9. It Was Originally A 40-Acre Farm
A drawing of Turtle Bay in 1853. There was much more natural landscape in Turtle Bay before the Civil War. Image via Wikimedia Commons
The colonial Dutch governor of New Amsterdam gave a 40-acre land grant to two Englishmen in 1639. They called it “Turtle Bay Farm” and it originally extended from just 43rd to 48th street and from Third Avenue to the East River.