Today, more than 8.5 million people live in the Big Apple. Switzerland as a whole country cannot even match that number. These historic photos, some of which are more than 100 years old, show that even New York was once a more tranquil place.
This New York landmark is also known as the «bridge of longing». The photo shows the Brooklyn Bridge in the foreground and the Manhattan Bridge in the back, as seen from Brooklyn.
The public distrusted the construction when only six days after its opening a mass panic broke out, and twelve people died on the bridge.
In Mai 1884 the Barnum Circus had 21 circus elephants parade across the bridge to demonstrate its stability.
The Flatiron Building, also known as Fuller Building (named after the contracting business), was never the highest building in NYC, as is often stated.
This place is also known as the Times Square of Downtown Manhattan and has been a popular meeting place ever since. Nowadays you come across break dancers, painters, Hare Krishna followers, skateboarders, bikers, homeless and business people.
This suspension bridge connects the Lower East Side of Manhattan with Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Washington Square Park has been used as a public park since 1827. Not too long ago, in 1797, the land served as a place for executions and as a cemetery. Historians believe that to this day 20,000 people still lay buried here.
The prominent building to the right of the Arch is the One Fifth Avenue Apartment, which was built in 1927. The Art Deco building was originally a hotel. Later it was mostly converted into apartments. A 1 bedroom apartment costs 1.75 million dollars.
This is undoubtedly one of the prettiest views of Manhattan's skyline, and it’s for free! The Staten Island Ferry leaves from Whitehall Terminal in South Manhattan and drops you in St. George, free of charge. While you’re cruising along, you can sip a beer on the ferry. A special moment, since drinking in public is otherwise prohibited in NYC.