Beginning in the 1800s, New York City became the gateway to the eastern United States. New York Harbor is a natural deep port that can accommodate large cargo ships. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, the United States dramatically increased the flow of goods into and out of the United States. Railroads and steamboats transported textiles from New York throughout the United States and returned with grain grown in the Midwest. People from all over the world accompanied the traffic into New York Harbor, and many of them stayed, bringing new ideas and innovations.
Pokémon arrived in NYC when I was a teenager. I watched children trade Pokémon via Gameboys and cards. Other anime shows began appearing on television, followed by conventions at the Javits Center. Experiences such as these are conversation starters that have fostered friendships for my family.
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Works Cited
“B.21 – the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey | the Geography of Transport Systems.” The Geography of Transport Systems | the Spatial Organization of Transportation and Mobility, 4 Jan. 2024, https://transportgeography.org/contents/applications/port-authority-new-york-new-jersey/
ELLIS, DAVID MALDWYN. “NEW YORK AND THE WESTERN TRADE 1850-1910.” New York History, vol. 33, no. 4, 379–396, Oct. 1952, pp. 379–96. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/23153588
Lyman, Rick. “Pokemon Is Catching, and Keeping, Them.” New York Times, 13 Nov. 1999, https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/13/movies/pokemon-is-catching-and-keeping-them.html
“Today in History – October 26.” The Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/october-260.
