Final answer:
The Erie Canal was the economic success for New York that connected the Atlantic to the Great Lakes, opening in 1825 and facilitating significant commercial and economic expansion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The economic success for New York that connected the Atlantic to the Great Lakes was the Erie Canal. The canal, which stretched 363 miles from Buffalo on Lake Erie to Albany on the Hudson River, was chartered by the state of New York in 1817 and officially opened in 1825. This vital waterway significantly reduced the cost and time of shipping, enabling the movement of $15 million worth of goods annually, translating to more than $200 million in today's money, and played a crucial role in the western expansion and economic growth of the United States.