What’s Behind NYC’s Two Layouts? 🗽❓

Why Does NYC Have Two Layouts? 🗽

Most Americans have no idea that Manhattan is split into two completely different layouts, and the reason might surprise you.

Above Houston Street, everything follows a neat grid system: streets numbered from 1st to 220th and avenues running parallel. But below Houston Street, it’s chaos—winding roads like Canal and Bowery twist unpredictably.

So why the difference? The southern streets were built in the 1600s by Dutch and British settlers who followed the natural landscape. Later, the Commissioner’s Plan of 1811 introduced the grid to the northern part of Manhattan, making the city more organized and easier to navigate.

Discover the fascinating story behind NYC’s two layouts and how they shaped the city we know today!

#nyc #newyork #usa #history #megabuild #shorts #reels #map #maps

[Greg-J]

The way people pronounce Houston is the litmus test on whether or not you’re a New Yorker

[Drvecor]

It's not Hue-ston street, it's how-ston every time these channels don't get it correct and it ends up somehow summoning all 2.3 million Houston, TX residents.

[UntilMakaveliReturns]

I live in manhattan. When filling out online forms or entering your address for something, if you live in manhattan you select nyc. If you live in the other 4 boroughs you select your individual borough.

[happybeerlove]

The grid system... Ideal for when your town planners have no imagination, but they do have a ruler

[HenriBourkel]

There is a reason why European cities usually don't have a chessboard street grid. They are following landscape patterns in order to enable a more "organic" use of the area.

[carlcorley]

New Yorkers call it HOWSTON street not HOUTSON street

[ashfiabrar]

My city also had a similar commissioner’s plan in the 1920s/1930s
Thankfully it never came to me. I live in an area with suburban garden pattern roads, not a perfectionist grid.

[foreverraining]

It's not pronounced HUESTON st, It's pronounced HOWSTON st.

[LandonDavidson-sxqu]

watch like 80% of the comments be about him saying hueston and not howston lol

[DesertRailProductions]

So your telling me that only manhattan is NYC?

[redandgoldplaysroblox]

"improve traffic flow" buddy it made it 10x worse

[eli-xuc]

Also something stupid I think is he says nyc which is 5 boroughs and that’s only manhattan

[chrisllanos]

Cause there was a canals there and now they are streets

[jbenjamin]

It’s Hou- (like house) ston not Houston the city

[redandgoldplaysroblox]

yeah the US is kinda dumb for doing the squares, it may look nice but the roads that they made are, 1, uneven to the ground, 2, terrible road conditions making it harder to drive on with expensive maintenance work, 3, obviously the traffic, 4, the amount of cars in the same area will cause alot of air pollution, 5, the amount of noise will be bonkers, 6, the extended amount of concrete thats on the road will cause a ton of heat in the zone, and 7, the amount of roads will also cause it more strain on the other roads aswell as the road itself making them need more maintenance, also its howston not hueston lol

[SomeoneCommenting]

Yorkers yelling: "It's pronounced HowSton Street, you HueSton idiots!"