DRIVING AROUND MANHATTAN IN 1945

Here's an early 'dash cam' view of New York City Streets, shot in 1945. First we journey north on 8th Avenue between 42nd and 50th (camera on the dash looking forward). At 1:33 there's a nice glimpse of the old Madison Square Garden on the left. Next we head south on Fifth Avenue, starting at the bottom of Central Park and heading toward 47th Street (camera on the rear looking behind). The streets are weirdly smooth and well-paved, the driving careful, non-jerky and patient and the city overall has a clean, well-maintained and pleased with itself vibe. Note that the streets were still two-way, a fact that I find unbelievable when driving around Manhattan now. Where did the extra-space come from on the sides? When did they convert to one-way traffic? These questions aren't complex to answer but I don't have the time today to research them and besides lunch needs to be ordered...

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