New York City has a rich, yet short history, as the area today known for its busy streets and skyscrapers was merely a colorful and animal-filled swampland some 400 years ago. Therefore, the NYC Ferry team decided to take a deeper dive into the city’s history this week by sail with South Street Seaport Museum and by foot with Ahoy New York Tours and Tasting. So how did New York become what it is today, and what did the waterfront use to look like?
Pioneer Schooner vessel, owned by the South Street Seaport Museum
Living History: The Pioneer Schooner
Despite the gray weather, we jumped aboard the South Street Seaport’s historical Pioneer Schooner vessel built in Pennsylvania in 1885, and embarked on an enlightening two-hour sail on the East and Hudson Rivers. The historian aboard, William Roka, kicked off the ride by explaining how 400 years ago, a French ship led by captain Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed into the harbor in 1524 and saw “the beautiful lake.” Imagine switching the loud sounds of subways and cars with the blinding noise of birds living in the tree covered lands, and it is suddenly easier to picture how it may have been possible for 6 foot lobsters and dinner plate sized oysters to live in the harbor, like rumors say.
Did you know: The East River is not truly a river, but a salt water tidal strait connecting two larger bodies of water?
Later, in 1609, Dutch explorers looking for a secret passage to China arrived in the harbor, only to realize that you cannot make it to China by following the Hudson River. Some time later, in 1623-1624, the Dutch began settling on what we today know as Governors Island (no real governors ever lived there, Roka explained), and at this time the Dutch shared the harbor with the native Lenape people who lived in seasonal nomadic housing along the Hudson River.
If we jump a few centuries in time to the 1900s, New York had gone from a little colonial settlement of a few hundred people to a bustling city of 3 million residents with the world’s busiest harbor. In this century, he railroad depots in New Jersey supplied products from across the country to the harbor for shipping, and brought the imported materials back to the cities surrounding New York. While being the United State’s greatest import port, the harbor hosted some 600 tug boats, and reached the peak of the harbor’s use.
Did you know: Lady Liberty used to be a light house, but the light was turned into a gold covered torch?
Around this time, Ellis Island became an important part of the United State’s immigration customs process, and immigration had as much as doubled since the 1800s. This laid the foundation for the melting pot we today know as the Big Apple, hustling and bustling with an international population all living side by side in the five boroughs. The Pioneer schooner sail headed by historian William Roka was an incredible deep dive into the history of the harbor, the iconic buildings and people, bringing to life how important the harbor has been, and could be in the future for all New Yorkers.
Did you know: in 1915 there was an explosion on the Liberty Island, making the torch unstable. Thus we cannot get into the torch to the view-point!
Edible Walk Through History: Ahoy New York
After sailing on the historical rivers of New York, it was time to explore New York’s famous immigrant neighborhoods of Little Italy and Chinatown by foot. Liz, the tour’s amazing guide, began the tour at one of Little Italy’s oldest establishments Ferrara, opened in 1892. The establishment originally opened as a gentlemen’s meeting point (no women allowed!) connecting the community’s gentlemen with job opportunities, housing and of course, food. Later, during World War I, the establishment had become a pastry shop and they sent the American troops nougat, offering soldiers a sweet, fatty and tasty break. Today, this is their most famous treat, and can be bought in any quantity you could imagine.
Little Italy
The tour continued through history, explaining how Little Italy’s streets used to be sectioned out by the Italian areas the immigrants came from, based on accents, food and cultural preferences. The next stops introduced tour goers to pancetta and mozzarella from various regions, explaining the history and climate’s effects on the flavors your taste buds were exploring. From sweet and slightly bitter mozzarella, to dry and fatty pancetta and delicious portions of hand-made pasta, no visitor left Little Italy hungry. Today, one of the most interesting buildings still standing, is the Italian American Museum, which used to be a one-stop-shop bank for all Italian New Yorkers, where you could do your banking, purchase travel tickets and more.
Chinatown
The next stop of the tour was Chinatown. Walking from Little Italy, down Bowery Street to Chinatown, it was easy to imagine how each of these neighborhoods used to be areas where you heard nothing but the immigrants’ native languages. Suddenly the walk began feeling like a travel through cultures, as a small parade with a dragon leading the group emerged from a side street.
The happy tour group on Doyers Street
After walking further into Chinatown and learning more about the various reasons for Chinese immigrants to seek new opportunities in the United States, it was time to visit Doyers Street, once known as the “Bloody Angle” as the short street’s curve made it perfect for robberies. No worries, this is a few centuries ago and the street is today known for its two secret bars and neighborhood dinner favorites! Here, the attendees were fed delicious BBQ pork dumplings and hot tea, perfect for the chilly fall day.
Five Points
The tour ended by tasting peculiar (but delicious!) fruits imported from China by Columbus Park. While enjoying the sweet fruits, we learned about the history of the city’s most feared Irish settlement, the iconic “Five Points,” which was brought down by the government opening Columbus Park and patrolling the area. The crime ridden neighborhood is also the home of characters from movies such as Gangs of New York and the TV show Copper.
