New York City is the site of the oldest commercial center in the New World. The Dutch East India Company established a permanent settlement here in 1614. When the British assumed control in 1664, the settlement's name was changed from Nieuw Amsterdam to New York. With the American Revolution a new government came to the city and, on April 30, 1789, New York saw the inauguration of George Washington. The Erie Canal was opened in 1825 and New York’s importance as a harbor grew with it. The turn of the 19th century was marked by massive immigration and great progress in industry. New York continues to grow as the commercial and cultural center of the United States.

Located in lower Manhattan, “The Old New York Historical Trail” is a very popular walking tour rich in the history of New York and the entire country. Some areas included on the tour will be:

• The South Street Seaport Museum

• Fraunces Tavern

• Washington Square in Greenwich Village

• Castle Clinton

• Wall Street, the financial capital of the world

• Chinatown & Little Italy

• Federal Hall, site of Washington’s Inauguration

• Trinity Church and graveyard

Located at the Northern tip of Manhattan in the Inwood-Washington Heights area, “The Revolutionary War Historical Trail” has been reopened after many years. It is a walking tour rich in the history of early Dutch colonists, the American revolution, the history of New York City, and the entire country. Some areas included on the tour will be:

• Dyckman Farmhouse

• Ft. Washington Park

• Morris-Jumel Mansion

• Inwood Hill Park

• The Cloisters

• Sylvan Terrace

• High Bridge Park