Then and Now street scene comparison showing dense urban street with cars in the past and a vibrant,.

30 Then-And-Now Pictures Showing How Familiar Places Changed Over Time

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Nate ArmbrusterByNate Armbruster

I’ve officially become a person who points at a building and tells whoever is in the car what it used to be even though nobody asked. We’re not even stopping there. But it’s important that everyone knows they’re buying a mattress in what used to be a Pizza Hut.

Old photos encourage this behavior. Show me a street corner from 100 years ago and I’ll spend ten minutes matching up windows. There’s something satisfying about finding the one detail that’s still there after everything around it has changed.

These then-and-now photos, shared in Reddit’s Old Photos In Real Life community, offer exactly that kind of rabbit hole. Same location, different years, and plenty of reasons to stop and look a little closer.

1. Usually It’s The Other Way Around, But This Is So Nice! 1980s vs. 2022

Top shows a city street with cars on a wet road; bottom shows a canal with boats and a s.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

2. Sitting On Their 1947 Chevrolet In Front Of A Diner, And Then 63 Years Later

Two women sit on the bumper of a vintage car on a city street, black-and-white photo paired with a 2.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

3. Rio De Janeiro’s Reforestation

1989 vs 2019 coastal landscape shows dramatic hillside change and urban growth.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

4. 1887 Queen Anne Victorian Brought Back In Remarkable Restoration (Photos)

Two houses shown: top image an old, weathered wooden mansion with peeling paint; bottom image a red,.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

5. Opening Up The Original River Through Gent, Belgium. 2009 vs. 2022

Old photo comparison: 2009 street view with cars and trees vs 2022 improved riverside promenade with.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

6. An Abandoned Victorian Home Has Been Dramatically Restored In Rarden, Ohio, USA

Old mansion split-screen: deteriorated weathered house on top, restored blue Victorian house on the底.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

7. My Hometown Kharkiv In Ukraine 2022-2022

Two-story yellow building next to a heavily damaged stone structure; red outlined boundary shows a V.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

8. Haarlemmerdijk Street In Amsterdam, Netherlands (1971 And 2020)

Street scene in 1971 with cars on a narrow road and brick buildings; 2020 scene shows a modern busy街.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

9. The Same Whale Photographed 35 Years Apart! Both Photos Taken Off The Coast Of Mexico.⁣ The Recent Image Is From 2020, While The Old Photo Dates From 1985

1985 Nayarit whale tail and 2020 Los Cabos whale tail comparison.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

10. So Refreshing. No Skyscrapers Or Parking Lots In Sight!!

Aerial view of river meandering through farmland and fields, showing past and present scenes from Mt.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

11. Oxford

Oxford street view 1810 vs 2022; historic street with cathedral spire and colonnaded buildings.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

12. Woodstock

A hand holds a photo of a large crowd watching a performer on stage outdoors.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

13. The Curecanti Needle, Black Canyon, Colorado, 1880s vs. 2023

Side-by-side comparison of railroad tracks cutting through rocky cliffs by a body of water and lush,.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

14. Boston – Elevated Highway Moved Underground, Replaced With Green Space. (1990s V. 2010s)

Aerial view of a dense downtown with tall buildings and a waterfront, showing a contrast between a 2.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

15. Saw This Post On R/Battlepaintings And Did Some Poking Around. Battle Of Vimeiro (Portugal) 1808 By Patrice Courcelle… And Today

Historical battle scene atop old town with soldiers clashing; modern street view with white houses,?.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

16. Tried My Best To Find The Same Location. Satiam Wagon Road, Oregon. 2022 vs. Date Unknown. Road Was Used 1860-1930s

Old black-and-white photo of a dirt road through a pine forest toward a snow-capped mountain; a cart.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

17. Environmental Changes

Person in a small boat near a jagged icy shoreline; historic black-and-white photo above a modern, h.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

18. Point Dume, Malibu, California. Ad 2023 And Ad 3978

Hand holding a photo of the Statue of Liberty on a beach with rocks in the foreground and ocean in a.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

19. The World’s Oldest Undeground Station, Baker Street, England. 157 Years Apart

Old vs. modern subway: arched underground platforms with tracks.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

20. Route 66 Between Barstow And Oro Grande, Ca. 1917 And 2023

Historic underground quarry with horses and a modern desert highway passing through arid.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

21. Acropolis Of Athens (Greece) 1851 vs. 2021

Acropolis of Athens (Greece) old view vs modern restoration on hill with Parthenon, 1851/2021.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

22. The Ancient Theatre Of Delphi, Greece

Ancient amphitheater in a mountainous landscape with tiered stone seating and a central stage.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

23. Van Gogh In Arles 1888 And Locations Now

Two photos showing a staircase and urban scene; top image painting-like with people on steps under a.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

24. The Oldest Surviving Camera Negative – Lacock Abbey, England, 1835 And 2022

Series of tall arched windows with diamond lattice panes, old brick exterior and silhouetted figures.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

25. Bran Castle/Dracula’s Castle, Romania (1920s And 2022)

Old castle on a hill with a tree in foreground; modern road and truck beside hillside castle.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

26. Unlucky House In San Francisco, 1936 And 2022

A vintage tram at a small station with onlookers; passengers on track watching.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

27. Abandoned Subway, New York City. Built In 1904

Underground subway station arches with blue skylight and brickwork.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

28. Naples, Italy

Naples Piazza del Plebiscito with a sea of vintage cars in a 1960s photo vs a modern-day.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

29. 1878 – 2022. Tetons. Not Much Has Really Changed In This Photo. But I Still Think It’s Neat

Old vs. new mountain landscape with a lake, pine trees in foreground, snow-capped peaks.
via OldPhotosInRealLife

30. Hoover Dam Water Level July 1983 vs. December 2022

Hydroelectric dam structures on a reservoir with towers and water, scenic canyon surroundings.
via OldPhotosInRealLife
Nate Armbruster

Nate is a writer and stand-up comedian living in Chicago. He enjoys finding the internet’s funniest corners so you don’t have to.