Walking on Water
By Laurie Lewis
What can a growing city do when it wants more land to build on? For New York, the answer has always been to build on the water.
The original Dutch colonists settled in the southern tip of Manhattan. Surrounded by water on three sides, the land mass of this part of the island was about a third as wide then as it is today. In the English colonial and early American periods, the eastern, southern, and western shores of Lower Manhattan pushed out into the rivers, filled in with garbage and building debris. During this period, piers for the busy shipping trade arose, and new real estate became available on water lots (areas that had been at least partially submerged). It was literally possible to walk where water had once been.
What can a growing city do when it wants more land to build on? For New York, the answer has always been to build on the water.
The original Dutch colonists settled in the southern tip of Manhattan. Surrounded by water on three sides, the land mass of this part of the island was about a third as wide then as it is today. In the English colonial and early American periods, the eastern, southern, and western shores of Lower Manhattan pushed out into the rivers, filled in with garbage and building debris. During this period, piers for the busy shipping trade arose, and new real estate became available on water lots (areas that had been at least partially submerged). It was literally possible to walk where water had once been.
July Tours
Saturday, July 6, at 1 PM
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Sunday, July 14, at 1 PM
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Sunday, July 21, at 10 AM
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Wednesday, July 31, at 11 AM
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Time and place of your choice
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Perfect for anyone who loves NYC
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About "Take a Walk New York" Tours
We are a group of New York City licensed tour guides offering a New York experience that is beyond the standard fare. Let us take you on a walk through the greatest city in the world and discover why New York is a place like no other.
