First, the outline of Central Park is visible, although the park would officially be approved until almost 20 years later.Īs well, this topographical map clearly shows the numerous outcroppings spread across the island. Midtown Manhattan is worth zooming into for a couple of reasons. This interactive map is a great place to explore changes to NYC’s shoreline over time. Randall’s Island is actually made up of three islands that were eventually conjoined in the 1960s. Randall’s Island, located near the top of Manhattan, is also an interesting place to observe changes in topography. Battery Park City, on the west side of downtown, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard are two prominent examples of infill. One very obvious difference between the two maps is how much land has been reclaimed along shorelines in the area. This route is still recognizable today as the Harlem Line. In the 1830s, New York City’s first railroad line-horse powered for its first few years-connected Prince Street to the Harlem River, accelerating the city’s expansion northward from Lower Manhattan. There are a number of points worth visiting on this map. In fact, a major fire tore through Lower Manhattan a year prior to when this map was published. In the 1800s, fire was an ever-present danger for city dwellers. At the time, New York was anticipating massive growth, and the straightforward grid pattern was an efficient way to prepare the city for rapid expansion. The city’s grid pattern was beginning to take shape, following the Commissioners’ Plan laid out in 1811. (Mobile: Click the map, then the magnifying glass.) The Big Picture: New York City in 1836Īt this point in time, development in Lower Manhattan extended until about 14th Street, where buildings began to give way to open spaces. Tool tip: Click the X on the info bar to hide it. The full map is well worth exploring as well, as there are a number of beautiful illustrations throughout. After all, NYC wasn’t as extensive as it is today, and much of the land depicted in the map is still undeveloped. There are also a number of visual techniques to indicate topographical features as well. For one, shading indicates ares that were more built-up at the time. This map includes all the usual features, such as roads and prominent buildings, but it also has some clever secondary information built in as well. The base map used above is the stunning “Topographical Map Of The City and County Of New–York, and the adjacent Country”, published by the prodigious mapmaker, Joseph Colton.įor easy viewing, the map’s legend is below: This fascinating interactive map, from Esri, is a snapshot of New York City during the tumultuous time (1836 to be exact), overlaid on the modern-day satellite map. Cholera epidemics, fires, and riots swept through the city at various points. The opening of the Erie Canal helped turn the city into a shipping powerhouse, and there was a building boom on the horizon. The early 19th century was a time of great change for New York, which had already cemented its status as America’s largest city.
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