NEW YORK, NY

GENERAL HISTORY

In 1524 the New York harbor was discovered by an Italian named

Giovanni da Verranzo. Dutch settlers came to the new found land from

Europe and began the first settlement on the island that was called New

Amsterdam. Happening while under the reign of the first governor, Peter

Stuyvestant, the city was taken over by the English in 1674. After this

occurred the city of New Amsterdam was renamed New York in honor of

the Duke of York. By the 18th century there were over 60,000 habitants of

the city, and the main industries, milling and ship building, were just

starting to seriously take off. The very first shipyard off of the harbor

opened in 1720. The British were forced to surrender after a series of

fires to George Washington on November 25th 1783.

Wall Street in 1900

HISTORY CONT’D

By 1898 all five of the famous boroughs, Bronx, Manhattan,

Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island were united under one

municipal government and the city had an overall population of

3.4 million. As of the 2011 Census Bureau, the most current

population totaled in New York City is 8,244,910. Referred to

as the “melting pot” of the world, the city hosts to many

densely populated immigrant neighborhoods. There are as

many as 200 different languages spoken in the streets of all the

suburbs.

FAMOUS ARCHITECTURE

During the early 20th century many famous buildings were built

in New York City, all of them are great historical sites that each

have their own unique story to tell. The Flat Iron Building was

built in 1902, the New York Public Library opened in 1911 and the

Woolworth Building was erected in 1913. In this same year Grand

Central Station was opened. Following 17 years later, the Chrysler

building was erected, as well as the Empire State Building in 1931.

Also in 1931 the General Electric Building was built. Following

GEB, the Rockefeller Center was built in 1932 through 1940.

The construction of the Flat Iron building in 1902

THE SUBWAY

One of the easily most momentous days in the history of New

York City begins with the grand opening of the subway. Mayor

George B. McClellan on October 27th, 1904 took the first ride. The

track was only 9 miles in total distance and started from the City

Hall terminal up the East Side to Grand Central Terminal, then

across 42nd Street to Times Square, and up Broadway to West

145th Street. The inaugural ride, while not the first in the world,

sparked a great fire in the ways of traveling within the city for the

inhabitants.

1904 Subway

In 2011, Nearly 50.9 million

people visited New York City,

international and domestic.

Considering all of the jaw

dropping, inspiring attractions,

this number isn’t very

surprising. First on the list of

attractions are some of the

best museums in the world.

THINGS TO SEE; MUSEUMS

American Museum of

Natural History

the Metropolitan

Museum of Art

the Museum of Modern

Art

Guggenheim Museum

American Museum of Natural History

Guggenheim Museum

The Statue of Liberty has waited in

New York Harbor since it was built

by French architect, Frédéric

Auguste Bartholdi. The statue began

as a gift to the Americas in

September of 1875. Lady Liberty

stands 305 ft tall and is visible from

a majority of Manhattan, but the

greatest view possible is from the

ferry that runs around Liberty

Island.

SITE SEEING

During your visit to Manhattan you

can also climb to the very top of the

Empire State Building and see all

directions while 1,454 feet in the

air. Starting construction in 1909

with William F. Lamb as its

architect, the 102 stories were

complete in a matter of 13 months,

a record breaking construction time

for a building of such great height.

SITE SEEING

Central Park, being the city lovers

main escape to nature, the park is

one of the most prominent parks in

the country. There are cafes

periodically placed along the paths

to sit outside under a canopy of

trees and enjoy a cup of New York

coffee. It’s a great opportunity to

take a break from site seeing on

the Great Lawn of Central Park,

and get a first-hand taste of the

diversity.

SITE SEEING

IN CLOSING

New York has great opportunities, no matter what

it is you’re looking for you’re likely to find it on one

of the busy streets. Every corner you turn down is an

adventure waiting to happen. Whether you’re

looking to have a relaxing stay in a grand hotel, or

wanting to ride the wild side of Brooklyn’s music

scene, New York City has something for everyone.

WORKS CITED

Lambert, Tim. "A Brief History of New York City." A World History

Encyclopedia. N.p., N/A. Web. 01 Oct 2012.

<http://www.localhistories.org/newyork.html>.

Lauren, Dale. "Architecture and You: The Empire State

Building." Aesthetic Realism Looks at New York City. N.p., 2011. Web.

12 Oct 2012. <http://www.beautyofnyc.org/nyclandmarks.htm>.

Stern, John. "The New York Subway: A Century."Aesthetic Realism

Looks at New York City. N.p., 2008. Web. 12 Oct 2012.

<http://www.beautyofnyc.org/stern_nycsubway.pdf>.

N/A, . "List of Museums in New York City." NYC Tourist. N.p., 12 Oct

2012. Web. 12 Oct 2012. <http://www.nyctourist.com/museums.htm>.