WEIRD HISTORY TOURS: The Birth of New York City
Did you know you’re 10x more likely to be bitten by a New Yorker than a shark?
New York, New York…So nice, they named it twice.
But before it was New York,
it was New Amsterdam.
Manhattan is an outdoor museum. Every street lamp, park bench, and missing brick has a story or weird fact to tell. For example, did you know that Grand Central is radioactive?
New York City dates back to 1626. What began as a small village of 30 families, would go on to become a city of 8.2 million people. In fact, 1 out of 38 Americans is a New Yorker and a baby is born here every 4.4 minutes. (However, someone dies every 9.1 minutes as well.)
This tour starts at the very beginning.
Lenape and the Land Before Colonization: Meet the Indigenous People of Mana-hatta, who inhabited the land for over 10,00 years, dating back to the ice age.
Henry Hudson and the West India Company: The discovery of Manhattan and the creation of the world’s largest trading port. This included slave 70 ships.
Life in New Amsterdam: What Manhattan was like under Dutch rule and how incredibly diverse the city was. Learn about the Dutch customs and the British influence.
British Takeover: The Sons of Liberty, Stamp Act Riot and first battle of the Revolutionary War.
________________________________________________
LOCATIONS: The last remains of New Amsterdam (1653), the oldest restaurant (1762) and where the “purchase” of Manhattan took place (1626). We will also visit the locations of a former ‘Slave Market’ (1733) and Alexander Hamilton’s Grave (1804). Come see where Eggs Benedict was invented, the original Wall Street path was, Federal Hall, New York Stock Exchange and the spot where George Washington was sworn into presidency.
NYC’s ORIGINAL: Park (1733), Church (1697), Subway Station (1905), Fine Dining Restaurant (1837) and Take-Out/BYOB (1762).
Tickets: $20
Time: 1 hour 30 mins
Distance: 1 mile
Starts: Bowling Green
Ends: Trinity Church
Weird NYC Facts:
Tattoos were banned from 1961-1997.