NEW YORK, NY January 28, 2009 —New York City is embracing its Dutch roots with a year long celebration marking the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's landing in Manhattan.

The city's planning a number of events to celebrate the connection this year, and the Dutch are giving the city a token of its affection, a 5,000 square foot pavilion.

Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe says it'll be a center piece in front of the Whitehall Ferry station.

BENEPE: It will be glass on the bottom, steel on the top, some people have described it as being like a pinwheel, some people have said it looks like a windmill. Its also like a flower that fell from the sky & landed and it will point in the direction of the water, the skyscrapers, old manhattan.

REPORTER: The pavilion will be used as an information booth - and food and drink will be available there as well. It'll be erected by the end of the year.

Special events celebrating the 400th anniversary include a tulip exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, and art from Amsterdam at the Museum of Modern Art.