Design
When Manhattan Was Mostly Hills and Shrubbery
In the 1830s, there was plenty of green space to go around in New York (and snakes).
Trying to fit new green space into Manhattan today can require extreme craftiness – say, by plopping grass and bushes on top of an elevated railroad spur. But it didn't used to be the case; during the early 1800s, much the island was still relatively undeveloped, a rugged warren of hills, grassland, and hissing snakes.
Manhattan's past as an arcadian wonderland is on view at the Smithsonian's website, which has borrowed an 1836 map from David Rumsey's collection and added a moveable oculus so viewers can compare the old geography with current satellite imagery. For people who want to see the document in one complete piece, though, I've pasted it below after a few zoomed-in historical highlights.