Before air travel, the Panama Canal was the shortcut from New York City to San Francisco. Today it is still a shortcut if you are traveling by water.
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal
The Panama canal
You would transit the Panama Canal going South.
Panama City, Panama is on the Panama Canal.
There is a canal in New York city
Panama City
The city of Colon is the entrance to the Panama Canal. It lies at the northern most end of the canal.
The Erie Canal
Before the Panama Canal, a ship would need to travel all the way south to the southern tip of Chile in South America and then north to New York City. See the related link for a picture.
City of San Francisco was created in 1936.
San Francisco is The City by The Bay.
The Hohokam Canal System
Venice!