In the Footsteps of New York’s Founders

Before New York was a global capital, it was a colonial trading post at the edge of the world. This 90-minute walking tour takes you back to the very beginning: Battery Park and the surrounding streets of Lower Manhattan, where the foundation for the city we know today was first laid. Through a mix of storytelling, local landmarks, and hidden traces of the past, we’ll uncover how New Amsterdam was born, how it became New York; who built it, and how its earliest days still echo through the city’s streets. Why Battery Park? The Birthplace of New York Located at the southern tip of Manhattan, Battery Park is where the story begins. From the arrival of the Dutch in the 1600s to waves of immigrants in the 19th century, this stretch of land has always been a point of entry, ambition, and transformation. What You’ll Experience A Journey Through Time Our guide will lead you through the history of Lower Manhattan, from a 17th-century trading post to a booming port city and beyond.