I came across this link last night. It will show you what any street in NYC looked like in the 80's, thanks to a city project meant for tax purposes. If nothing else, this will answer many questions about street signs and stoplights that come up here from time to time. :)
original story
http://pix11.com/2017/09/26/miss-gritty-1980s-new-york-check-out-this-interactive-map/
direct link to the archive
http://80s.nyc/