Discover Dutch Cultural Influences in New York City

When you visit New York City, you might want to consider dashing around on the subway, heading to central park, and grabbing one of the best donuts in the world! Well, the city is a product of its history, perhaps like no other. For a short period of time, it was known as New Amsterdam, a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, which at that time, served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. 

Food
The Dutch left a cultural mark on the city that still exists here today although those influences are sometimes hidden in plain sight. Take the simple donut, a staple across America in bakeries, breakfast joints, and stores dedicated to the sugar-induced confections. The first donut was created when the Dutch controlled the city, but it was known as an olykoek, which is Dutch for oily cake.

Politics
One of my favorite hidden-in-plain-sight icons is the New York City flag, made up of orange, white, and blue panels. The crest includes a windmill in the middle with a Dutch settler and a Native American person. The year, 1625, is also included in the crest to show the date New Amsterdam became the capital of the Dutch province. The orange panel signifies the connection to the Netherlands and the Royal House of Orange, which controlled the region at that time.

Art
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York, you can find a lot of artwork created by Dutch artists. In fact, there is a special room dedicated to the style of house that might have been found in New York when it was called New Amsterdam. Here’s a taste of some of the Dutch art on display at the Met, but I recommend planning a visit for an immersive experience to understand what it might have been like back then.

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Historic House
After a trip to the Met, visit the Vander Ende-Onderdonk House, the oldest Dutch Colonial stone house in New York City. Located across the river in Brooklyn (a Dutch name), the house was originally built in1661. Hendrick Barents Smidt built the house on land that Peter Stuyvesant granted him.  In 1709, Paulus Vander Ende built an extension on the original house. The house was mentioned in a 1769 survey that established the boundary between Kings County and Queens County, which means it may have been largely constructed around this time. The Onderdonk family acquired the property in 1821. You can visit the house. It’s like walking back in time.

Catch up with Vacationer’s new web series, Check Your Luggage Ep. 2, where host Justin T. Russo takes you back in time to New Amsterdam.