6. Pearl Street
Present-day Pearl Street was New Amsterdam’s East River shoreline. The name is believed to come from the abundant oysters that were found in the East River and the belief that pearls found in American waters would make Dutch colonists rich.
The street dates back to 1639 and got its anglicized name in 1794. Pearl Street, from Whitehall to Wall Street, incorporates two colonial streets, Paerle and Dock or Great Dock.
