Aging New York

To me, reading each poem, essay, or memoir in this course pretty much gave a picture of New York at each author’s time of writing. It confirmed and changed some of views on the city’s history. It easy to see through a quick meta-analysis of these writings how much the city changed. We have the young bustling city of the mid 1800s, similar in many ways to NYC today but in too many ways different to be considered the same city. We have the impoverished, politically-corrupt, and gang-ridden NY of the late 1800s that was also rising steep and setting the stage for the world center that we have today. We have the confident years of NY’s prime in the 20s to 60s where there was no place like it, dare I say the pinnacle of human civilization at the time. It really was the model for which all other cities would be based upon. Then we have the mature city of the 70s and 80s, maybe its midlife crisis. Crime was at its peak and it was one of the most dangerous places to be in the United States, depending on the area. Urban decay swept the city. The 90s and 2000s saw a revival of the city and while there is a lot to appreciate today it feels a bit like an aging city. Its modern infrastructure contrasts with the old. It has one foot stepping into the future and another in the past. The city skyline does not rise higher anymore. I often wonder what the future of NYC will look like.

I found pictures of NYC from the early 1900s.  It really gives insight to how much the city changed. The photos feature a more quaint (and cleaner) NYC.

I would guess this is 1920s Times Square.

This is circa 1900 Madison Square Park (near Baruch). Recognize it?