In 1624 the Dutch built a small fort and beaver trading post in what is now Lower Manhattan called "New Amsterdam" (Nieuw Amsterdam). This eventually grew into New York city and the city is still centered on Manhattan, albeit in Midtown though City Hall is still just a couple blocks uptown from the Dutch settlement. It appears they selected the site for having the easiest access to the Ocean.
In 1630 another small Dutch settlement was made a Paulus Hook on what is now the Jersey City waterfront, directly across from Lower Manhattan.
Since the sites are directly across the Hudson/ North River from each other, I don't see any reason why the Dutch could have just made their first and central settlement at Jersey City, which would have grown into the center of New York City.
What if they had done this? The west bank of the Hudson is more accessible to the rest of the United States and the port of New York and New Jersey is now there.
In 1630 another small Dutch settlement was made a Paulus Hook on what is now the Jersey City waterfront, directly across from Lower Manhattan.
Since the sites are directly across the Hudson/ North River from each other, I don't see any reason why the Dutch could have just made their first and central settlement at Jersey City, which would have grown into the center of New York City.
What if they had done this? The west bank of the Hudson is more accessible to the rest of the United States and the port of New York and New Jersey is now there.