12/29/2025
The Big Apple 🍎 🌃
A glimpse into New York’s past.
New York City began as New Amsterdam in 1624, a small Dutch trading post built for commerce. After the British took control in 1664, it became New York and slowly grew into a major port city, shaped by waves of immigrants arriving through Ellis Island in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Manhattan wasn’t always glamorous. Neighborhoods like Five Points were once among the most dangerous in America, known for overcrowded tenements, crime, and disease. Streets that are now filled with lights and luxury were once places people avoided after dark. Over time, modernization, policing, and redevelopment reshaped the island into what we see today.
** Fun fact ** : the Statue of Liberty actually sits in New Jersey waters, not New York. 🗽
