40 photos taking you back in time to discover old New York in the 1900s _ OldTimeUS

New York City exploded with energy and ambition in the early 20th century. Skyscrapers stretched ever higher, reaching for the sky like giants awakening from a long slumber. The Woolworth Building thrust its Gothic spires above Lower Broadway in 1912, dwarfing all around it and reigning as the tallest building in the world until the completion of the Chrysler Building in 1930.

This building boom reflected New York's role as a thriving hub of business and industry. People from across the globe flocked to the city, drawn by tales of streets paved with gold. New York welcomed immigrants with open arms, its population swelling from 3.4 million in 1900 to over 5.6 million by 1920. This influx of new residents and new ideas fueled rapid growth.

It was an electrifying time, pulsating with opportunity. Jobs abounded in the bustling metropolis, allowing residents to pursue the American Dream. Certainly there were challenges that came with such quick expansion, but the palpable energy and ambition of the city conquered all. New York in the early 1900s was the place to be, a cauldron of commerce and culture never before seen in America.

Italian bread peddlers, Mulberry Street, New York, circa 1900

Cab stand at Madison Square, New York, circa 1900

Casino Theatre, Broadway, New York City, New York, circa 1900

New York Central freight sheds, Buffalo, New York, circa 1900

Pell Street, Chinatown, New York, circa 1900

The Bowery near Grand Street, New York, circa 1900

The tracks of the Third Avenue El passing the Bowery Savings Bank, Manhattan, New York, circa 1900

Flatiron Building, the Manhattan landmark under construction, New York, circa 1902

Santa Claus on Broadway. Collecting donations for Volunteers of America, New York, circa 1902

A characteristic sidewalk newsstand, New York, circa 1903

Manhattan from under the Brooklyn Bridge, New York, circa 1903

South end of Bowery, Coney Island, New York, August 1903

A flower vender's Easter display, Union Square, New York, 1904

A race, Manhanset House, Shelter Island, New York, circa 1904

Gen. Sherman statue at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street. Hotels Netherland, Savoy and St. Regis, New York, circa 1904

Goat carriages in Central Park, New York, circa 1904

Longacre Square, soon to be renamed Times Square, New York, circa 1904

Rockaway Beach, Long Island, New York, 1904

Station City Hall, New York City, New York, 1904

A life guard. Brighton Beach, New York, circa 1905

Dreamland at twilight, Coney Island, New York, circa 1905

Grace Church, New York, circa 1905

Home to Best & Co's - Lilliputian Bazaar, West 23rd Street, New York, circa 1905

Johnstown Flood, an attraction commemorating the deadly Pennsylvania disaster of 1889, Coney Island, New York, circa 1905

L Station, Chatham Square, New York City, New York, circa 1905

On the beach at Coney Island, New York, circa 1905

Subway entrance and exit kiosks, East 23rd Street, New York City, New York, circa 1905

The Belmont coach, New York, circa 1905

The Bowery looking east, Rockaway, New York, circa 1905

The docks, New York, circa 1905

The miniature railway, Coney Island, New York, circa 1905

View of the Flatiron Building, New York, 1905

Where the subway is an elevated, New York City, New York, circa 1905

14th Street Store, New York, circa 1906

Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York, 1906

John Wanamaker store, Broadway and 10th Street, New York, circa 1906

Williamsburg Bridge Plaza, Brooklyn, New York, circa 1906

Williamsburg Bridge Plaza, New York 1906

Brooklyn Bridge, New York, circa 1907

East Twenty-Third Street and Fourth Avenue. Anchored by the shelter of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, New York, 1908

New York Downtown, 1908

Traffic Squad Parade, New York, November 5, 1908

Knickerbocker Hotel, Broadway & 42nd Street, New York, 1909

Manhattan Bridge under construction, New York, March 1909

Panorama of Madison Square, New York, circa 1909