5. Diversity from 1609 to today

In the first gallery of New York at Its Core, “Port City: 1609 to 1898,” diversity is centered on the religious end. The city’s first Muslim resident who settled during the Dutch era and the first Jewish community are mapped. Under the mostly tolerant Dutch, only Catholicism was not allowed in the settlement.

Diversity in the second gallery “World City, 1898 to 2012,” is focused on ethnic diversity. The maps on density and diversity show how the 1965 immigration law, which allowed the settling of mass numbers of Latin Americans, Asians, and Africans, helped reverse a population dip – in 1990, New York City’s population was at its lowest point in 40 years.

And finally, don’t miss the full exhibit Mastering the Metropolis, which closes this weekend with a plethora of 2D maps to inspect up close:

Next, check out 10 Must See Artifacts from New York at Its Core. Read more about the Future City Lab at the Museum of the City of New York.