In the mid 1600 in the state of New Nethearland, New Amsterdam originated as an immitation of a Dutch City, complete with a major canal running through it and a wind mill near the southernmost part.

Mahnattan's name derives from what today seems an almost obscure reference to an "island of many hills". Shaved in order to establish the grid, by 1828 the only hills remaining are those we still see today in Central Park.