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| “View of New Amsterdam” 1664, Johannes Vingboons |
Even though the Dutch were only in charge here for some 50 years back in the 1600s, they had a profound influence on the city. It’s said that the unique character of New York is a result of the entrepreneurial spirit and open-minded tolerance of the early Dutch settlers.
The Dutch made New York harbor one of the most prosperous ports in America and, some 400 years later, the city is still the most important metropolis in the world.
When the British took over in 1664, and New Amsterdam became New York (in honor of the Duke of York, King Charles II’s brother), many Dutch street and neighborhood names and historic sites remained as well as the original settlers. Today, Dutch influence is still felt throughout the city.
PAST: EXPLORE THE VESTIGES OF NEW YORK’S DUTCH PAST
Take a Walk on the Dutch Side
Although no Dutch buildings still exist from the New Amsterdam period (all were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1835), you can still walk some of the original streets:
When the British took over in 1664, and New Amsterdam became New York (in honor of the Duke of York, King Charles II’s brother), many Dutch street and neighborhood names and historic sites remained as well as the original settlers. Today, Dutch influence is still felt throughout the city.
PAST: EXPLORE THE VESTIGES OF NEW YORK’S DUTCH PAST
Take a Walk on the Dutch Side
Although no Dutch buildings still exist from the New Amsterdam period (all were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1835), you can still walk some of the original streets:
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| Stone Street |
Back in the 1640s, the Dutch colonists laid out many narrow, dirt lanes such as South William Street (Slyck Steegh - muddy lane). Stone Street (Hoogh Straet - High Street) was the main drag in New Amsterdam, the first cobblestone-paved street in the city. The water’s edge was then a block away at Pearl Street (Paerlstraat), while Wall Street (Waal Straat) marked the end of town.
New Amsterdam had a remarkable number of taverns and that tradition is alive and well today on Stone Street. In nice weather (April-Nov), it resembles an outdoor beer garden with communal picnic tables in the street.
Go on a Walking Tour
Discover New York’s 17th-century Dutch roots on a guided or self-guided, walking tour. Learn about Dutch landmarks, architecture, monuments and street names:
Guided Tour: The Bowery Boys - New Amsterdam Tour: Dutch Roots of New York
How did the Dutch city of Nieuw Amsterdam become New York City?
On this 2-hour tour, walk along the original street grid & learn about the complex history of lower Manhattan in the 1600s.
Audio Self-Guided Tours: How Dutch is New York? - The New Amsterdam Tour & The Brooklyn Tour. New Amsterdam Trail: The 8 stops on this Trail commemorate the legendary journey of Henry Hudson in 1609 to what became New Amsterdam & then New York.
VISIT HISTORIC DUTCH SITES
These are some highlights that still exist from Dutch New York:
New Amsterdam had a remarkable number of taverns and that tradition is alive and well today on Stone Street. In nice weather (April-Nov), it resembles an outdoor beer garden with communal picnic tables in the street.
Go on a Walking Tour
Discover New York’s 17th-century Dutch roots on a guided or self-guided, walking tour. Learn about Dutch landmarks, architecture, monuments and street names:
Guided Tour: The Bowery Boys - New Amsterdam Tour: Dutch Roots of New York
How did the Dutch city of Nieuw Amsterdam become New York City?
On this 2-hour tour, walk along the original street grid & learn about the complex history of lower Manhattan in the 1600s.
Audio Self-Guided Tours: How Dutch is New York? - The New Amsterdam Tour & The Brooklyn Tour. New Amsterdam Trail: The 8 stops on this Trail commemorate the legendary journey of Henry Hudson in 1609 to what became New Amsterdam & then New York.
VISIT HISTORIC DUTCH SITES
These are some highlights that still exist from Dutch New York:
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| Van Cortlandt House Museum |
Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum
5816 Clarendon Rd, Brooklyn, NY; Tel: 718/629-5400; wyckoffmuseum.org
A relic from the New Amsterdam period, the Wyckoff Farmhouse is probably the oldest, still-existing structure in New York City, dating back to 1652.
Van Cortlandt House Museum
Broadway at West 246th St; Tel: 718/543-3344; https://www.vchm.org
Built in 1748, on a plantation that is now the magnificent Van Cortlandt Park. The house is furnished to depict how it may have looked during the period from 1749 to 1823. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington stayed at the Van Cortlandt House, at least twice.
Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
4881 Broadway at 204th St; Tel: 212/304-9422; www.dyckmanfarmhouse.org
This farmhouse, built by William Dyckman in about 1784, was once part of a thriving 250-acre farm. Learn about the transformation from farming community to urban neighborhood.
5816 Clarendon Rd, Brooklyn, NY; Tel: 718/629-5400; wyckoffmuseum.org
A relic from the New Amsterdam period, the Wyckoff Farmhouse is probably the oldest, still-existing structure in New York City, dating back to 1652.
Van Cortlandt House Museum
Broadway at West 246th St; Tel: 718/543-3344; https://www.vchm.org
Built in 1748, on a plantation that is now the magnificent Van Cortlandt Park. The house is furnished to depict how it may have looked during the period from 1749 to 1823. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington stayed at the Van Cortlandt House, at least twice.
Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
4881 Broadway at 204th St; Tel: 212/304-9422; www.dyckmanfarmhouse.org
This farmhouse, built by William Dyckman in about 1784, was once part of a thriving 250-acre farm. Learn about the transformation from farming community to urban neighborhood.
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| Stadt Huys (City Hall) 1642, 71 Pearl St; courtesy NYPL |
St. Mark’s Church-in-the-Bowery
131 East 10th St.; Tel: 212/674-6377; stmarksbowery.org
This property, once owned by Peter Stuyvesant in 1660, it’s the oldest site of continuous worship in New York City.
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
28 East 20th St.; Tel: 212/260-1616; www.nps.gov/thrb - The Roosevelt family was part of the original group of Dutch merchants who made their fortunes turning New York harbor into a prosperous port.
ADMIRE DUTCH ART
131 East 10th St.; Tel: 212/674-6377; stmarksbowery.org
This property, once owned by Peter Stuyvesant in 1660, it’s the oldest site of continuous worship in New York City.
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace
28 East 20th St.; Tel: 212/260-1616; www.nps.gov/thrb - The Roosevelt family was part of the original group of Dutch merchants who made their fortunes turning New York harbor into a prosperous port.
ADMIRE DUTCH ART
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| "Herman Doomer" Rembrandt, 1640; The Met Museum |
Dutch Masters on View: Works by renowned Dutch artists such as Frans Hals, Rembrandt, Vermeer, van Dyck and van Gogh are on exhibit at several NYC museums: The Frick (1 East 70th St; www.frick.org); The Met (1000 Fifth Ave at 82nd St; www.metmuseum.org); MoMA (11 West 53 St; www.moma.org) - See work by modern Dutch artists such as Piet Mondrian, Willem de Kooning, and contemporary designers such as Hella Jongerius & Marcel Wanders.
The Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Ave at 103rd St; www.mcny.org) - Timescapes, a documentary, traces the history and development of New York City over the past 400 years.
PRESENT: NEW YORK’S DUTCH PAST CONTINUES
It’s only fitting that New York, that got its’ start from the Dutch, continues to benefit from “Dutch treats”:
The Museum of the City of New York (1220 Fifth Ave at 103rd St; www.mcny.org) - Timescapes, a documentary, traces the history and development of New York City over the past 400 years.
PRESENT: NEW YORK’S DUTCH PAST CONTINUES
It’s only fitting that New York, that got its’ start from the Dutch, continues to benefit from “Dutch treats”:
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| “Stil Life” Floris van Schooten, 1630 |
Try Some Dutch Food
Typical Dutch Treats: Haring (herring), Krokets (croquettes), Gouda (cheese), Poffertjes (small pancakes), Stroopwafel (waffle-like cookies with caramel filling), and Indonesian Rijsttafel.
Russ & Daughters: Hollandse Nieuwe (New Catch Holland Herring) - Each year, during the late spring and early summer, the herring in the North Sea reach their peak condition. In Holland, the start of this season is a national holiday. In New York City, Russ & Daughters imports them directly from the Netherlands and holds a “Herring Pairing” party in July. Traditionally, this fish is eaten by holding the whole herring by the tail and dropping it into your mouth.
Wonderen Stroopwafels Café (GCT, Lower-Level Dining Concourse, LC-11, 89 East 42nd St; https://wonderenstroopwafels.com) - Located in Grand Central Terminal’s dining concourse, this dessert stand offers classic Dutch Stroopwafel cookies.
Java Indonesian (455 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY; Tel: 718/832-4583; java.com) - Try this popular Dutch-Indonesian dish: Rijsttafel, rice served with little, side dishes of spicy meats, shrimp, chicken, veggies, fruits, etc.
DISCOVER DUTCH CULTURAL HERITAGE
Here are some more ways to continue your exploration of this fascinating period of New York’s Dutch history:
Typical Dutch Treats: Haring (herring), Krokets (croquettes), Gouda (cheese), Poffertjes (small pancakes), Stroopwafel (waffle-like cookies with caramel filling), and Indonesian Rijsttafel.
Russ & Daughters: Hollandse Nieuwe (New Catch Holland Herring) - Each year, during the late spring and early summer, the herring in the North Sea reach their peak condition. In Holland, the start of this season is a national holiday. In New York City, Russ & Daughters imports them directly from the Netherlands and holds a “Herring Pairing” party in July. Traditionally, this fish is eaten by holding the whole herring by the tail and dropping it into your mouth.
Wonderen Stroopwafels Café (GCT, Lower-Level Dining Concourse, LC-11, 89 East 42nd St; https://wonderenstroopwafels.com) - Located in Grand Central Terminal’s dining concourse, this dessert stand offers classic Dutch Stroopwafel cookies.
Java Indonesian (455 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY; Tel: 718/832-4583; java.com) - Try this popular Dutch-Indonesian dish: Rijsttafel, rice served with little, side dishes of spicy meats, shrimp, chicken, veggies, fruits, etc.
DISCOVER DUTCH CULTURAL HERITAGE
Here are some more ways to continue your exploration of this fascinating period of New York’s Dutch history:
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| Russel Shorto book |
Read All About It: Start by reading these great books by historian Russell Shorto: “The Island at the Center of the World” - New Amsterdam began as a trading post for the Dutch West India Company in 1624 but evolved into a unique, progressive enclave where people of different nationalities, religions & races lived together. "Taking Manhattan" - The British were able to take over the island in 1664, because they arrived with war ships while New Amsterdam was defenseless.
“Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City” - Read about the source of the Dutch, 17th-century, enlightenment ideas that took root in New Amsterdam.
New Amsterdam History Center (https://newamsterdamhistorycenter.org)
- Offers interactive, online tools to explore New Amsterdam then, and New York now. The Holland Society of New York (https://hollandsociety.org) - Collects and preserve information regarding the early history and settlement of New Netherland by the Dutch. Dutch Culture USA
South Street Seaport Museum
12 Fulton St & 213 Water St; https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org - Located in the historic seaport district of New York City, the museum preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city.
CHECK OUT MODERN-DAY DUTCH INFLUENCE
New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion - In Peter Minuit Plaza, in front of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, the New Amsterdam Plein is a novel NYC Visitor Info kiosk, snack bar & restrooms, designed by Dutch architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio. (Looks like it was built for The Jetsons.)
Park on Governors Island (New York Harbor; www.govisland.com) - Dutch landscape architects & urban planners, West 8, were part of a team who designed the exceptional park concept on the renovated Governors Island.
Tiptoe Through the Tulips
“Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City” - Read about the source of the Dutch, 17th-century, enlightenment ideas that took root in New Amsterdam.
New Amsterdam History Center (https://newamsterdamhistorycenter.org)
- Offers interactive, online tools to explore New Amsterdam then, and New York now. The Holland Society of New York (https://hollandsociety.org) - Collects and preserve information regarding the early history and settlement of New Netherland by the Dutch. Dutch Culture USA
(https://www.dutchcultureusa.com) - Provides information on Dutch cultural activities in the U.S.
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| “New Amsterdam 1660” courtesy: So St Seaport Museum |
12 Fulton St & 213 Water St; https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org - Located in the historic seaport district of New York City, the museum preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city.
CHECK OUT MODERN-DAY DUTCH INFLUENCE
New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion - In Peter Minuit Plaza, in front of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, the New Amsterdam Plein is a novel NYC Visitor Info kiosk, snack bar & restrooms, designed by Dutch architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio. (Looks like it was built for The Jetsons.)
Park on Governors Island (New York Harbor; www.govisland.com) - Dutch landscape architects & urban planners, West 8, were part of a team who designed the exceptional park concept on the renovated Governors Island.
Tiptoe Through the Tulips
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| “New Visions of Old New York” New Amsterdam History Center |
From late April to early May some 50,000 tulips are in bloom at the New York Botanical Garden (www.nybg.org) and in the city parks (www.nycgovparks.org).
Then, wander over to The Bowery (bouwerij - farm), up to Harlem (Haarlem), over to Brooklyn (Breukelen), and out to Coney Island (conyne – rabbits) to continue your exploration of Dutch New York!
Then, wander over to The Bowery (bouwerij - farm), up to Harlem (Haarlem), over to Brooklyn (Breukelen), and out to Coney Island (conyne – rabbits) to continue your exploration of Dutch New York!
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