A High Definition Look at New York City in 1999 - World Trade Center - Times Square - 1080p HD

WBNS television was testing 'high definition' video cameras back in 1998 and 1999. On May 20th, 1999, the station sent several employees to New York City to shoot HD video of the city.
The video includes HD shots of The World Trade Center, Times Square, The Statue of Liberty, and much more as it was back in 1999.
The video has sat in WBNS' large archives until now. This video is dedicated to the people of New York and their history.

[@sega310982]

I never thought I'd see such high-quality images of the 90's outside of my memories.

[@bakasheru]

*drumrolls the wayback machine* New York in HD from 1993 >>> watch?v=fT4lDU-QLUY Not as crisp as the one from 1999 but this footage is actually captured from a HD DVHS Demo Tape.

[@CeeStyleDj]

There's always pictures though..

[@coryxkension2969]

Chi ik

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

It's weird isn't it, i watched so many home videos from the 50s up until smartphones came along. Seeing 20, 30, 40 years ago in HD it seems far more real

[@tompeled6193]

I don't even have these memories. I was born in 2005.

[@ROCKSTAR3291]

So weird to see 1999 in HD quality, it looks just like present days.

[@Mega911Gamer]

Except the people arent glued to thir smartphones.

[@sadetucker2094]

+Gregory Rodriguez 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@riahjones685]

Thang Nguyen I know. It looks the same but so much has changed. And the country was never the same after 9/11.

[@maddoxcox]

But look at those two towers next to the other

[@onuguiri]

Of course, it's the bad quality that makes videos from the early 90s look otherwise.

[@baviation1872]

The world has always been in HD, it’s just taken a long time for cameras to get close to what the eye sees. If this camera were somehow used in 2000 BC the sky wouldn’t look any less blue or the water sparkle any less. For every old blurry video you see, someone saw it in perfect clarity. Every moment in history has been in “HD” to the people who were there.

[@JayAlba8]

Thanks for explaining. I thought speaking was discovered when movies started having sound ...

[@TastyShepherdsPie]

@@JayAlba8 yeah but he is illustrating that we have a distorted sense of history due to low quality film in a sense

[@jhaz89]

@@TastyShepherdsPie haha yeah but it was a pretty stupid comment. Obviously the world has always been in "HD"

[@happyvibes4575]

@@JayAlba8 🤣

[@allnamesaretakenb4]

@@JayAlba8 leave him alone, he thought he made a brilliant and insightful comment that would open peoples minds. He didnt know he was spouting something everybody was well aware of....

[@macandrewes]

I lived in NYC from 1995 to 2004. So I remember two very different New Yorks: Before and after. I try to avoid looking at images of the towers; it just brings back trauma, crushing sadness and an inexpressible rage. New York on THAT day, and particularly in the weeks that followed, was the saddest place on earth. We volunteered, went to the funerals of police officers and firefighters, we drank, we cried. A lot. For a good three weeks after the attacks, I remember nobody honked. If you've ever been to New York you know the soundtrack is a constant symphony of car horns. But in the aftermath, not so. People were quiet, less rushed, pensive, and generally more considerate and caring. That was important. That was good. But 17 years later, my heart is still broken, and it appears the country with it. I don't know when the good times will ever return, but I have to believe they will someday.

[@buzzybeepopman2009]

Sorry that you had to go through that love from a Brit ❤️

[@edgargarcia7779]

LJ andrewes i agree with you. I was born in 95 and till this day for me there was two different new yorks as well. The new york of 1990s and the new york after 2001. I believe ever since 9/11 nothing has been the same, everything has changed so much. I still remember seeing the old new york skyline and wow! looks so nice and classic, very unique.

[@haileeraestout5567]

@@edgargarcia7779 I Was Born In 97 And I Think The Towers Are Still With Us In Spirit And Merchandise

[@CremeDeLaMeme.]

Bush did 9/11

[@billkittleman9631]

The similarities between Titanic and WTC are downright eerie - in terms of structural shortcomings, warnings, and missed opportunities to act

[@DiscoMatty79]

Its like a time machine. I was 17 in 1999, and used to go to the city a lot. During the day, or going to raves and clubs at night. Watching something from my childhood in HD brings tears to my eyes.

[@notthatdigusted7468]

Same for me too back when I was 13 yrs old and was amazed how huge the WTC was.

[@patricklaurojr7427]

yea Def not same anymore no more sound factory no tunnel no limelight

[@donefinished]

Sounds fun!

[@carlmarc3877]

Damn ❤❤

[@claudedowdy2117]

Feels like I went back in time. And the music is on point 👍🏿

[@whocares9153]

The calm before the storm.

[@Inaworldoflove]

Yup, before the self attack and war of terror (not war on terror) made everyone paranoid. Imagine if none of that had happened? The 2000s would have been much happier.

[@deletdis6173]

@@Inaworldoflove stfu

[@roycewinters145]

@@Thisizmyname hes not wrong though

[@cocotaveras8975]

WhoCares My mom worked in those towers in 1999-00, she really loved those buildings!

[@cocotaveras8975]

Inaworldoflove So true. Along without the Great Recession, we would have had a great, great decade full of success and happiness and no conflict and controversy.

[@spikelen]

If only I was born in 1979 instead of 1999 maybe I'd have had a chance to see those 2 towers. The New Trade Center is good, but it'll never live up to what used to stand there before 9/11.

[@BananaPhoPhilly]

***** People like you are fucking annoying

[@BananaPhoPhilly]

***** In other words, _you_

[@BananaPhoPhilly]

***** My point exactly

[@Greenday5494]

No he has a point

[@__kiir]

I was born in 1989 :)

[@ChristopherGray00]

I wasn't even born when this video was shot, but it feels incredibly nostalgic, i don't know how either, I've never been in NYC or have even been alive in 1999, but i am feeling remembrance, it feels like time travel, seeing HD back in 1999 is so... Weird, i can't comprehend the feeling i'm getting from this.

[@liamblackman63]

1999 was a good year for me I was 27

[@Alvaro-fd5fp]

+Code Ex Me too Im from 1995, and I have that sensation

[@tokyocheesesteak]

+Code Ex I came to New York in 1999 and that's how I remember New York in its "primal state", so this video triggers ridiculous levels of nostalgia in me. It's awesome to see that it means something to you, as well, even though you are in the opposite situation from me.

[@Dan-TechAndMusic]

+Code Ex There is something weirdly time travel-ish about past images in HD. Probably due to the image clarity, which makes it feel like it happened recently, even though it is so far away, because we're so used to images of the past looking far less sharp and clear. I had that feeling even more with early 90s Winter Olympics footage recorded in HD. Seeing the crowd and what they were wearing in such clarity is really weird. It might sound stupid, but it's just that way.

[@micgooflander95]

+Code Ex It's not really all that different from 2016. That's the sad thing; that we've reached a stage in human history where everything has kind of stagnated. The advanced video technology aside, it would be hard for me to spot the difference between 1999 and 2016, just from a quick video such as this.

[@generalkenobi8899]

Crazy how it doesn't seem that radically different than today but its been 22 whole years. Someone who was just 20 then would be 42 now. Life goes so quickly.

[@jrg5315]

Lol that’s how time works and it goes quickly if you don’t stop to think about it.

[@MoonOvIce]

@@jrg5315 It also goes quickly if you stop too often to think about it!

[@schnulli79]

Exactly, I was in New York City when I turned 20 in 1999. One of the best times of my life.

[@timwilson8247]

I was born in 93... looking at this video makes me think about how many good people I knew were alive in 1999 and now they're gone. My granpa,my aunt,my great grandmother... a friend who died in Iraq in 2004, life goes on...but watching a video like this makes me nostalgic.. and not just for me,for the world in general. No cold war,no Iraq war yet. WTC still there....man... I wish they had rebuilt those towers...life goes on our loved ones who were alive at the time of this video (and today are gone) will always live in our hearts

[@apples874]

Yeah, it sucks because our economy was really good before the 2 wars, but unfortunately those terrorist attacks caused the US to go on a 20 year spending spree which has always haunted me and makes me nauseous whenever I think about it

[@CoolDrifty]

@@apples874 love or hate clinton the man balanced the federal budget

[@patricklaurojr7427]

they couldn't rebuild same ones trust me I can see them from my house it just spark bad memories

[@pennwoman]

Clinton was the very reason 9/11 happened in the first place. He had so many opportunities to stop Al-qaeda & didn’t. He was a weak president.

[@EastCoastGal66]

I’m so sorry! Time does pass quickly! Enjoy your beautiful life, love and make a difference in the world. I pray New York remains a place of beauty, strength and stands for what the Statue of Liberty represents for All people!

[@mrsaulthegreat]

its so weird to look at the 1990s/early 2000s in HD, its like you are turly reliving it again

[@ComputerTechnic217]

relax its only 1080p

[@adamfull6208]

Not really mate

[@robertjefferson7327]

Takes me to before I was even born.

[@CoasterMan13Official]

Kinda scary.

[@extremeking425]

@@ComputerTechnic217 bitch its still hd

[@VistaLover8002]

1:17 Such an amazing shot of the Twin Towers there. Even better to see them in this quality of video.

[@isiahbanks147]

It kinda makes it feel like there still standing today

[@50_cal_enjoyer]

This feels like I'm staring into an alternate universe, where *they* never fell. Somewhere in an alternate universe, it's 2023, NYC. In an alternate universe, two gigantic buildings still stand over the NYC skyline. 9/11 is merely an animated horror thriller similar to Final Destination. Somewhere in an alternate universe, a few coworkers are arguing over whether they should upgrade some of the appliances in Windows of The World. Somewhere in an alternate universe, a boss is signing documents in the 84th floor of WTC-2. Somewhere in an alternate universe, a daughter is buying clothes on her vacation for her grandma down in the Midwest. "She's Always A Women" plays in the plaza as a small kid stares up in aw at the scale of the towers.

[@harrisonwestphall2381]

I'm not crying, you're crying..........

[@djmarsone5209]

Omg, yisus 😦💔

[@dickhoebee202]

Well put. I just wish your alternate universe was here and now.

[@charlesnicholson7539]

*Possibly one of the most underrated videos on the entire internet.*

[@ogreman-lll-957]

Yeah

[@Endeavour30]

Yes. This and the one from 1993.

[@xmisteralex]

@@Endeavour30 is there another video of the 90' in HD?

[@Endeavour30]

@@xmisteralex Here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIWXnXeLYrZ_i7s

[@lokeshwaranvr]

@@xmisteralex yes

[@mfk5533]

I was born in 2001, looking at NYC in the 1990s with such clarity lends a tangibility to the past, it's strangely moving.

[@pequod4557]

Same, and I couldn't stop crying when I saw the Twin Towers.

[@MohamedAmine-os3zb]

😂😂c'mon dude USA Crash the building because they wanted to push it all on muslims and they succeed​@@pequod4557

[@PlatinumEuropeLoner]

I was unaware of the fact that 90's footage existed in a such perfect quality

[@Knaeckebrotsaege]

Try this then... 1993 in HD: /watch?v=fT4lDU-QLUY

[@DutchDukeMan]

you've never watched a movie from the 90's?

[@johnmarks714]

@@DutchDukeMan It's just not the same. I've watched Ghost for example in 1080p. However it's different when it's high def video showing normal daily life.

[@fungo6631]

Anything shot with 35 mm film way back in the day can be remastered to such a quality.

[@DilanPerera1]

The 1990s were so blissful and peaceful! Wish I could go back to that time...

[@cookiesNcream1918]

I love the music it's almost nostalgic and happy. This made me smile and made me sad because those were good days and wish we could have them back.

[@jynxwarmusic4953]

Cee C time travel

[@cookiesNcream1918]

I wish

[@Delete.9]

Cee C I remember them days like gold. I was 1 years old

[@mr.butterworth]

Cee C - I was 21 at the time. Makes you really think about things one might have done a little differently or sooner if you could. But, you can't wrack your brain over what you could have done. Every day of life is a lesson for tomorrow.

[@somebadbatter]

Cee C gold Times, i was -4 at the time

[@Thisizmyname]

This video brings a tear to my eye. Such a wonderful time for us. The world looked so peaceful, just like I remember it. I really miss those towers.

[@adamfull6208]

L M 63 and no social media

[@opsek5784]

it may look peaceful but it sure wasnt! the indian pakistan kargel war was going on as well as tensions with the middle east forming.

[@kirilll7806]

90's was good times only for america, western europe, australia and canada aka west

[@kirilll7806]

@@opsek5784 yes also dont forget second Congolese war, balkan wars, 90's in russia and other former ussr republics, economic crisis in asian , and eastern European countries, 90's in latin america, AND MANY MANY MORE

[@Enigmatism415]

I miss when the most tragic thing in recent memory was just Columbine.

[@RETROGEMS]

This is a priceless video. 1999 was a year of one of my family trips to NYC. I was 12 years old & went throughout the 90s to visit family in Queens & also have fun, sight-seeing ventures with family in Manhattan. When I say that 90s NYC had an entirely different vibe back then than now, I mean it 1,000%! EVERYTHING was different back then. It was a unique time period of transition for the city. It had emerged from a lot of crime, seediness & dilapidation that was at its height in the 70s, 80s & early 90s. I remember when Times Square was a different environment the early part of the decade when it was gritty & nothing 'family friendly' about it & we would just quickly pass through to get to different parts of the city. Then Giuliani came along & it really was like the city was transformed. I hate the man's politics but he was an effective mayor, I gotta admit. I never once felt afraid of staying out later in the city with family, us taking the subway, going ALL over. Now, there's one street & subway attack after another after another after ANOTHER where women are treated like prey & getting the crap kicked out of them by deranged male criminals who are roaming the city. One recent attack even involved a homeless man hitting a baby girl on the head with a bottle; if I was a kid NOW, I wouldn't have had any of my adventures & great NY memories. Back then, we could be out at eleven, twelve at night coming back from a sight-seeing extravaganza all day long & be as untouched as a person strolling down a country lane. This was late 90s/2000. The people's attitudes then were different as well. There seemed to be more freshness, excitement for simple things (I still remember the line for the old 'Skyride' at the Empire State Building) & a collective feeling of contentment & security. A lot less paranoia, cynicism & fear that automatically sprang up post-September 11th & came to its full horrifying heights during the 2020/2021 pandemic. I wish everyone could've experienced 90s NYC. I had some of the best times of my life then. Thank goodness for videos like this!

[@henrik5284]

I cannot look at those two buildings without feeling so bad for the people who got trapped up there on 9/11. R.I.P.

[@katashley1031]

And the poor souls who jumped. 😢

[@javianjohnson8746]

Anyone else kinda tripped out that footage of the year 1999 looks just as clear and crispy as footage taken today?

[@anicecube6552]

This gives me chills. I wasn't alive when this was made but I can see myself walking around there, really changed my perspective of the 80s and 90s being able to see this high quality video.

[@jacobfleming565]

the problem is the video quality gets destroyed over the years. they had hd like this in the 60s. when they convert stuff to digital and put it online it would look terrible until like 2010ish

[@deloreanman14]

This is almost like looking into a different world. It feels so far away and yet so close.

[@garbagebanditdayz819]

This is one of my favorite videos of NY ever because it represents a different time, A time before 911 New York/ the world was such a different place back then. I would love to go back in time to visit NY. Edit: 6 years later and I still come back to watch this magical video. 14 year old me was lacking in grammar but me and him want the same thing, a Time Machine. If I could go back and visit New York in 1999 I would in a heartbeat. The World Trade Center would be my first destination.

[@juniorsilvabroadcast]

After 911 world sat on a hidden modern war.

[@willieotero2122]

With the technology avaliable in 1999, this looks absolutely stunning! The picture is so modern it looks like it was filmed this year

[@CollectingCardboard]

For 1999, this was absolutely _AMAZING_ quality! In my most honest of recollections, I cannot remember seeing _ANY_ type of live-feed, broadcast/recordings that were even _remotely close_ to this quality (in 1999, that is!!). And growing up/residing in the NY metro t.v. area; that includes, not even, _HERE_ !

[@MoonOvIce]

They were literally testing an extremely expensive camera with bleeding edge technology that wasn't really to be used for any broadcasts yet for quite a while.

[@DoubleMonoLR]

@@MoonOvIce This TV station had already broadcast in HD, albeit presumably a one-off: "Sept. 5, 1998: WBNS becomes the first television station in the nation to broadcast in full AC3/HDTV (true high definition) when it presents a live telecast of the OSU-West Virginia football game." Japan had been broadcasting analog HD since 1991 (technically since 1988, but the full commercial launch was 1991), the rest of the world just didn't adopt it - in part as people were holding off for digital. The same format was used for HD Laserdisks from 1994. Likewise the 1992 olympics were recorded in HD using an experimental European standard, you can see behind the scenes showing the cameras here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/garbdpalfrutY5o I don't know what happened to any of the Olympics recordings though, info seems pretty scant, may be more in Spanish though. France effectively had "HD" tv in the late 1940s, though in black & white, with an 819 line signal. (4:3 819i)

[@alainportant6412]

@@MoonOvIce Yeah but they could still film movies in high quality like Titanic or Star Wars

[@teletubetodd]

Wow, it looks as if it were shot yesterday, bringing back those simpler pre-9/11, pre-COVID days of innocence, as if the Twin Towers were still there, shining optimism in our hearts. Thanks for bringing back the memories!

[@Lemuel928]

Toysrus once use to be there..

[@feth7747]

9/11 and Covid, the only two our time events that changed the world (Covid much more), curiously from 9/11 to Covid (3/11/2020), there is 222 months and 0, yes, ZERO days. I am sure that the next event, will be in the fall of 2027, time will tell.

[@Gaminglife-sf1oz]

Forgot the 1993 WTC bombings.

[@cagnazzo82]

This is the NY that I remember. My dad was still working in those towers.

[@joshramirez3897]

Is ur dad dead?

[@TheMeatMan]

My Dad did some work on those towers too! I remember he called my mother from work one morning and shouted down the phone "ALLU ACKBAR" I haven't heard from him since..

[@coolman9i6]

Yeah no that joke didn't work in this context.

[@SanAntonioJoker]

F

[@SithEmpireV08]

sorry for your loss. may he rest in peace

[@RagingBullX89]

Nice to see people walking around, talking and enjoying life without a fucking phone glued to there face.

[@gjfkhvjzjsxbq]

OK boomer OK boomer OK boomer OK boomer OK boomer OK boomer OK boomer OK boomer OK boomer OK boomer OK boomer

[@679steelers9]

Woah! Looks like 2016!

[@DiscoMatty79]

DrTarpon1974 true, but 18 years ago was still a long time ago, and a lot has changed. Seeing a HD video of everyday life when your average person was using camcorders is pretty cool. I was 17, and would be in the city a lot during that time, so this was pretty special. Plus I love how Times Square didn't look like an oversized strip mall

[@HBC101TVStudios]

@defpickles98 I could see some hipster girls in the 1993 NY HD video.

[@adamfull6208]

679 Steelers 2016 but a world where 9/11 didn’t happen how the world be so different if it didn’t happen

[@Ninten110dogs]

Nope, I don't see faces buried in smartphones or a city littered with big LED billboards.

[@_mikut]

1999 - The year i started in first grade, and Nintendo 64 and Pokémon was my life. A great time it was to be alive.

[@VladSicoe]

The quality is amazing; it was so bittersweet seeing the Twin Towers again :)

[@jaibaloca707]

They really were beautiful towers...

[@pjplaysgaming367]

what are u on. a lot of people used to call them big concrete rectangles.

[@katashley1031]

They really were. The ornate steel archways at the entrance, they were formidable and totally unique. Inside the lobby, it oozed money and power. They were deceptive. From a distance, they seemed simple, devoid of character, but close up they were really striking.

[@KekeBeatzTV]

The scent of nostalgia runs deep here. This looks borderline 4k.

[@Rogers319]

Every time I see the towers my anger flares up.

[@Enigmatism415]

Me too. They never should have been taken away.

[@eTheBlack]

Yeah, fucking government

[@mysterypotatocat]

because you want them rebuilt? I want them rebuilt too!

[@mysterypotatocat]

Enigmatism415 strongly agree.

[@ThisAccountIsNoLongerActive000]

+Frigid319 They should have rebuilt those towers, and the new buildings scattered in the skyline (instead of 3 "3.8 billion dollar worthy buildings" in one 16 acre spot.) That would have made the skyline look bigger and stronger than it is today. It is still possible to do that transaction but it has got to be done with time and money. A LOT OF MONEY!

[@clarissamcpigeon7857]

This is incredible. I had no idea that 1080p had even been "invented" as far back as 1999. It is simply amazing to see 1999 as it really was, without having to rely on outdated video equipment and 35mm photography.

[@JackHY2K]

There's HD footage from 1992-1994. Look it up!

[@sthigmavideoprodutora8987]

As Olimpíadas de 1984 e 1988 já tiveram transmissões em HD. Embora aqui no YT só achei em HD a de Seul em 1988 no formato 4:3, mas ainda sim vc nota que é uma nitidez muito avançada para os anos 80 em que a maioria das câmeras de TV borravam nas fontes de luz.

[@AloversGaming]

Looking at this footage, I can nearly hear Solid Snake's speech from the end of MGS2.

[@Amarganeitor]

Just add a sepia color filter and David hayter narration and there You go.

[@kricket5363]

I was 9 days old when this footage was taken. Now I'm 20 years old and I am serving in the Marine Corps. Crazy how time flies. I do wish I could travel back to 1999 at the age I'm at now just to know what it was like back then.

[@JackHY2K]

Yeah, it's amazing how time flies! This footage was filmed 20 years ago yet it doesn't look or feel like it! I was 5 at the time so I remember what it was like. I do wish I was older though. Like being 16 at the time. Or to be able to time travel back then at my current age (25). Both would be awesome!

[@valkiron11]

@@JackHY2K Don't ever wish that. You were lucky to be very young at the time. You still had your innocence. Teen years suck no matter what decade you experience it.

[@justinaccount9920]

I wish i was 15 then to visit the towers. I like the new ones but its nothing like what stood there in the past

[@elinat2414]

I was 4 years old in 1999, and because I don’t remember much, the 90s were always grainy...even in my memories. Thank you so much!

[@JackHY2K]

I was 5 when this video was filmed. My first memory dates back to around summer 1996. Despite being quite young at the time I remember the late 90s fairly well. I also remember the early 2000s (an extension of the 90s culturally) well.

[@mikemorr100]

Its more weird how things change but they don't. The vast majority of those buildings are still there; even the tress are likely the same. But the majority of the cars shown are now new cars or buildings or spoons or something else but they're probably all gone. A very rough 1.3 billion humans (that thought got to me a bit, 1.3 billion lives have ended since then) have died since this video was shot and have been replaced by 2.3 billion more. I was three years old at the time of this and I can't imagine how it will feel looking back on 2014 from the year 2029, if I get that far.

[@michael85225]

Wow you get deep into thought. I'm that way too.

[@Delete.9]

What were you smoking at the time ?

[@brknsh6689]

You can already look back at 6 years

[@shadyboi7830]

@@brknsh6689 Yeah, you are right. I started seeing the last of the few old Metro buses like 6-8 years ago, the diesel buses.

[@FD-rh6tr]

Most of the reliable cars you see here are still on the road today.

[@dvchel]

So peaceful and tranquil. I try to remember the 90's as best as I can. Keeping hold of the fond memories as a child. So much beauty all around.

[@WilliamMcCarthyIII]

crazy seeing no tvs in times square

[@michaelmorales1475]

I think they had that Curved/Flexible LED Screen in Times Sqaure at the time.

[@ShadowLinkxMaster]

Good lord, the video quality is amazing! It legit looks like this was shot yesterday, and the World Trade Center looked so beautiful in HD... this footage really makes it feel like they're still here in 2018, when they're not...

[@NewYorkStatePhotosAndVideos1]

WOW!!!!! Feels Like You Filmed It Today On July 25, 2022! WOW! Thats very good video footage for 1999! The World Trade Center Twin Towers Looked great In this video! WOW!!!! Thanks For Posting This!

[@doobiesoda3873]

It's so nice to see the promenade in 1999. I was nine then, and grew up in this area. So many memories of coming down to the park during the summer. Now, there's Brooklyn Bridge Park, but back then it was pretty abandoned along Furman street. My mum would take us there. Great times.

[@ColdRain112]

2000s walking around enjoying the fresh air. late 2010s Instagram hashtag selfie. man i wish i could go back in time at least 2006 back.

[@teranbonds]

Man me too

[@unassumingaccount395]

Omg, millenials don't breathe? I never knew that!

[@TheOfficialMorningSonder]

2020- COVID-19 stuck in the house wearing a mask when going out social distancing

[@PositivePyro]

Bro it’s looks like an alternate reality NYC. I used to live in NJ near NYC and we used to go there all the time. This is long before 9/11 and it looks like any other city. Calm and they are having a good time there. The memories I had there will not be forgotten.

[@Cam-gk9ms]

I was only 5 in 1999.. but I remember it like it was yesterday. Life was great back then and in the early 2000s. The way of life was much more interesting.

[@DarkMythHunter]

WTF... THIS IS... JUST WEIRD!

[@rodzor]

Why? this wasn't very long ago. Can you not remember what you were doing in 1999?

[@Kev27RS]

DrTarpon1974 Right?! I mean, yes it's already been 18 years ago... but still it doesn't feel like that loooong ago... 🤔 Plus, '99 was already quite modern!

[@DarkMythHunter]

It's weird because it's 18 years ago and the quality is so amazing. Not many people had a camera like that. Plus 9/11 videos were all recorded with shitty cameras, almost every video from 9/11/2001. Still, looking for 1999 footages, I'd say 95% of them are recorded with 240-360p cameras.

[@DarkMythHunter]

PS: Plus which such a good quality, you except that 80% of the people to use smartphones, but hell yea, 99, no phones at all in that era. Life was better then. :(

[@Jay.G_]

Oh wow😪

[@DBCBoy618]

I’m a born and raised New Yorker. I was born in the ‘90s so I don’t remember a ton of it, but still living here today it’s so funny to see how things…pretty much look the same 25 years later when viewed through camera quality that’s on par with today’s. It’s mainly just the cars/buses and of course the Twin Towers that give it away. Especially with the resurgence of a lot of ‘90s and early ‘00s fashion now too.

[@giovannitorres5319]

Now i know what new york would look like today

[@notthatdigusted7468]

Or if a time machine existed and you could visit any time period like in Back to the Future.

[@leemcd56]

I was born in ‘91, but never had the opportunity to visit NYC pre-9/11. What I what give to go back in time and experience this all in person.

[@JoseMorales-lw5nt]

WBNS Columbus, Ohio: God bless everyone of you, past and present, for sharing this bittersweet moment in time with the rest of the world. I recall TV technology was catching up to how the human eyes view the world: widescreen and in HD. Having grown up in The Bronx, I always remember this version of NYC, in this very format. New then, but with the sight of the Twin Towers, God, does it make me shed a tear! I can't thank you all enough for this. 🇵🇷🇺🇸😉

[@johnmarks714]

Hey major thanks. Reminds me of the "1993 new york city HD" video filmed using Japanese video technology. Glad to be finding more of this high quality stuff.

[@billyh88uk]

About as close to time travel as we can get.

[@njlillycline]

I was born 6 days later. It brings a tear to my eye, because the world I was born into no longer exists.

[@onuguiri]

It is shocking how it looks like present day just because of the high definition. Why the hell did they took so long to make it a standard?

[@2900405]

Manuel Pérez It's like, why does it take so long for 4K to be the norm for all videos, because of slow evolution

[@joeyGalileoHotto]

Expensive at the time

[@daMacadamBlob]

it was super expensive until the mid-to-late 2000s

[@fourtysevennn]

as some one who was born in 2001. i wish i got to experience what my siblings got to experience in the 80s & 90s. they always brag about how they wish they went back to those years and they talk about how much they miss it.

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

It's videos like these that make you remember that these times looked just the same as the do in the present. Looking at older videos and photos, it can be hard to place yourself in those scenes and areas, but it's videos like this that make you realise, hey, the world looked just the same as it does now, which does sound quite strange, but in a really interesting way.

[@HenrythePaleoGuy]

@The Legend 27 Returns to KZbin I have indeed. Great stuff there.

[@BentheBoss99]

The video quality is fantastic. If it weren’t for the clothes that people were wearing and the cars that they were driving, you probably couldn’t tell it apart from today.

[@BleedingEyes666]

I’m convinced this is footage from a parallel universe not the 90’s

[@TheRockstarFarmer]

Even though the quality is astounding, there's something about this, even with the music off that makes it so much different than today. You can tell you're peeking into a different era, a different world if you will, that has slipped through our fingers and we could never get back.

[@emmauttam4746]

Visited News York City in July 1999. I was just seven years old. I remember the World Trade Centre like it was yesterday.

[@lukest292]

1:32 it's weird to see a video in modern quality yet not a single phone in sight among the crowd

[@sharmas7586]

This video was published in 2010 tens years after the recording... Now it's again 10 years later! It's 2021!!! Time flies!

[@bilbobaggins9451]

We're farther away from 2010 than the time distance between 1999 and 2010.

[@MichaelABarnum]

I know what you mean. New York seemed to be, well wormer and cleaner I guess. Now it feels more gritty and very cold. however i feel this way because in the 90's they shot tv shows and movies in warmer colours. Now everything has been so retouched and looks so artificial.

[@SonicsGamingHub_YT]

Seeing the twin towers in a present looking camera makes it feel like looking into an alternate timeline

[@DaveDaveAlanAlan]

And to think many of us carry around HD cameras in our pockets on our phones now- oh technology you are brilliant.

[@hahah5739]

A small HD CMOS sensor behind a tiny little lens on a phone isn't as brilliant as you may think.

[@shadebinder9969]

Actually 4k is pretty standard now so hd/1080p is sad compared to our phones. The newest ones record 8k.

[@DaveDaveAlanAlan]

@@shadebinder9969 that comment was 6 years ago

[@shadebinder9969]

@@DaveDaveAlanAlan oh lol l did not realize sorry. The comment right before was 9 months ago and I didn't look closer.

[@Ai3r]

@@DaveDaveAlanAlan technology sucks

[@OctavioGaitan]

This video made me cry. I really miss the "old" New York City so much. 😢

[@AQUAPHREESH193]

NEVER FORGET! THANK YOU FOR THIS!

[@ryancarey8784]

omg it's you

[@AQUAPHREESH193]

Ryan Carey yes it is lol

[@lukesky1301]

Bro, its very crazy that after 2001, ny was not the same thing that it is in this video.

[@theItaliancommunity]

25th anniversary soon

[@foster3245]

90s looks so joyful and amazing.

[@NeonRazer42]

It was a different time back in those days. A time before KZbin, before the first iPhone, and most importantly a time before we were all about that bass.

[@balriel7229]

Fuck off

[@Livereater]

No treble

[@czden]

😂

[@anastasiajane3066]

No treble!

[@ForgetJay100]

Cringe

[@bow2augusto]

20 years ago today... damn that's crazy

[@juniorsilvabroadcast]

The dynamic range of this camera is still holding up to today

[@terrrell7798]

This was my childhood growing up at the Brooklyn Prominade.. This is the NYC I miss.. staring at the Twin Towers from Brooklyn..

[@valkiron11]

I remember I saw so many movies that year. Tarzan, The Mummy, Star Wars - Phantom Menace, etc. I rarely ever go to the movies anymore. It sucks getting old.

[@christraiches3943]

Austin powers spy who shagged me iron giant

[@wimbletone]

Man if you compare this the tourist scene today in nyc, there is such a huge difference. Today, we have a bunch of tourists around taking selfies and with their selfie sticks. Here, they had their pictures taken by someone else. And wow I was 6 years old when this was taken.

[@Fau1tSystem]

that just how life develops my friend, in a decade or so we'll probably be taking photos with are eyes or something. I personally see it as a good thing

[@AxeIRad]

Sad, huh?

[@wimbletone]

Don't get me wrong, it isn't sad. It amazes me how much one simple thing can change. Who'd have thought we'd have another way of taking pictures back then?

[@AxeIRad]

but it was a simpler time, no selfie sticks, no smartphones. it was a much better time.

[@AxeIRad]

it was a simpler time, where most people communicated without smartphones. where HD wasn't a thing. those days probably are better than now. i specifially mean the laste 1990s, 1996-2000

[@youtuberyoutuber2495]

Wow so much has changed since then. 1999 was way different than today. Hardly anyone on cable internet, no smartphones, also no phones connected to the internet, main telephone use was the landline telephone, no streaming services, payphones were still popular and so were audio cassettes, CD players were still the most used method to listen to songs, TVs were much more simple, film cameras were still really popular, 1 hour photo in CVS was common across the US (bring in your film and they develop it within an hour), I could go on. Those people were going back home to the above.

[@azeca0025]

In the 90s video cassetes were popular. VHS!!

[@youtuberyoutuber2495]

@@azeca0025 it took until 2007 before they were discontinued

[@a_can_of_soda]

Plus, those who did use the Internet used AOL, and websites like Facebook, Twitter, KZbin, etc. didn't exist in 1999.

[@youtuberyoutuber2495]

@@a_can_of_soda youtube was terrible in the early days. Watching videos was really frustrating. Constant buffering.

[@thefirstsurvivor]

i wonder what i was doing while this was filmed

[@Thisizmyname]

God of Dusty Depot I was in 1st grade, in a new school, in a new town. Currently 27 years old...yeah

[@GN10Gaming]

You probably weren't born.

[@JackHY2K]

I was 5 years old when this was filmed. Despite that I remember 1999 fairly well.

[@KaoriSadie]

I just feel like jumping through the screen and reliving this moment all over again, even if it means I'll be a little kid again

[@rajveerkanojiya2985]

it's so weird to see comments from 13 years ago to literally 18 hours ago with just 617k views this video still active af and just 2k comments yet still amazing

[@MusicallyQ]

*As Russian I remember being in NYC in 1998 before this video was recorded I remember somewhat what Twin Tower stood for I still have the old Windows on the world post in my room to this day.*

[@diegoidkk]

Dang, my city in 1999 with 1080p!

[@SpiderGamePlays-mj6cf]

We miss you come back towers

[@jimmccarron]

I visited NYC (and the top of the towers) for the first time 2 weeks later. Just such a great piece of video. Thanks for posting!

[@CamilaTopherIncel]

It's always strange for me that everybody seemed happier back then. Must be a generation kind of thing or something.

[@kirilll7806]

Uhhh, what about the world, 90's wasn't great times

[@frontandcenter7941]

That's the goofiest thing I read in a while.

[@riverdelta7052]

@@kirilll7806 What do you expect. It's always people blinded by nostalgia.

[@denverdubois5835]

@@riverdelta7052 It actually was nicer then. And fuck nostalgia. The 1970s weren't as nice as the 90s at all, though they were better than right now.

[@tokeners]

Probably because that's before tech [like phones, flat and more information to hand out, tvs, etc] cuz when tech started to become more common people would start to see/notice the world problems [climite changes, electricity, water, history from the pasts and is still happening] so yeah that's before they even know the problems I guess you can say you miss not knowing the worst.

[@mbc748]

how the fuck is this the most wholesome thing ive seen today

[@johnpaulherrera3182]

That is badass quality for the '90s.

[@AnthonySNY]

watching this video feels like home. NYC isn't the same anymore, and this is the NYC I grew up in.

[@dannyleo4791]

What a beautiful day it was! It was the era when we didn't have to worry about terrorists.

[@tougethrasher1764]

You don't need to now, either

[@a_can_of_soda]

231232 3123231 True, but security wasn't as tight then.

[@ScripterMega]

SodaBoy628 That's literally what he just said...

[@MaxDiviani]

***** but now, these fucking terrorists everywhere :(

[@tougethrasher1764]

Max Diviani Maybe if you listen to fox news

[@lilyrose7624]

Dear 20th Century, I miss you 💔

[@DougieYT]

Those cameras made 1999 look like 2010-Present

[@brudeish]

Idk why but there's something special about older HD formats, it's beautiful to watch....

[@bardy18]

Such a great time it was back in 1999. Miss the good old days :(

[@Dass1996]

Take me back to this year. It seemed much brighter

[@car7000]

man I miss the 90's

[@libertycabbagemusic]

Can y'all release the full video? I'm sure this is an edited version. How much did the camera cost and was this recorded to videotape?