The first permanent Dutch settlement was established in 1624 and one year later they purchased Manhattan Island from the Indians and founded the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. This was later renamed New York after it was surrendered to the English in 1664.
New York grew rapidly throughout the history of the US due to a large number of immigrants arriving in New York and the fact that there was so much opportunity in nearly every field. It is now the nerve center of the nation and is a leader in manufacturing, foreign trade, commerce and banking, book and magazine publishing and theatrical production. New York is also home to the New York Stock Exchange, the largest in the world.
The problem with New York (both state and city) is that there is just so much to do and so little time to see it all, at least that is what we found. You really need to visit the place for a prolonged period or multiple times. Some of the major attractions and points of interest include: Statue of Liberty National Monuments, Niagara Fall, US Military Academy at West Point, multiple national historic sites (including the homes of Franklin D Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt and Grant's Tomb), Baseball Hall of Fame, United Nations, Empire State Building, Central Park, World Trade Center site and the list just goes on.
We loved visiting New York and while we've only spent a weekend there so far, the list of things still to see and do there is longer than what we've done so far.
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