# OldNYC - Historical NYC Photos — Explore New York City history

> Historical New York City photo archive with location-based exploration. (iPhone/iPad app by Orian Breaux.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oldnyc-historical-nyc-photos/id1097347396 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Orian Breaux](https://appshunter.io/developer/1097347395)
- Category: Education, Travel
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 28 App Store ratings · 31 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 15.6 · 17 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2016-05-04
- Data updated: 2026-08-30
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oldnyc-historical-nyc-photos/id1097347396/reviews.md

## What is OldNYC?

OldNYC is the best way to explore more than 100 years of historical photos of New York City. Discover what was there at thousands of locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

## Key features

- Explore 100+ years of NYC history
- Thousands of historical photo locations
- Covers all five boroughs
- Location-based photo discovery
- Interactive historical map

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| OldNYC Supporter | $4.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 31)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oldnyc-historical-nyc-photos/id1097347396/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Can someone help me find Tempesta pastry shop on Crosby ave in the Bronx late 50’s and early 60’s.

*2024-12-29*

Please help and thank you

### 5/5 — Great for Tours or Wandering

*2020-08-20*

When I walk around the city I like to see what used to be. This app super helps and also is a great tool for tourists.

### 5/5 — Thanks for making this!

*2019-12-10*

Very cool. A lovely window into history.

### 5/5 — Amazing!!

*2019-01-19*

I’m totally dorking out right now !! Can’t believe this exists!

### 1/5 — Photos don’t load

*2018-12-02*

Photos won’t load when you click on the red dot. At all.

### 5/5 — Love this app!

*2018-06-17, version 1.15*

I used to view these photos often on OldNYC.org and the app is great. I love that it also finds your location on the map.

### 3/5 — Fun, but could be so much better!

*2018-06-05*

I love this sort of thing and have had hours of fun searching my Queens County neighborhood, but the app leaves so much to be desired.

1) RESOLUTION. Zooming on low-res scans of great photos is sooo unsatisfying. Signposts that could provide so much context are hopeless blurs. 

2) ATTENTION TO DETAIL. So many photo captions begin "No Date," but if you read to the end of the caption, an exact date for the image is given....or the date has actually been inscribed in the image itself!

Still, a noble effort.

### 5/5 — Fantastic

*2018-03-17*

My only suggestion is to continuously add new and uncovered materials and photos, for instance.  If you click on51st and Madison, there are only a few construction photos, but here are many many sources that display earlier direct picture of a crucial coy landmark from the 1880s - the Villard Mansion. If there was any way to tie in additional sources to more completely display extant material it would be wonderful.  Thank you

### 5/5 — Fun glimpse of many streets and buildings

*2017-08-24*

This app could be iterated on a lot more to show previews and highlights (like landmark dots different color).  

But I'm pleased.  I could look up the street I work on and see a lot of the same buildings, but with 1920s cars in front of them!

### 4/5 — Make images downloadable...

*2017-03-18*

...or at least include a link as to where all the images came from. That would be a big help and make this app a lot more useful!

## Frequently asked questions about OldNYC

### What does OldNYC do?

OldNYC allows you to explore over 100 years of historical photographs of New York City. You can discover what existed at thousands of different locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

### What are the key features of OldNYC?

The app provides access to a vast collection of historical photos spanning more than a century. It features thousands of locations across all five boroughs of New York City, allowing for location-based discovery of historical images.

### Is OldNYC free to use?

Yes, the application is completely free to use. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned, indicating a free experience for users.

### What is the best way to use OldNYC?

The app is ideal for anyone interested in New York City's past. You can use it to research specific locations, compare historical views with present-day ones, or simply browse the rich visual history of the city across its boroughs.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.1 — 2026-08-29

General improvements.

### 3.0 — 2026-08-04

Introducing Supporter, a one-time purchase that unlocks:

- High-resolution photos: zoom into remarkable detail on ~90% of the collection, streamed from the New York Public Library's original scans
- Address search: jump straight to any street corner in the city
- Timeline: drag through the decades and watch the map fill in year by year

Also in this update:

- Photo details now show borough and neighborhood
- Restored 2,000+ photos that previously appeared with incorrect rotation
- A consistent, bright appearance throughout the app
- Under-the-hood updates for the latest iOS

### 1.44 — 2025-12-15

Various fixes

### 1.43 — 2025-12-15

Various fixes

### 1.42 — 2025-12-15

Various fixes

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-30.*
