New York City was known as New Amsterdam when it was a Dutch settlement. Marcio.Duarte/Shutterstock US cities like New York and Los Angeles have long and storied histories. Major cities once had names such as Flagler, Jernigan, and Yerba Buena. A coin toss determined the name of Portland, Oregon, while Boston was named after a British town. New York City wasn't always a densely packed metropolis of subways and skyscrapers, just as Los Angeles wasn't always a sprawling concrete city. Throughout