[Perhaps the city's most iconic tower, One World Trade Center.]
Everyone knows that the city's skyline has changed dramatically in the past several years, but how those changes impact the street level is a little less well-observed. Real estate scouting website Point2 Homes has put together a small collection of before and after shots that depict the brisk climb and street presence of some of the 'scrapers that have become iconic to the city's skyline. Using Google Street View's time hop option, which reaches all the way back to the early days of 2007, the tool shows the rise of Extell's One57 and International Gem Tower, 432 Park Avenue, and New York by Gehry, amongst others. Look on to see how the view has changed at the sites that are now home to some of the city's most defining towers.
Extell's infamous One57 in 2013 and in 2011.
Another, lesser-known Extell project, the office-condo International Gem Tower was completed in 2013. It's shown here in 2014, and before construction in 2009.
Fumihiko Maki's 4 World Trade Center was the first building to open in the new World Trade Center complex. Since, it's been highly praised for its design.
The far west side's Silver Towers were completed byyou guessed itSilverstein Properties in 2009. Here's a view of the in-flux area in 2014 and in 2009.
The much-lambasted 8 Spruce Street (more commonly known as New York by Gehry after its starchitect designer) the rental tower is shown here in 2007 and 2011.
The relatively new-to-the-scene W New York Downtown Hotel & Residences (say that three times fast) sits directly adjacent to the World Trade Center site. Before 2007, it was but a hole in the ground.
The highly anticipated 432 Park Avenue, which recently topped out and became the official tallest residential building in the western hemisphere was not even a thing in 2011.
· Point2 Homes [official]