Using Google Street View to see changes around Lakeland

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Google Maps screenshot

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Although we Lakelanders are generally quick to tell people how much our city has grown and changed for the better, it can be easy to forget all the little details that add up to the overall metamorphosis.

But, never fear. We’re here to jog your memory with the Google Maps Street View tool.

You can use the tool to find a specific address, see the most recent Google images + how that exact location looked in previous years. (It’s basically like time travel.)

NoBay Village

Check out the before and after below. The intersection of E. Bay St. + N. Kentucky Ave. looked different in Dec. 2007 (top image) compared to Aug. 2017 (bottom image). The empty lot is now NoBay Village Apartments with Teriyaki Madness, Scream’n Tuna Sushi, Jesse Carl Vinyl + The Purple Onion Deli & Grill tucked inside.

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E. Bay St. + N. Kentucky Ave. | Photo via Google Maps

Thom Downs Antiques

Here’s the intersection of N. Florida Ave. + Traders Alley in April 2011. The bottom photo shows the same area in Feb. 2019. The mural on Thom Downs Antiques is the major change, and so long, farewell to the palm trees.

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N Florida After

N. Florida Ave. + Traders Alley | Photo via Google Maps

Highland City Town Center

U.S. Highway 98 S. looked pretty deserted back in 2007. Now there’s a whole shopping center with banks, restaurants, an apartment complex + more.

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U.S. Highway 98 S. + 8th St. SE | Photo via Google Maps

Metro by T-Mobile

In 2007, the NE corner of N. Florida Ave. + E. Memorial Blvd. had a gas station and a right-turning yield lane. Today, the intersection has a Metro by T-Mobile and updated road surface.

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Memorial After

N. Florida Ave. + E. Memorial Blvd. | Photo via Google Maps

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– LALtoday team (Jessica + Kaylee)

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