* then and now...a historic walk down Brooklyn's 5th Avenue

I love looking at old pictures and the New York Public Library's Digital Gallery is a great place to get lost in the past! I found a few 5th avenue oldies and spent a springy afternoon taking pictures of Brooklyn in 2011. Matching the shots was a very cool experience! I couldn't believe it, most of the buildings look exactly the same!

The first picture was taken from the corner of 5th Ave and Dean Street, facing the Triangle Sporting Goods Store. The image I found from 1942 (NYPL) matches up perfectly to the modern day Triangle Sports Store. It's been almost 70 years since this original picture was taken. The 2011 picture shows how times have changed, the partial construction of the new Net's Arena can been seen in the background. This area will surely be changing in the near future. I've read that this store could be one of the oldest business in Brooklyn, can they survive the arrival of the Net's??

Enjoy the stroll down memory lane... and please share your own experiences with 'now and then' pictures!

...Dean Street and 5th Ave., Brooklyn, NY... (1942 picture from NYPL, 2011 picture from desperate genie)

...5th Avenue and Bergen Street, Brooklyn, NY...

(old picture, year unknown from NYPL gallery, 2011 picture from desperate genie) 

...5th Avenue and Union Street, Brooklyn, NY...

(1942 picture from NYPL, 2011 picture from desperate genie)