Tribeca Then & Now: Part 3

August 17, 2017 History

Thanks yet again to Tribeca resident Ivan Kosnyrev: He sifted through the New York Public Library’s historical photos of the neighborhood on Oldnyc.org, and then he shot the locations as they look now. In this round: Northwest Tribeca. Of course, the diptychs can—and should!—be enlarged by clicking on them. (Part 1, covering the south, is here, and part 2 is here.) And for more on how to buy copies of historical photos, read this post.

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Hudson Street, looking north from Beach
1927 photo by Percy Loomis Sperr

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Laight, looking west from Greenwich
1941 photo by Percy Loomis Sperr

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West Street, looking north from Hubert
1937 photo by Percy Loomis Sperr

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Northwest corner of Washington and Vestry
1932 photo by Percy Loomis Sperr

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Desbrosses, looking east toward Washington
1930 photo by Percy Loomis Sperr

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Northeast corner of Washington and Watts
1937 photo by Percy Loomis Sperr

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Northwest corner of Varick and Canal
1929 photo by Percy Loomis Sperr

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Southeast corner of Varick and Laight
1910 photo by Wurts Bros.

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Southwest corner of Varick and Laight
1936 photo by Percy Loomis Sperr

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3 Comments

  1. James
    August 17, 2017 • 10:00 am

    When they update “Desbrosses, looking east toward Washington” 80 years from now, maybe the lot will still be undeveloped and the sidewalks closed to pedestrians by green fencing.

    Reply
  2. James
    August 17, 2017 • 10:23 am

    I do enjoy these comparisons. Here are 2 comments on “Southeast corner of Varick and Laight.”

    1.) The old photo is apparently from 1910 by Wurts Bros. Here is the full image. http://collections.mcny.org/Collection/46%20Varick%20Street%20from%20the%20corner%20of%20Laight%20Street.%20St.%20John's%20Protestant%20Episcopal%20Chapel,%20showing%20neighborhood.-2F3XC519WO.html

    On the west side of Varick is the old RR Freight Station built by Vanderbilt in 1866 on the site of the old St. John’s Park. The freight station was demolished in 1927 to make way for the Holland Tunnel exits.

    2.) Inasmuch as Varick Street was widened 100 years ago and the church and other buildings fronting Varick Street were likely entirely demolished, this then-and-now comparison is a little unintentionally misleading IMO.

    At http://collections.mcny.org/Collection/%5BVarick%20Street.%5D-2F3XC5IX103K.html

    is a 1931 photo of the east side of Varick Street looking north from Ericsson / Beach Streets towards Laight Street, showing the old facades of the now-existing buildings.

    Reply
  3. Marcus
    August 18, 2017 • 5:55 pm

    I love these!

    Any old photos of Walker Street?

    I’ve only found this one so far:
    http://www.streetlightsofnyc.com/uploads/2/4/7/4/24744850/5186905_orig.jpg

    Reply

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