Old New York / New New York

[scotrace]

With many of our members noting how much they love seeing the old New York skyline in the new King Kong film, this seemed like a good link to share. Many of you may have seen this. Photographs of New York City in the 1930's, with identical shots from the last 5 - 10 years. Some are almost identical and unchanged, most are the opposite. New York Changing by Douglas Levere. Note this sample: A shave with a hot towel and Bay Rum, 10 cents. The more current photo is a bit different.

See it here: http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/photography/changing_new_york/index.html

 

[jake_fink]

Fantastic post!!!

That's a great gallery. Dover published books of those photos and of New York in the 1940s and they are both worth owning. I think cities looked a lot better before the concrete filing cabinet became the de facto archtiectural style, and this gallery only makes me believe it moreso. It is simialr to the then and now Vertigo gallery that looks at San Franciso (http://www.basichip.com/vertigo/main.htm); does anyone know of any other then and now style galleries?

edited for over-use of the word "great."

 

[John in Covina]

McSorley's Old Ale House - The Old House at Home

Check this out, if going to NYC it is worth a visit.
http://www.beertravelers.com/details/newyork/mcsorleys.html

 

[The Wolf]

similar book

I have a book called "San Francisco Then and Now" by Bill Yenne. It also has a lot of photos taken from the same spot in different decades. There is a great shot of a cable car full of people going up the hill in front of the Mark Hopkins in 1945 and another shot just the same taken in 1998.
I've seen similar books in the "Then and Now" series for other major cities including New York.

Thanks for info, scotrace. Those are great (and sometimes sad) pictures.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Senator Jack]

Here's another great site:

http://www.forgotten-ny.com/

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[herringbonekid]

ah trolleys....
i noticed near the beginning of 'who framed roger rabbit' bob hoskins jumps on the back of a moving trolley car. was this a film set or do they still have working trolleys in L.A. ?

 

[jake_fink]

Senator Jack,

That's another good site. Also a sad one.

There are a lot of phots of old NYC here too:

http://www.nyc-architecture.com/

 

[Fu Manchu]

Red Hook Trolleys

Speaking of trolleys, I heard a rather tall tale about an enterprising young man who is trying to restart the trolley line in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Supposedly, most of the track is still there and he's got the cars... all he needs is approval, which hasn't been forthcoming.

Admittedly a tall tale, but interesting nonetheless.

Fu Manchu

 

[MudInYerEye]

Check this out, if going to NYC it is worth a visit.
http://www.beertravelers.com/details/newyork/mcsorleys.html

Man, do NOT go there. Tourist trap, aging ex-frat boy central.

 

[GateXC]

Man, do NOT go there. Tourist trap, aging ex-frat boy central.

Only if you go on a friday or weekend.

Go on a tuesday afternoon, completely different place.

 

[Twitch]

Ah and those wonderful prices!!

 

[MrBern]

Man, do NOT go there. Tourist trap, aging ex-frat boy central.

NYC has become a tourist trap PERIOD.


Actually McSorleys isnt bad ona weekday afternoon, but weekends... it makes me laugh how many kids wait on lines to get in.

I suppose it helps if you prefer Ale to beer.

 

[Michael Mallory]

Herringbonekid:

No, we don't have trolleys or red cars anymore out here. Some of the tour companies have gas-powered vehicles that are made to look like them, but all the actual tracks have been pulled up for decades. It's all just Hollywood illusion. As I recall the film, they have the trolleys running outside of "Maroon Cartoon Studios," which was shot at the RenMar Studios on Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, an old but not-well-known studio that used to house such television shows as "Make Room For Daddy" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show."