Then & Now: Recreating Old Photos Of Queens

As part of our Dear NYC series, photographer Scott Heins has been recreating old photos from the New York Public Library's sprawling collection. Previously, we shared the photos from Brooklyn, Staten Island and Manhattan; this time around, we're headed to Queens.

Sutphin Blvd, Queens

Sutphin Blvd between Archer and Jamaica avenues has long been home to retail storefronts. In this shot from 1960 we get a delightfully chaotic commercial tableau, featuring a "zipper hospital," a hardware store, a five and dime (to use the parlance of the times) and what appears to be the "Mercury Intelligence Service."

While some predicted Sutphin Blvd was on the verge of becoming a hot spot, that has not happened yet. This stretch of the streetscape looks similar today, though the names on the signs have changed and there's a lack of classic cars parked out front.

Astoria Boulevard

This main drag sits in the shadows of LaGuardia Airport, and is largely a commercial street. The road runs through a few neighborhoods, and is much older than it looks — it was first laid out the mid 1800s. Nearby where this photo was taken, you'll find One Room Schoolhouse Park, named for the last standing one room school in Queens, demolished in 1910.

Once a commercial strip, always a commercial strip. Today, things look pretty much the same — which in New York can actually be a shocking thing. Many of the same buildings are still in place, though Walgreens is now the dominant name on the block.

As part of our month-long Dear NYC series, we're looking through the New York Public Library's vast offering of photographs which span the history of the city. You can find these images through the NYPL’s Digital Collections portal, which is open to all.