NYC wasn’t always so big.
In 1764, New York was a small fort and trading post on the tip of Manhattan.
J.N. Bellin / Via davidrumsey.com
By 1776, it had expanded slightly further up the island.
In 1829, NYC had moved further up the island and small cities were growing across the East River.
But most of current NYC was just farmland.
D.H. Burr / Via davidrumsey.com
By 1834, Brooklyn had become its own city.
H.S. Tanner / Via davidrumsey.com
