San Franciscans can now see how their city has changed over the past century from above, thanks to a clever new feature from Google.

Launched last week, the “historical imagery” function on Google Earth has mapped aerial photography from over the past century, including a stunning set of images of the Bay Area taken by an Oakland pilot in 1938. Moving through the years, the view over San Francisco’s North Beach and the Embarcadero shows drastic changes to one waterfront neighborhood, while other iconic buildings have stood the test of time.

One of the most dramatic changes can be seen near Fisherman’s Wharf, where between 1938 and 1946, five full city blocks from Leavenworth to Stockton between Beach and North Point were razed to make way for the State Belt Railroad’s rail switching yard. The development abruptly terminated the northerly routes of four San Francisco streets that were later repaved. The old rail yard was developed into regular city blocks again in 1957.

An aerial view of San Francisco's waterfront in 2008.

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