The original New Yorkers were the Lenape who were Algonquin and were settled in the area. The Dutch West India Company sent 30 families to nearby Nutten Island and soon after purchased the island of Manhattan for trade purposes. It was known as New Amsterdam until 1664 when it was passed to English control and became New York City. By 1810, it was the biggest city in the West with a population of just over 200,000 people.

The city was an epicentre of anti-British activity- they even publicly burnt an effigy of the royal governor- before being taken by the British in 1776.  After independence- it served as the nation’s capital for a 5 year stint. It may have lost the capital status but it remained a key strategic location especially after the completion of the Erie Canal enabled it to become the trading capital of the world. New York was also the first port of call for generations of immigrants and the influx of peoples from all over Europe changed the nature of the city and created a series of distinct ethnic neighbourhoods bound together by a desire to better themselves.

New York grew to include the other boroughs and to become the city it is today at the end of the 19^thcentury. New York’s prosperity grew at the turn of the 20^thcentury but like much of the country- this progress came to a crashing halt with the Wall Street Crash of 1929. It recovered towards the end of the 1930s. In 1965 – the Hart-Cellar Immigration Act caused a huge wave of immigrants to come to the U.S from the developing world. This had a transformative effect on New York and revitalised a number of neighbourhoods and created the diverse city that exists today.

New York gained a reputation as a dangerous city in the 1980s but crime dropped dramatically in the 1990s under the mayor, Rudy Guilani. Some people argue this drop was due to the economic boom whilst others claim the mayor’s strict law and order policy caused the drop. His “no broken windows” approach meant that low-level crimes were aggressively policed as he felt small crimes led to larger ones. Whatever the reason, the facts show violent crime declined by 58%- double that of the nation as a whole. New York started to shed its reputation for criminality and re-emerged as one of the most popular places to visit.

The start of the 21^stcentury saw the worst event in the city’s history with the devastating attacks on 9/11. Two hijacked jets crashed into the World Trade Centre and resulted in the deaths of 3,000 people and left an inedible mark on the nation. However, the city’s resilience shone through and it remains the nation’s, if not the world’s cultural capital and a symbol of freedom, opportunity and the United States.

• Statue of Liberty- It might be a tourist cliché but your first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty is a true show-stopper. We’d recommend also checking out the fascinating Ellis Island which charts the history of immigration to the States.
• Broadway- one of the city’s most famous streets plays host to whole load of theatres and it’s well worth checking out a show whilst in the city.
• Delis- Grab yourself a New York style sandwich at anyone of the numerous delis dotted around the city.
• Grab some green space at Central Park- run, cycle or join the Coyote’s yoga class and take advantage of a slice of zen amidst this urban metropolis.
• Sample a Brooklyn Lager in Brooklyn– the brewery is well worth a visit or any number of the hipster bars in Brooklyn that offer delicious craft beers on tap or the eponymous Brooklyn Lager!
• Stroll across Brooklyn Bridge – epic views into Manhattan and you can relax in the park on the Brooklyn side.

• Economists have dubbed the “pizza principle” as the bizarre fact that the price of a pizza slice and a subway ride has remained the same, as each other, for the past 50 years.
• There are 800 languages spoken in the city making New York the most linguistically diverse place in the world.
• New York has 520 miles of coastline!
• If the whole world was a densely populated as the city then the entire population could live inside Texas!

• If you are there at a weekend (The Coyote Trips starts on a Sunday) then make sure to check out an open air market. Our favourite is the foodie paradise of Smorgasborg in Williamsburg.
• Use the subway- NYC is deceptively big and walking a few blocks can really eat into your day- the subway is easy, cheap and enables you to get around rapidly.
• Make sure to stay in a convenient area so you can enjoy the local attractions at night and not have to always take transportation. We stay right in the heart of Manhattan on the Coyote Trip so the delights of the city are right around you!