mannahatta map

Curious to know how Manhattan looked to Henry Hudson when he first glimpsed the island in September 1609? Check out Eric Sanderson's Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City, a fascinating new book about the island's ecology and topography. In August, I saw its companion exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York.

National Geographic has a wonderful article which summarizes Sanderson's project.

And for a very cool virtual exploration (just like Google Earth) of pre-colonial Manhattan, visit the Mannahatta Map.

Looking at the future now, recently The Wall Street Journal had a very interesting article looking at how global climate change may alter New York City's landscape: New York City Braces for Risk of Higher Seas.