More than 8,000 historic maps of the five boroughs will be available through a new digital tool called NYC Street Map, which launched Monday.
The maps provide a look at how the cityscape has changed over the years, detailing mapped streets, step streets and corners that have been named for fallen heroes and other famous New Yorkers.
“This easy-to-use NYC Street Map means that community advocates, students, historians — indeed everyone — can delve into New York City history — block by block, and street by street,” Department of City Planning director Marisa Lago said in a statement. “It offers the public another tool to participate in building New York City’s future.”
The documents also help outline interesting pieces of the city’s development timeline such as when Fifth Avenue ran through what is now Washington Square Park and Battery Park City’s rise.
Homeowners and business owners can use the maps to help determine whether their property is located in a federally designated flood zone.
