The Origins of NYC Neighborhoods Before They Were Cool

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Local, small businesses come and go over time, but a neighborhood's origin never changes

Now you can learn about the etymology of New York City locations with an interactive map that presents a primer on the original Native American and Dutch names.

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The map explains how location names evolved under the Native Americans, the Dutch, and finally, the English colonizers. Some names have interesting meanings. For example, the original Dutch name for Gramercy Park, Kromme Zee ("crooked swamp"), described an original landscape very different from the park we see today. Some names are just downright funny. Cobble Hill was originally Ponkiesburgh. A hill on Fisher's Island was originally called Chocomount. Read more...

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from MashableMadeline Raynor