Interactive Map Shows Your Block's Average Rent in 1943

The Center for Urban Research at CUNY's Graduate Research Center recently launched the "Welcome to 1940s New York" Web site. When you enter your building's address, the site displays 1940s Census data, Web maps, and pages from a rare 1943 book called NYC Market Analysis, found in 1997 by then-graduate student Steven Romalewski. The book has been scanned and placed onto a map of the city.

Using newspaper and Census data, the site gives you a peek into each neighborhood in 1943--a clickable description with photographs, block-by-block rental breakdowns, and population statistics. For example, Williamsburg at the time had a population of 114,598 "native white" and 61,488 "foreign-born white" residents and the majority of the rents were under $30 a month. In addition to neighborhood data, there is also borough data, such as the number of manufacturers and stores open at the time.

To check out the site, click here.