
Image Source: www.themidnightgarden.net
Founded in 1831, it is a private non-profit research university and its main campus is centered in Manhattan. Till 2017, 36 Nobel Laureates, 7 Turing Award winners and 4 Fields Medalists were associated with New York University and its alumni list includes many famous personalities.
Here is how New York University looked like in 1901:
This is how it looks like now:
Image Source: aroson.com