Then and Now: 10 Times New York City Drastically Changed via Google Maps

The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long urban park consisting of repurposed elevated railway tracks with construction breaking ground in 2006. In 2019, the final section of the High Line—the Spur—was opened right around Hudson Yards. Here’s the High Line in July 2022.

Billionaire’s Row on 57th Street in Manhattan is home to some of Manhattan’s ugliest buildings. The super tall and super skinny buildings are home to the world’s elite, who rarely live in them and, instead, use them as investment opportunities. The skyscrapers on Billionaire’s Row have sprung up in recent years, but here they are in August 2022.

As Manhattan gets more and more populated, residents of the borough are constantly on the lookout for cheaper housing. Look no further than the Bronx, which is seeing dramatic levels of gentrification as rents in Manhattan spike. Here is an image of the Bronx from the Third Street Bridge in October 2022:

Little Island is a recently opened urban green space located in the Hudson River to the west of Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. The park opened in May 2021, and here it is in July 2022:

Brooklyn has seen spillover from Manhattan for years. As such, the Brooklyn skyline is becoming more and more dramatic and the addition of The Brooklyn Tower at 9 Dekalb Avenue is helping cement Brooklyn as an infamous U.S. skyline. Here is Downtown Brooklyn in July 2022:

The World Trade Center was decimated in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, but after years of decisions and constructions, the World Trade Center has been resurrected as Freedom Tower and the Oculus, seen here in July 2022:

Fans of Mr. Robot are deeply familiar with Coney Island, the base of the show’s hacker group. With new innovations in amusement technology, Coney Island’s Luna Park has seen new rides installed in the last decade while the historic Coney Island Cyclone still remains. Here is Coney Island in July 2022:

Hudson Yards was a massive undertaking by New York City. Phase 1 of construction was mildly interrupted by the pandemic, but the second and final phase of construction—a platform and development above the train yard—is on an indefinite pause. Here it is in August 2022:

The Battery is Manhattan’s southern tip. This area is mostly made up of historic buildings, but since August 2008, there has been some new development just north of The Battery. Here it is in July 2022:

Times Square in June 2011 is more of the same, save for some antiquated billboards for Kodak and Ryan Reynold’s Green Lantern. Here it is in August 2022: