It’s always interesting to see how people from the past envisioned the future, and Oobject has gathered up a series of images that provide a glimpse at retro-futuristic versions of New York City that never were. You can see everything from Manhattan covered with a geodesic dome, to the city’s skyline circa 1999, as predicted in 1900. The collection includes some pretty out there plans as well — including building a second, bomb shelter-like city underground; draining rivers to relieve traffic congestion; and of course creating a train that travels through the Statue of Liberty’s mouth. You can check out the complete collection at the source link below.
Drained rivers, nuclear-proof cities, and other retro-futuristic visions of New York
See visions of what New York will look like in the future, as predicted by people in the past.
See visions of what New York will look like in the future, as predicted by people in the past.


Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
Most Popular
Most Popular
- Amazon seemingly leaked Jason Statham’s entire Mutiny movie
- The Pixel 11 Pro is a great phone, no thanks to its flashiest new features
- Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold feels like the end of an era
- The Pixel 11 isn’t the best Pixel of 2026, but it’s the smartest buy
- Nvidia’s new financial strategy does not compute









