Nostrand's map of New York house numbers and subway guide, created in 1930 by George J. Nostrand and published by the Ohman Map Co., captures a metropolis in the midst of modern transformation. It is both an address-finder and a metropolitan portrait, uniting the city’s house-number system with its surging transportation web. The map’s clear, vibrant style mirrors the confidence of interwar New York, when infrastructure and ambition were tightly bound. Beyond mere wayfinding, it distills the character of the city’s streets and waterfronts, from Midtown’s dense corridors to the outer reaches of Greater New York, and highlights parks, ferries, and major points of interest. As a city map, it excels in showing how neighborhoods, transit lines, and the house-number grid overlay to shape daily urban life.

Nostrand’s genius lies in making the addressable city legible. The indexed street and subdivision system pairs with meticulous house numbers to demystify the logic of Manhattan’s grid: 1st through 12th Avenues marching north, cross streets like 14th Street, West 42nd Street, and West 54th Street slicing crosstown, and Broadway’s celebrated diagonal rewriting orthodoxy at every intersection. The map guides the eye from Fifth, Madison, and Park Avenues across Lexington, Columbus, and West End Avenue, then downstream to Canal Street and Houston Street, where the street plan loosens and the city’s mercantile roots show. It catches neighborhood identities in the grain of the grid—Upper West Side, St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem, and York Avenue on the East Side—each address tethered to transit, waterfronts, and parks.

Transit, the lifeblood of 1930 New York, is presented with uncommon clarity. Subway and elevated lines—then largely the domains of the IRT and BMT—thread through Manhattan and into the boroughs, complementing surface bus and streetcar routes. Penn Station and Grand Central anchor a choreography of movement, with crosstown lines converging along 14th Street and north–south corridors pacing Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Avenues. The map deftly shows how riders transfer between modes, turning a perceived labyrinth into an intelligible system where commutes, errands, and evening outings all find their most efficient path. An inset of Greater New York rapid transit enlarges this view, situating neighborhood stations within a broader regional network.

The waterfronts receive equal narrative weight. Piers line the Hudson beside 11th and 12th Avenues, while the East River bristles with slips and ferry landings that knit Manhattan to Queens, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. Steamship routes radiate from the West Side, evoking a city in global conversation; ferries to Staten Island and across the harbor underscore how water remained an everyday thoroughfare. Streets like Canal and Houston steer directly to the piers, revealing the city’s mercantile metabolism, while parks—Battery Park at the harbor’s edge, Riverside Park sweeping the Upper West Side—buffer the ceaseless activity with green respite. The mapping of piers, ferries, and surface lines shows freight and people moving in tandem, the city’s commerce and culture inseparable.

As a work of design and urban intelligence, this map is as elegant as it is useful. A vibrant palette distinguishes lines and districts; crisp labeling and decorative flourishes reflect the period’s cartographic grace. For historians and urban planners, it documents the city in a pivotal year—street by street, line by line—before later consolidations and expressways reshaped movement. For collectors, it offers a richly detailed portrait of neighborhoods from the Upper West Side to the Lower East Side, of promenades through Central and Riverside Parks, and of the great stations, ferries, and piers that defined New York’s daily rhythm. Nostrand and Ohman render the city not as abstraction, but as lived geography—precise, kinetic, and irresistibly legible.

Streets and roads on this map

• 1st Avenue
• 2nd Avenue
• 3rd Avenue
• 4th Avenue
• 5th Avenue
• 6th Avenue
• 7th Avenue
• 8th Avenue
• 9th Avenue
• 10th Avenue
• 11th Avenue
• 12th Avenue
• 14th Street
• Broadway
• Canal Street
• Columbus Avenue
• East Broadway
• Houston Street
• Lexington Avenue
• Madison Avenue
• Park Avenue
• St. Nicholas Avenue
• Upper West Side
• West End Avenue
• West 42nd Street
• West 54th Street
• York Avenue

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Subway lines
• Elevated train lines
• Bus routes
• Streetcar routes
• Steamship routes
• Various parks
• Major points of interest (e.g., Penn Station)
• Piers
• Ferries
• Index of streets and subdivisions
• Inset map of Greater New York showing rapid transit

Historical and design context

• Year of Creation: 1930.
• Historical Context: Reflects the urban development and transit systems of New York City during the early 20th century, a time of significant infrastructural changes.
• Design Style: The use of vibrant colors and a clear layout makes it easy for users to navigate the map. The decorative elements and labels reflect the cartographic styles of the era.
• Dimensions: Each sheet measures 81x42 cm, folded to 22x11 cm for convenience.
• Significance: A valuable resource for historians, urban planners, and anyone interested in historical transit systems and the development of New York City.
• Creator & Publisher: Created by George J. Nostrand and published by the Ohman Map Co.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

This map is taller than most, which would make it a perfect statement piece in a panelled room, on a gallery wall, or perhaps alongside another tall piece of art or furniture.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.

Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.

We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.

• We can deliver directly to the recipient
• Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
• Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
• Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
• 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide

If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.

Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.

We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.

Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.

Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.

Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.

If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.

Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.

Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 10-year guarantee.

Read our full delivery and local production guide

Our standard frame is a gallery-style black ash hardwood frame, with a simple, modern look. It is approximately 20mm (0.8in) wide. You can also view some lovely customer photos of framed maps and art.

We use super-clear acrylic glazing, also known as Perspex or Acrylite, instead of traditional glass. It is lighter, safer, and has lower reflectivity, giving the artwork a clearer, cleaner appearance.

Six standard frame colours are available at no extra cost: black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white, and antique gold. Custom framing and mounting/matting is also available for customers looking for something more specific.

Most maps, art prints, and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced wooden box frame, and then float the piece within a wooden outer frame. The finished result is beautifully presented, with no glazing between you and the artwork.

All frames are supplied ready to hang, with either string or brackets fitted to the back. Very large frames will include heavy-duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

We can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag, and other materials.

If you would prefer to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read our size guide before ordering.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.