The streets of New York City are constantly evolving, as gleaming new residential towers and other buildings reshape the cityscape. Despite the constant waves of modernization, development, and the push for bigger and better, there are still many places across the five boroughs that evoke the city’s storied past. From Tribeca’s famed skybridge street to Central Park’s scenic Bethesda Terrace, these public spaces offer a glimpse of old-school New York.
Stone Street
Financial District
With a rich history stretching back to when NYC was known as New Amsterdam, the Financial District’s bumpy, aptly named Stone Street is one of the oldest corridors in the five boroughs. The street is composed of two original colonial roads: Breuers Straet (Brewers Street), named for the local breweries, and Hoogh Straet (High Street), which ran from Broad Street to Hanover Square. In 1658, Stone Street became the first cobbled street in New Amsterdam, according to the Stone Street Historic District.
After the British took over the city in 1664 and renamed it New York, Breuers Straet was renamed Stony Street, while Hoogh Straet was translated into English. By the late 1600s, Stone Street had become known as the “English Quarters,” as British merchants moved into the area. In 1693, merchant William Bradford established New York’s first printing press on the street, at the site now occupied by the popular pub Beckett’s.
By the 1800s, as Lower Manhattan expanded into the water through landfilling, Stone Street became increasingly commercial. As retail activity grew along the corridor, the Common Council approved petitions in 1811 to widen Stone Street by about four feet…