What New York City Looked Like the Year You Were Born
What New York City Looked Like the Year You Were Born
Ah, New York City, the urban epicenter that rules the world—or so every New Yorker thinks. Take a look back in time to see what the influential melting pot looked like the year you were born and how it has transformed into the visionary, yet raw and real, city that you know and love today.
1915
Women helping with the war effort show off their military uniforms while standing across from Broadway.
1916
Children attend a fundraiser in Central Park to raise money for the people left devastated in occupied France during World War I.
1917
During the coal famine, people gather in the streets of New York hoping to get a few pounds of coal to heat their homes.
1918
A crowd gathers in Times Square to celebrate Germany's surrender and the end of World War I.
1919
Thousands of people line Fifth Avenue as infantry soldiers returning home from World War I march through the city.
1920
A frozen Westside Market during a February snowstorm doesn't stop New Yorkers from visiting by horse and cart.
1921
The Flatiron Building, which was built in 1902, stands at the intersection of 23rd Street, Broadway, and Fifth Avenue.
1922
An aerial view of the New York City Skyline in 1922. At this time, the tallest building in the city was the Woolworth Building (back center) and the city's ports were heavily used.
1923
Only one year after construction broke ground on the new Yankee Stadium the arena opened up to the public on April 18, 1923.
1924
A group of immigrants in the Ellis Island processing center await the next step in attaining an American citizenship.
1925
The intersection of 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue at the foot of the New York Public Library.
1926
Magician Harry Houdini attempts to escape from a straightjacket, while hanging upside down over the intersection of Broadway and 46th Street.
1927
The magnificent ceiling in the Roxy Theater lobby undergoes construction and renovations.
1928
A couple takes a stroll through the fairgrounds at Coney Island.
1929
Hoards of bankers, industrial executives, and government officials flocked to the New York Stock Exchange as the nation's stock prices plummeted in the crash of 1929.
1931
Aerial view of the newly built Empire State Building that stood over Manhattan from 1,250 feet high—the world's tallest tower until 1972 when the World Trade Center took the title.
1932
Construction workers eat their lunch atop a steel beam, 800 feet above the ground, at the building site of the RCA Building in Rockefeller Center.
1933
J.P. Morgan & Co. stands like a fortress on corner of Broad and Wall Street.
1934
A striking view of St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue between 50th Street and 51st Street.
1935
Despite the cold weather, a large crowd witnessed the dedication of Astor Housing Project, on Avenue A and 3rd Street. It was the first of the government's model housing developments to be completed.
1939
Passengers on board the Cunard White Star liner Queen Mary view the New York skyline as the ship docks in Manhattan at dawn.
1940
The Rockefeller Center roller skating rink opens to the public.
1942
Crowds line up on the Aviation Terrace of the Land Plane Administration Building to view two British fighter planes, which are on display at New York Municipal Airport (now LaGuardia Airport).
1945
The aircraft carriers USS Midway (CV-41) and the USS Enterprise (CV-6) of the United States Navy make their way to the post World War 2 Navy Day review by President Truman on October 27, 1945 in Manhattan.
1950
The Empire State Building gets an upgrade—an antenna tower over 200 feet tall.
1951
Cars gather to watch an outdoor from inside their cars at the Whitestone Bridge Drive-in Movie Theater in the Bronx on June 20, 1951.
1952
Horse-drawn carriages line 59th Street in New York City, waiting for a fare.
1953
View of pedestrians passing under theater marquees along West 42nd Street in Times Square.
1954
A sky-high view of Times Square looking north from 43d St.
1955
The beach at Coney Island with the ever-so-popular parachute ride visible in the background.
1957
The theater and billboard lights of Times Square illuminate the streets on a rainy night.
1958
View of the ocean liner, the Queen Elizabeth of the Cunard line, as it sails into port with the Chrysler Building, the Chanin Building, and 500 Fifth Avenue spotted in the background.
1960
Full-length view of the Allied Chemical Tower reduced to its steel framework during renovation in Times Square.
1963
Girls play in the Washington Square fountain to beat the summer heat.
1965
The stunning gothic interior of the original Pennsylvania Station (architects McKim, Mead, and White in 1910) shows workers and commuters in a cordoned off center section of the main floor right before the station's demolition.
1966
The beginning stages of Madison Square Garden as it starts to rise over Pennsylvania Station.
1967
Wildcat picketers on 55th Street take the streets during a taxi strike at Taxi Garage, Inc in November of '67.
1969
A colossal Snoopy balloon travels through Times Square during the 43rd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
1970
Women band together to rally for the Women's Liberation demonstration on Fifth Avenue and Wall Street.
1971
A large Christmas peace message reads 'War Is Over !' from John Lennon and Yoko Ono on a billboard in New York City. The message, protesting against US involvement in the Vietnam War, was simultaneously displayed at Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles and six European cities.
1973
The physical effects of industrialization are seen as smog partially obscures the city skyline.
1974
Some things never change. Yellow cabs wait in line at LaGuardia Airport during spring travels in March '74.
1975
Andy Kaufman takes the stage on October 11th for a guest performance on the very first episode of Saturday Night Live.
1976
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip attend a parade on July 9, 1976 outside of Bloomingdale's in New York City.
1977
Time-lapse view of bumper-to-bumper street traffic as it provides the only illumination to Manhattan in July.
1978
New Yorkers jam the Brooklyn Bridge on their way home after a power outage shut down the subway system.
1979
The World Trade Center's reflection shines across the water at dusk on September 10, 1979.
1980
Look familiar? Commuters pack themselves onto a subway train in Manhattan.
1981
The soon-to-be 68-story luxury Trump Tower condominium is under construction on Manhattan's East Side.
1983
Pedestrians get around the city any way they can, as sidewalks pile up with snow from a blizzard.
1984
The Williamsburg Bridge rises high above New York's streets in a scene from the film Once Upon A Time In America.
1985
The Guardian Angels, a non-profit volunteer organization of unarmed crime-prevention vigilantes, patrol the subway.
1987
Similar to today, The New York Stock Exchange shows no signs of slowing down.
1988
Glowing billboards light up the streets of Times Square from Duffy Square.
1990
Ellis Island's registry room was restored and opened in 1990 as a National Park Service museum commemorating four centuries of US immigration.
1992
The Brooklyn Bridge extends to Manhattan with the World Trade Center in the background.
1993
Either a pizza delivery man or customer (either way this is epic) shields himself from an unexpected blizzard pounding with an empty pizza box. We're not sure if you can get any more New York than this.
1994
A workman replaces a bulb on the ball above Times Square in preparation for the New Year's Eve festivities.
1995
Views of the New York skyline at night from atop the Empire State Building.
1998
John Arms, a subway violinist street performer, plays in the Christopher St. station for an extra buck.
1999
Scenes from the ever-changing signs of Times Square.
2000
The iconic Snoopy balloon makes yet another appearance at the 74th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
2001
Firefighters stand atop a fire engine with the flag draped casket of fellow fireman Lt. Dennis Mojica September 21, 2001 during a memorial at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Mojica, who was with Rescue Company 1.
2002
Ice skaters glide around the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink on opening day October 21, 2002 in New York City.
2003
The 71st Annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in New York City.
2004
Oh what beauty the early millennium held. Sean John clothing, featuring 'P. Diddy', takes over one of Times Square's biggest billboards.
2005
A man pushes a baby buggy on a causeway along the Hudson River where ice is forming in lower Manhattan, in New York City 22 January 2005.
2006
A man walks the Coney Island beach selling cotton candy to kickstart summer on Memorial Day weekend.
2007
Participants march with rainbow balloons in the Gay Pride Parade in June in New York City.
2008
Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton and daughter, Chelsea Clinton, embrace during a Super Tuesday primary campaign rally in the Grand Ballroom of the Manhattan Center in February.
2009
Who can forget about this epic entertainment incident?! Kanye West jumps on stage after Taylor Swift won the 'Best Female Video' award during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in September of New York City.
2010
Tiffany on Fifth Ave. celebrates its 78th anniversary, during the peak of the Christmas shopping season.
2011
The best of Broadway advertisements are proudly presented in Times Square in kickoff Fall in August.
2012
Workers commemorate ten years after the clean up of Ground Zero officially concluded in May.
2013
A humpback whale's nose jumps out of the water off of the Rockaway Peninsula with the city skyline in the background.
2014
The One World Trade Center Freedom Tower stands tall and proud on Independence Day in July.
2015
Citi Bike continues to bolster support and expand operations after their successful launch in 2013.
2016
People watch the annual Macy's 4th of July fireworks show from Queens, New York.
2017
A jaw-dropping view of the ever-growing New York skyline from the top of the Empire State Building.
2018
A giant black-and-white photograph of David Bowie appears at the track entrance to the Broadway-Lafayette station — only blocks away from where the London-born rock star lived during his final years. The installation was sponsored by Spotify was associated with the exhibition David Bowie at the Brooklyn Museum.
Inside the evolution of the charismatic concrete jungle.