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NYC Now and Then

09/10/13 | New York City

These past few days at New York Fashion Week events one of the most popular questions to ask people you have just met is, “where are you from!?”  The smile that brightens my face when I proudly get to say “here” may make me appear super giddy but I really am excited every time I get to utter those words.  Growing up in the suburbs it was always my dream to move into New York City city and now my dream has come true!  I have spoken with many people who were ruing over how expensive flights and hotels were for fashion week when, for me, it is just one extra stop on the subway.

To say I love this city with a passion is an understatement – from the food and museums to culture and diverse mix of people it surprises and delights me everyday.  One of the aspects I am interested in learning more about is the rich history of this fantastic city so when I came across the NYC – Grid website and the Before and After features they have done I fell was entranced.

Over the past 389 years New York City has evolved and changed so many different times to become the home of 8.3 million people it is today that it is almost impossible to describe it in a blog post or photo but I am going to try.  Here are six fantastic then and now shots of a few of my favorite neighborhoods:


Before and After: Madison Square Park and the Flatiron Building
The before shot is from 1905 and the after from 2013. 

Before and After: Bryant Park
The before shots are from 1922 and the afters from 2013.

Before and After: Gramercy Park West
The before shot is from 1934 and the after from 2013.

Before and After: Bowling Green
The before shot is from 1907 and the after from 2013.

Before and After – Union Square West
The before shot is from 1894 and the after from 2013. 
Before and After: Grand Central Ramps
The before shot is from 1913 and the after from 2013.

Is it just because I am obsessed with New York or are these comparisons not really cool?  On average, over 100 years elapsed between the before and after pictures and depending on the setting it seems everything or nothing at all has changed. Again, I must give credit where credit is due, NYC-Grid put together these before and after compilations see these photos in an interactive manner click on the link below each photo!

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Comments

  1. Kelly Ann says

    September 13, 2013 at 12:34 am

    Thanks Natalia!

  2. Kelly Ann says

    September 13, 2013 at 12:34 am

    When you do I am eager to hear what you think!

  3. jinglebellstime says

    September 12, 2013 at 4:43 pm

    Very cool! Can’t wait to visit NYC!!

  4. natalia says

    September 12, 2013 at 2:31 pm

    This is so neat! What a cool thing to do! I love history and old photos, I think this is fabulous!

  5. Kelly Ann says

    September 11, 2013 at 12:26 pm

    Thanks Kaitlin, I agree!

  6. Kelly Ann says

    September 11, 2013 at 12:26 pm

    Thanks Anna, it does not hold a candle to some of your outfits but I am glad you liked it!

  7. Kelly Ann says

    September 11, 2013 at 12:25 pm

    Thanks Ashley, check out today’s post, hopefully you will not be disappointed!

  8. Anna James says

    September 11, 2013 at 1:53 am

    coolest idea for a post ever. Obsessed with the comparison photos. Great this post, love. 🙂 If you get a sec, I’d love to hear your thoughts on my latest. xo
    http://www.fashboulevard.com

  9. Kaitlin says

    September 11, 2013 at 1:09 am

    These pictures are amazing! I love reading books about Chicago history and comparing what the area was like then and how it is now. NYC is such a cool place. It’s awesome you can say you live there.

    Kaitlin
    http://www.teaandsequins.com

  10. dancingwithashley says

    September 10, 2013 at 11:10 pm

    Love these comparison pictures. It’s amazing to see how things have changed over the years. And very, very cool that you live in NYC. I can’t wait to hear all about fashion week!

    dancingwithashleyblog.com

  11. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    That is terrific, I hope she enjoys them!

  12. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    Absolutely, glad you enjoyed it! I had so much fun picking out which spots to feature!

  13. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    Thanks Sarah, glad you agree!

  14. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 8:51 pm

    I agree, I love trying to spot the changes though!

  15. Abby says

    September 10, 2013 at 8:03 pm

    Wow, that is such a cool comparison! I’m going to share these photos with my mom because she loves anything historic. Can’t wait to see more!

    xo, Abby @ Always, Abby

  16. Wandering Java Lover says

    September 10, 2013 at 7:18 pm

    What a cool history. I love the before and after shots. Thanks for sharing this!

  17. Sarah B says

    September 10, 2013 at 6:48 pm

    What a cool view of New York City over the years :]

  18. Krysten @ Why Girls Are Weird says

    September 10, 2013 at 5:31 pm

    Wow very cool to see how some things have changed and how some are totally still the same.

  19. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:48 pm

    You should, Aimee, it is life changing!

  20. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:48 pm

    Thanks Rachel, we are in love!

  21. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:47 pm

    That sounds amazing, I would love for there to be something similar for NYC!

  22. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:47 pm

    You should, it is the best city in the world!

  23. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:47 pm

    I agree, SO much has changed in 100 years!

  24. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:47 pm

    So I have heard and I think it would be much harder to do comparison photos like these.

  25. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:46 pm

    Absolutely, glad you enjoyed it!

  26. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:46 pm

    Absolutely, it is so fun looking at how much it has changed!

  27. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:46 pm

    I agree completely, that is what I was trying to show!

  28. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:46 pm

    Thanks Sharon!

  29. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:46 pm

    I agree, I am always looking up like a tourist even though I have lived here for over a year!

  30. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:46 pm

    Me too, I live here and it still amazes me!

  31. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:45 pm

    Exactly! I love the rich history!

  32. Kelly Ann says

    September 10, 2013 at 3:45 pm

    I am sure they have something similar for Chicago and I would love to see it!

  33. arin says

    September 10, 2013 at 1:37 pm

    lovely photos, and i love NYC — will always be a chicago girl tho! Heart of Chic

  34. libiandlola says

    September 10, 2013 at 12:49 pm

    Great post! I love big cities, they are so alive!

    xx

    Hot Pink Day
    Libi & Lola

  35. Dara says

    September 10, 2013 at 12:06 pm

    very cool! there are spots in NY that are just so cool with the architecture and history!

  36. Janna says

    September 10, 2013 at 11:51 am

    Wow! It’s so neat to see the difference! I am always fascinated by New York, even though I have been there many times.

  37. Stephanie Samuel says

    September 10, 2013 at 11:38 am

    Those are neat!! You can still see the bones in the new pictures, but it’s fun to see how much it’s grown.

  38. Sharon says

    September 10, 2013 at 10:57 am

    I love seeing the old versus now photos, neat!

    -Sharon
    The Tiny Heart

  39. Amy Breckenridge says

    September 10, 2013 at 10:38 am

    these comparisons are realllly cool! i love seeing old photos of boston and comparing them to what i know now 🙂 i guess that makes us both little history dorks 😉

  40. Alyssa says

    September 10, 2013 at 10:33 am

    This is so magical–thanks for sharing!

  41. Lindsey Augustine says

    September 10, 2013 at 10:12 am

    They’re cool. That’s how I felt when we were in Waikiki when we lived in Hawaii. People were always so excited to hear you lived there. Except local Hawaiians didn’t like when we said it. They’re pretty serious about that stuff.

  42. Michael says

    September 10, 2013 at 8:49 am

    Even though I’m in a “suburb” to NYC, I think all of us NYers take it for granted. I love then vs. now photos. We have a diner here that has old photos of a places hanging up. It’s cool to see what certain higways or areas looked like back in the early 1900s.

  43. Michael says

    September 10, 2013 at 8:46 am

    That’s really cool!!

  44. Mandira Adhikari says

    September 10, 2013 at 8:21 am

    simply wow!! I just wish i visit nyc soon!!

    http://docdivatraveller.blogspot.in/

  45. Rachel G says

    September 10, 2013 at 8:00 am

    That’s awesome that you’re able to love where you live so much!

  46. ElleSees.blogspot.com says

    September 10, 2013 at 7:40 am

    there’s an app that you can hold up your camera and it shows an old view of where you are looking in london….they need to make one for NYC!

  47. Aimee says

    September 10, 2013 at 7:39 am

    I would be geeking out too! The photos are super cool and I dream of one day saying I live in NYC.
    xoxo Aimee
    Bows&Beau-ties

Hi, I am Kelly and welcome to Sparkles and Shoes, a fashion, travel, and lifestyle blog.  I am a New York City girl at heart but I moved to London in the Spring of 2018!

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Sparkles and Shoes is a part of several affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms (including Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest), I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase. All opinions are my own.

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