MY NY with URBAN ARCHIVE

Just like the community in The Little House, New York has gone through a lot of changes over a long period of time. Now it is your turn to uncover evidence of these changes by looking at old photos.

Find Old Photos

Our first step is to visit Urban Archive, an interactive online map of New York City. Go to urbanarchive.nyc and click “START EXPLORING” - you will see a map of New York dotted with purple spots. These spots mean there’s an old photo of that location that you can look at! Start by exploring the Lower East Side, the neighborhood where the Eldridge Street Synagogue still stands today. Check out any of the places below to see what they used to look like and read about their history. • Angel Orensanz Foundation • Loew’s Canal Street Theater • Congregation Beth Hamedrash • Museum at Eldridge Street Hagadol • Orchard Street • First Shearith Israel Graveyard • Public School 42 • Forward Building • Seward Park • Garden Cafeteria • Seward Park Library • Henry Street Settlement • Shtiebel Row Look Closely Choose a historic photo and begin exploring! As you look at the photos think about the following questions: 1. What details do you notice? 2. Does the picture show an urban, suburban or rural setting? What do you see that makes you say that? 3. If you are looking at a photo of a building, look for clues that will tell you what type of building it is? A house? A store? A library? How can you tell?

Explore your own neighborhood & share your own story! Now that you are an expert explorer, use the Urban Archive map to learn about your own neighborhood. Look up your school, your street or your favorite places in New York City.