Today it is 400 years ago that Henry Hudson set sail from Amsterdam to the West, with his ship 'De Halve Maen', on behalf of the Dutch East Indies Company.
In September of 1609 he sailed up the river that is now called the Hudson. On what is now Manhattan, the Dutch colony 'Nieuw Amsterdam' was founded in 1614.
The Dutch origins of New York can still be found in names like Wall Street (Waalstraat), Harlem (named after the Dutch cit Haarlem), Brooklyn (named after the town Breukelen), and many other names of streets, islands, neighborhoods, etc.
In the Schreierstoren (along Prins Hendrikkade, very close to the Central Station) there is a plaque commemorating the fact that he left from there.
From April 1 to 6 there will be various activities celebrating the 400 years ties between New York and Amsterdam.
In Amsterdam several museums will be open in the evening (Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum).
On www.ny400.org you can find more information about events and history.
Taken from http://www.simplyamsterdam.nl/news
