New Amsterdam Trail
15 02 09
From April 15 - December 31 2009:
The New Amsterdam Trail
To make historic Dutch Manhattan come alive for the greatest number of people, Henry Hudson 400, with the Dutch National Archives and the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy at Federal Hall, have joined forces to create the multi-platform, self-guided walking tour, The New Amsterdam Trail. The New Amsterdam Trail may be accessed in a number of ways. It may be downloaded to a handheld mobile device for a self-guided walk or experienced online as an interactive, virtual tour [LINK]. The tour is also available as a printed brochure available at tourist sites around the city.
The Trail's entertaining and informative narration is provided by Russell Shorto, author of the bestselling history, "The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America." Shorto's encyclopedic knowledge of the geography and history of the Dutch settlement evocatively bring the contours and personalities of those who lived there to life. Tours include a stop at these historic locations:
- New York Harbor, with speculation as to where exactly Hudson dropped anchor
- Pearl Street, site of the city's first church, and row houses looking onto the harbor
- Houses of the settlement's little-known antagonists, and their dramatic stories
- The former location of the Stadhuys (City Hall) at Coenties Slip
- Broad and Bridge Streets, site of the one bridge across what is now Canal Street
- Fort Amsterdam, later the U.S. Customs House and now the site of the Museum of the American Indian
- The bowery (farm) of Peter Stuyvesant
- The Singel, the northern limit of Dutch Manhattan
The New Amsterdam Trail is a history walk that many will want to experience, charted along busy streets, illuminating the presence of the Dutch in the landmarks, architecture, monuments, former sites and street names of lower Manhattan.
More at HenryHudson400.com.
More information about New York's 400th anniversary in the archives.
