The City Then and Now
A look at NYC over the last 400 years.
A Wall by Any Other Name
In 1653, the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam built a fortification along the northern edge of the town, running from the Hudson River (today's Greenwich Street) to the East River (then lapping at Pearl Street). Eventually the English captured the city, and named the street that ran along that old fortification Wall Street. But what did the Dutch call it, and why did they build it?
From New Amsterdam to NYC
What did Manhattan look like to early colonists, and how has it evolved over time? Compare illustrations showing the City in the 1600s and 1700s with photographs of the same locations now.