Happy Valentine’s Day!

Waxing and Waning

Density of Residents in 1962

While we think of New York (or Manhattan) as being densely populated, our island is actually less dense than it was historically. I don’t think I’ve seen a better visualization of this than this short 2 minute video on human density. Note that none of this would have been possible without census data:

YouTube video by NYU MARRON INSTITUTE OF URBAN MANAGEMENT
The Rise and Fall of Manhattan’s Densities, 1800-2010

Note how our community begins to grow in 1850-60 with the rail line up Park Avenue suddenly encouraging commuting and commerce along this north/south axis.