The correct answer to this open question is the following.
The location of rivers affected where people choose to live in New York in that they realized the many benefits a settlement close to the bank of a river has. When people settle in this region, they knew they could be benefited by the flooding of the river to have good soil to grow crops, they could use the water for irrigation purposes, and of course, the benefits of fishing to feed their families and transportation of people and products to other places.