Sightseing by area

Please enter the selected area and enjoy the visit ! 

Historical timeline of NYC

-Before the arrival of Europeans, the island of Manhattan is inhabited by Algonquin and Iroquoian Indians.

-"Manhattan" literally means island of the Hills.

-The first European arrivals are the French, who land in 1524, during the reign of King Francois I.
-In 1609, the British make their first appearance, with Henri Hudson leading the way. It is from this famous explorer that The Hudson River derives its name.
- During 1613-1614, the Dutchman Adriaen Block establishes the first colony in the south of the Island.

- Later, in 1624, The Ducth West India Company is founded in Manhattan.

-In 1626, its director, Peter Minuit leases Manhattan from the Algonquians for only 60 guilders! ($24)
- In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant becomes the General Director, giving the colony its first municpal government.
-Peter Stuyvesant is forced to surrender in 1664. The colony is controlled by the British, who decide to rename it New York, after the Duke of York, brother of the King Charles II.


In 1700, the citys' population is 4 000 residents and mainly concentrated in the south. .

- 1776-1783 : Washington is beaten at the Long Island battle. The British occupy New York for seven years, until November 1783.
-In 1789, George Washington is elected the first president of the United States, takes his oath of office at the Federal Hall on Wall Street.

-Although the federal capital is Philadelphia, New York with its extremely strong growth, becomes the most important city in the United States during the early1800's.

- 1811 : The Randell Plan divides the inhabited part of Manhattan in 2028 ( rectangles ) into avenues and cross streets
- 1827 : New York abolishes slavery.
- 1840-1857 : The rate of German and Irish immigration increases rapidly;

- 1857-1873 : Construction of Central Park
- 1870: Metropolitan Museum is founded, sparking a cultural growth period for the city.

-The population exceeds 1 million persons in 1875. Wall Street becomes the center of banking.

-Between 1880 and 1884, some 2 million persons arrive in New York from Southern and Eastern Europe. New York becomes the largest Jewish community in the world..

- 1883 : Brooklyn Bridge is built on the East River.
-1886: Statute of Liberty is inaugurated and soon becomes a worldwide symbol for the USA.
- 1898 : Creation of the Greater New York with the 5 boroughs becoming part of New York : Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island
- 1904 : The Subway system is introduced for the first time.
-1907 :Immigration levels reach their pinnacle, as Italians and Irish pour into the city.
-1900-1914 : African American flock to Harlem
-1916 : Zoning Laws curtail the height of skycrapers.
-1921 : First laws passed that introduce fixed quotas for immigration
-1919-1933 : Prohibition gives rise to a new type of underground gangsterism.
-24 October 1929 : Black Thursday ushers out the Roaring 20's in brutal fashion. This marks the onset of The Great Depression

-During World War II, New York becomes the busiest harbour in the world, reflecting staunch economic growth and renewal

-1946 After the Second World War, the United Nations establish their Headquarters in Manhattan

-1950s : New waves of immigrants include Puerto Ricans and Asians;

-New York's culture flourishes, and starts to replace Paris as the epicenter of the international art scene.

- 1960s : Racial tensions in Harlem and in Bedford-Stuyvesent grip the nation.
- 1965 : Malcom X is assassinated in Harlem
- 1970: First New York Marathon is run.
- 1973 : The World Trade Centre is built and soars even higher than the Empire State Building
-1975: The city is very close to the bankruptcy and obliges to get help from the Federal Government to assume the debts.

-1989 : David Dinkins is the first Black Mayor elected.
-1989-1993 : Economic crisis in New York sees almost 400 000 jobs lost, high level of criminality.
The racial tensions rise once again..
-1993 : The Republican Rudolph Guiliani is elected at the head of the City Hall. This has been dominated by the Democrats for the last 20 years.

-In 1994 the city is experiences a renewal and the crime rate has drops considerably. New York reinvents itselfs to become one of the safest cities in The United States.

-2000: The new Millenium is welcomed in spectacular fashion, with some of the most extravagant festivities ever seen.