NYC Then and Now

**Radiohead** · December 17th, 2010, 10:49 AM

The Finchley store looks like it was built in 1524, not 1924

Merry, that '70's NY Then & Now may be my favorite NYC book...great pics, perfect size, interesting text and good binding (after 100 readings the pages still are intact). Check out it's sister books on Washington DC, Philly & Boston....similar format & great reads. All long out of print but you can probably find them on Amazon.

**Merry** · December 17th, 2010, 09:14 PM

^ I never tire of looking through it. That whole series of books published by Dover is wonderful. It'd be great if Dover could update the Then and Now to compare the '70s photos with now, and perhaps with the newer views also in black and white, unlike "New York Then and Now" by Annette Witheridge (still good).

It's truly amazing that the Finchley building is still there. It's a shame the beautiful casement windows were replaced, not to mention that ugly storefront. It's good to see the two buildings on either side are still with us too.

**Radiohead** · January 11th, 2011, 11:26 PM

Doyers Street around 1905 ENLARGE

A recent photo (from ChristiNYCCa/flickr)

125th St West from 7th Ave Early 1900's ENLARGE

2010

**Merry** · February 11th, 2011, 05:52 AM

^ That first photo of Doyers Street is fascinating, especially the people and what they're doing there.

Another photo of Chinese Tuxedo here.

From Gotham Gazette's "Guess the Year". Amazing juxtaposition. Love those brownstones:

This photo was taken in 1959, and is captioned, "New high rise residence next to old brownstone apartment buildings on 3rd Ave—ongoing construction throughout the city." You can check out a closer view here. This is the same year this photo of the last brownstone standing was taken on East 69th Street.

http://gothamist.com/2011/02/10/gues...se_edition.php

**Merry** · February 18th, 2011, 07:24 PM

Relive the Recent Past From the Comfort of Google Maps

February 18, 2011, by Sara Polsky

There are plenty of places on ye olde Internet to find photos of New York City in the distant past. But what about the past that's recent-ish but still long enough ago to include demolitions of some beloved buildings? Walking Off the Big Apple has a thought: use Google Street View, in case "what's lost today may still exist in the virtual reality of Google's cameras." Above, the images Walking Off dug up of Houston's DKNY mural, 35 Cooper Square, Village Paper, and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Inspired, we took a look through Street View for a few more.

Google's Street View cam recorded two different views of the Houston Street mural wall from the north and south sides of the street. First, the pre-Haring makeover version of the Houston and Bowery wall, then the Haring recreation. (For those nostalgic for its whitewashing, we've got photographic evidence of that, too.)

On Albany Street, the shrouded Deutsche Bank building on the left, pre-W Hotel:

· Recalling New York's Recent Past in Google Street View Images [Walking Off the Big Apple]

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2011/0..._maps.php#more

**marvelfannumber1** · July 7th, 2011, 07:51 AM

1951-2007

**Merry** · September 20th, 2011, 08:07 AM

Historical photos compared with current Google street views:

http://www.whatwasthere.com/browse.aspx#!/ll/40.7143528,-74.0059731/

**ZippyTheChimp** · September 20th, 2011, 08:13 AM

^
Excellent

**Merry** · June 29th, 2012, 11:36 PM

Awesome!

Beach and Varick

.

(Click images to enlarge)

10 NYC Corners, Then And Now

We look at photos of 10 New York City street corners and show that in the big city, some things change and some things stay the same.

Bedford & Grove [NE Corner] (1936 & 2012)

17 Grove Street was built in 1822 by William Hyde, a prosperous window-sash maker, during a time when Yellow Fever forced city dwellers to flee to the "suburbs" of Greenwich Village. It is one of the few remaining intact wood frame buildings in Manhattan. The third story (and fire escape) was added in 1830. And in 1833, Hyde added the workshop out back. Both are now single-family residences. As you can see, very little has changed since 1936. [1936 photo courtesy of NYPL]

St. Marks & 3rd Ave [NE Corner] (1980 & 2012)

17th & Irving Place [SW Corner] (1909 & 2012)

This building (rumored to be the one-time residence of Washington Irving) really hasn't changed much during the last 100+ years.

Pearl & Broad [SW Corner] (1915 & 2012)

According to Sons of the Revolution, 54 Pearl Street - built in 1719 - is Manhattan's oldest surviving building, and served as an important meeting place throughout pre-Revolution and American Revolution history. Not much has changed, except for the many tall buildings in the background. And, the current light-post is cool.

1st & Bowery [SE Corner] (1942 & 2012)

The building is long gone, but it looks like the street sign, one-way sign, light-post, trash can, and fire hydrant are more or less in the same spots...

Spring & Varick [NE Corner] (1935 & 2012)

In 1935, 150 Varick Street was occupied by the Westinghouse Electric Supply Co. The showrooms were on the ground floor. What you can't see (just to the right) is the giant, ultra-modern Trump SoHo hotel/condo, which opened in 2009. Many local groups protested the construction of the luxury high rise, citing zoning and preservation improprieties. The loft buildings in the neighborhood have not changed much during the past 70+ years. However, the the cars have changed drastically; and it looks like Varick was a 2-way street in 1935.

Prince & Mulberry [NW Corner] (1935 & 2012)

The two buildings on the corner are gone. (The larger one was "for sale or lease.") An empty lot remains. The tall building in the background still proudly displays advertising/art. The two buildings on the right remain. I imagine that the 3 strangely placed windows (next to the Ben Sherman ad) were once situated around the roof of the smaller missing building.

Bleecker & Christopher [NW Corner] (1963 & 2012)

Built in 1802, this corner has been home to many a short-lived retail operation over the years. Yet, this stretch remains virtually unchanged.

Beach & Varick [SE Corner] (1935 & 2012)

In 1935, this Tribeca corner was occupied by a handsome three-story building. Today it is a parking lot and a decaying billboard. The buildings behind the lot are the same today as they were in 1935. Today, a "Dark Shadows" vinyl movie banner. In 1935, an "Office & Warehouse" advertisement painted on the brick facade. But things are about to change, for the better or worse, depending on your perspective. Ground has been broken to make way for 9-story, glass-and-concrete, luxury condo with 16 units (See rendering below). Go see the parking lot and billboard before it's too late. The Ghostbusters Firehouse is just a few feet away (but we'll cover that in a dedicated blog post)

26th & 5th Ave [SW Corner] (1908 & 2012)

Delmonico’s restaurant opened here in 1876. The popular chain eventually closed partly due to Prohibition. A Delmonico’s steak simply was not the same when served with a glass of water. I couldn't replicate the angle or distance... But you can see that two buildings on the left and the one building on the right are still standing after 100+ years.

Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com / via: nyccorners.com

See more here!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/nyccorners/1...n-and-now-60lx

**IrishInNYC** · July 2nd, 2012, 08:17 AM

Love this thread.

**bill schintler** · July 2nd, 2012, 02:23 PM

I think "Doyers Street around 1905" (Radiohead) is on the corner of Bowery, looking northwest into Doyers. The Chinese Tuxedo building is now occupied by Chase. Looking at the recent Google view, below, the windows and facade have been extensively modified, however the cornice at the top and pilasters at the street level remain.

http://maps.google.com/?ll=40.714064...37.6,,0,-14.25