Before New York

August 30, 2009 10:23 AM

"There are views in this city where you cannot see, except for a person or maybe a dog, another living thing. Not a tree or a plant. How did a place become like that?" Before and after photo gallery
posted by Glibpaxman (13 comments total)

Previously.
posted by xorry at 10:41 AM on August 30

Does not run on my browser... too much Javascript and Flash. Back to the drawing board, National Geographic.
posted by crapmatic at 10:53 AM on August 30

So I'm to believe Henry Hudson was a 17th century aviator?
posted by klarck at 11:46 AM on August 30 [4 favorites]

I thought this was great.
posted by WPW at 11:51 AM on August 30

> So I'm to believe Henry Hudson was a 17th century aviator?

Tall masts.
posted by nowonmai at 12:27 PM on August 30

The wild images don't look nearly wild enough.
posted by fourcheesemac at 1:59 PM on August 30

I thought it was interesting.
posted by patheral at 2:17 PM on August 30

comparing central park in winter to a summer scene seemed kind of dishonest
posted by nomisxid at 3:23 PM on August 30

Yes, because everyone knows that Santa Claus is a shill for urban developers and their ilk. Plus the elves like to skate, and you can't do that in the woods.
posted by sneebler at 5:08 PM on August 30

I'm reminded of this snippet from R Crumb called A Short History of America. (very short YouTube clipzor)
posted by browse at 6:31 PM on August 30

I've definitely daydreamed about pre-colonial Manhattan. I figured that Inwood Hill Park and Palisades Interstate Park were good approximations. Early Manhattan looks like it was a beautiful place.
posted by invitapriore at 9:16 PM on August 30

I've often done the same in San Francisco, thinking about the brush and sand dunes that were the here before.
posted by alexei at 1:52 AM on August 31

I think the only place in Manhattan the remains untouched by modernity is Inwood Hill Park.

As a born & bred New Yorker, I will always love it to pieces. However seeing these photos made me incredibly sad.
posted by Hickeystudio at 8:18 AM on August 31