By Phin Upham
The city of New York has been built over several times in its lifetime. Advances in architecture, industry and finance have shaped the growth of the city over the years. Especially with regards to architecture. New York famously hosted a race to see who could build the world’s tallest building, which inspired innovation and boosted employment all throughout the 1920s. If you happen to find yourself in the Big Apple, here are some detours you should consider taking.
Take a Tour of Trade Routes
During the early days of New York’s history, it was inhabited by Natives belonging to the Lenape tribe. There were several groups in the area, and this led to a thriving fur trade that ran up and down the various straits and rivers in the area. Lafayette Street, Park Row and St. Nicholas Avenue were all once trade routes used by these Natives, and later by the Dutch.
Eerie Canal
The Eerie canal was, at one point, a major linchpin in the distribution efforts of East coast businesses. This thriving trade route fell out of favor when it failed to keep up with the expanding size of commercial barges. It’s still used for tourism purposes, and history buffs frequently refer to the passenger lists of yesteryear to track down relatives that passed through the city during their immigration to other parts of the country.
New York’s Tallest Buildings
Be sure to visit the Chrysler and Empire State buildings, not just to say you’ve been there. These sites were both in fierce competition to become the world’s tallest. Chrysler beat out the Woolworth building, after the building owner unveiled his secret weapon: a spiked metal tip for his building.
About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or Facebook page.