Some people may not know what the skyline used to look like in the past, because they were born in the 2000s or the nineties, or just never saw a very old picture of New York
I was born in 2001 and am Sixteen years old, yet I love seeing pictures of the skyline in the sixties, I think this thread helps younger people like me think about what the previous generations have built and seen.
it’s also a great memory portal for the older people on this forum, maybe to just check how quick time flies and how far we have gone.
You can post Pictures of the New York City Skyline taken in the following decades:
1930s; 1940s; 1950s; 1960s; 1970s; 1980s and 1990s, Exceptions can be made for 2000s.
All angles and qualities are allowed as well as aerials, black and whites and online pictures.
Hope this thread helps people like me discover what’s the skyline used to look like in the past.
And I appreciate this thread, NewNewYork. I was born in 1998, and have TECHNICALLY visited NYC when the twins were still standing. It was while my mother was pregnant with me. And then the first time I went IN PERSON was 2016
Skyline history!
From 1909 until 1931 a series of skyscrapers were built which claimed the title of the world’s tallest building. Skinny, masonry skyscrapers dominated the skyline. The Singer Building was first. Then came the Metropolitan Life Clock Tower near Madison Park. Then came the Woolworth Building. Next were 40 Wall Street, The Chrysler Building, and of course the Empire State Building.
throughout the 40s skyscraper construction declined due to the war and its aftermath. In the 50s metal and glass facades began to appear, especially on ‘wedding cake’ style buildings.
Manhattan’s skyline developed into the incredible density we recognize today between the 60s and late 70s. Modernism birthed massive boxy skyscrapers which occupied lots of space in midtown and downtown. One Chase Manhattan Plaza, The Panam/Metlife Building, the Twin Towers, and the Citigroup Center were the icons to emerge out of this period.
In the 1980s crisis struck - massive crime rates and depopulation plagued the city. Despite this, development continued in Manhattan. Changes to the skyline became harder to notice because of the density which had already been created. Battery Park City was a notable exception - an entire neighborhood built on landfill next to the WTC.
The 1990s were a rebounding period. Crime rates declined by the middle of the decade and gentrification began in earnest - particularly in Times Square. If you were to see the skyline then, you would only notice the absence of a few towers.
helicopter footage from the 80s with 7 WTC, The WFC, and One Worldwide Plaza U/C. Pretty neat seeing the copper crowns on the WFC from the air before they turned green. Note the lack of skyscraper density around Times Square.
While it may have some political overtones, overall it is a brilliant piece of work and fascinating to watch. I always imagine being able to take someone from New York in the 1700s and drop them in the city today. I don’t think they would have ever imagined such a massive city would come to pass.
