CultureNOW - Exhibitions

1775 John Montresor - "A PLAN OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND ITS ENVIRONS"

This Montresor map depicts New York City during the Revolutionary War era. At this time, the site of 536 LaGuardia was covered by farmlands.

1776 Bernard Ratzer - "PLAN OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK IN NORTH AMERICA"

Ratzer's artistic rendering is another site plan of the same area during the Revolutionary era . It records 30,000 people living below Chambers Street. Both the Ratzer and Montresor maps are considered two of the most accurate ones created during this era-while Montresor extends into NY State, the Ratzer is devoted to the area in Manhattan south of Murray Hill. They were both surveyed ca. 1766 and printed almost a decade later as maps of New York became critical during the war period.

1817 Thomas Poppleton - "PLAN OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK"

The Commissioner's Map of 1811 laid out the street grid of Manhattan. This is the 1817 overlay of the grid in this area, but there are no structures. Former street names are revealed including Laurens, David and Amity Streets.

1857 William Perris - "ATLAS OF NEW YORK CITY: PLATE 50"

This fire insurance map, originally created to assess fire risk, can now be used to understand past building materials and uses as well as former street names.

1874 Egbert L. Viele - "TOPOGRAPHICAL ATLAS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK"

Viele's topographical map disregards existing structures and exhibits boundaries and former waterways

1885 Elisha Robinson- "ATLAS OF NEW YORK CITY: PLATE 9"

Robinson's detailed real estate map indicates former addresses and reveals that LaGuardia Place was once called South Fifth Avenue. Old farm lines (Amity) are also included.

1901 O. Colton and Co. - "THE ALBEMARLE HOTEL MAP OF MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY"

This transportation map reveals the former presence of an electric streetcar track running along LaGuardia Place.

1916 G.W. Bromley & Co. - "ATLAS OF NEW YORK CITY: PLATE 22"

A Bromley fire insurance map details former building uses. Streetcar tracks are still visible, as is an elevated rail station.

2011 Google Earth

Through digital technology, Google Earth has been able to create a photo-realistic depiction of our environment. Shown here is a close-up of 536 LaGuardia Place.

2011 Google Earth

Through digital technology, Google Earth has been able to create a photo-realistic depiction of our environment. Shown here is a contextual view of 536 Laguardia Place.

2011 cultureNOW - "Museum Without Walls"

CultureNOW's "Museum Without Walls" project is an effort to exhaustively document the multiple facets that contribute to an understanding of place. Through technology, it has created a comprehensive database of buildings, architects, artworks, images and podcasts for over 10,000 sites across the US. Shown here is the website entry for the Center for Architecture.

2011 The NYU 2031 Expansion Plan

The NYU 2031 Expansion Plan which is currently underway indicates the ever changing contextual environment of 536 LaGuardia Place; the proposed scheme shown here illustrates the fully built-out scenario of this plan.

1775 John Montresor "A PLAN OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND ITS ENVIRONS"

This Montresor map depicts New York City during the Revolutionary War era. At this time, the site of 536 LaGuardia was covered by farmlands.