Several tall buildings in lower Manhattan, surrounded by water
An aeriel view of downtown Manhattan from the 1920s features an elevated train track, a much wider Battery Park, and the South Ferry Terminal.
  • New York City was the epicenter of cultural and economic growth 100 years ago.
  • In the 1920s, jazz clubs, flapper fashion, and artists like Langston Hughes grew popular.
  • This era also faced Prohibition, anti-immigration sentiments, and poor working conditions.

The only constant in New York City is — and has always been — change. From its early days as a breadbasket colony to the technologically advanced Roaring '20s, each decade has given the city a unique identity.