To the common man, the fact that the architecture across the Hudson River is so vast and different may come as a surprise. Manhattan; a land overbuilt with factories and skyscrapers, known for its congested amount of people, versus Brooklyn; a rather quiet land, with more residential buildings, and only recently beginning to build up to towers. The reason for this is quite simple; the topography. Manhattan’s shoreline is perfect for trade ships, traveling not only between the boroughs, but the states and even over the Atlantic – hence the large amount of manufacturing, and lack of residential. Brooklyn’s terrain is higher from the water level, filled with hills and marshes, which isn’t the best option for traveling boats, and lugging items off and onto them. Even so, the two worked together in synchrony to create the Boroughs we know today.

Brooklyn’s land at first was deemed as cheap and were auctioned, even gifted to people as grants. It served as fruitful land, perfect for farming and quiet quaint living. The high hills overlooked the rapid development across the river, with the advantage of no noise or other pollution in their vicinity. As more people saw the benefits of Brooklyn, the land itself became very expensive, and the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights began to develop. Wealthy families of high regard names began to move in, and the area from that point on became quite luxurious and expensive to reside in. Land was bought in bulk to build housing for those who didn’t want to start from scratch, creating entire streets with the same architecture. Brown stone homes, brick houses and huge attention to detail, whether it was laying brick in a specific pattern of the Federal homes, or the addition of Greek architecture to their front doors.

In contrast, Manhattan’s buildings were quite obviously meant for a completely different use. Standing on the edge of the water, brick and stone buildings stood with huge entrances and windows for cargo. Thick trusses stick out from the unfinished ceilings, combined with cast iron and tough materials resistant to the salt spray coming from the water’s edge.