New York City, New York – a2z Countries

Facts over New York City

State: New York
Abbreviation: NY
City Since: 1625
Nickname: The City That Never Sleeps, The Big Apple
Population: 8,200,000
Area: 789.43 km2
Time Zone: -6

Top Spots:

The statue of Liberty
Empire State Building
Central Park
Times Square
Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn Bridge
Broadway

According to itypeusa.com, New York City (officially The City of New York) is the largest city in the United States of America and is located in the state of New York. The city is one of the world’s most important centers of trade and finance, thanks to its location on one of the best natural harbours. New York also plays a leading and influential role in media, education, entertainment, art, fashion and publicity. It is a center of international trade, finance, politics, communication, film, music, fashion and culture. With a large number of high-quality museums, galleries, stages, media, international corporations and organizations (such as the United Nations) and wholesalers, New York City is one of the most important four cities in the world, alongside London, Paris and Tokyo.

The New York metropolitan area is one of the largest metropolitan areas on Earth. The city is also the most populous major city in the United States with more than 8.2 million inhabitants spread over an area of 789.43 km². New York City is made up of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. In 2005, nearly 170 different languages were spoken in the city, and 36% of the population was born outside the US borders.

The city was founded in 1625 under the name New Amsterdam as a trading post of the Dutch. The city came into British hands and was the capital of the United States from 1783 to 1790. Since that last year, New York has been the largest city in the United States.

Many of the city’s landmarks and neighborhoods are known around the world and often symbolize the United States in general. There are the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, several skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building and until 2001 the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Because of the heavy traffic, the amount of people on the streets and the subway that is open day and night, New York is sometimes called The City That Never Sleeps. Another very popular nickname is the Big Apple.

History

New York used to belong to the Dutch. In 1626, a Dutch ship of the West India Company arrived at Manhattan Island in New York. The crew wanted to protect this company’s fur trade in the Hudson Valley. They called the place New Amsterdam. In 1628, Peter Minuit bought Manhattan from the Indians for trinkets worth 60 guilders. In 1664, New Amsterdam fell into the hands of the English, who named it New York after the Duke of York. In 1673, the Netherlands briefly possessed it again, but soon after they changed the name to “New Orange” it was definitively handed over to the British, at the Peace of Westminster in 1674.

Geography

New York City is located in the northeastern United States and in the southeastern part of New York State, centrally between the cities of Washington DC and Boston. The city is located at the mouth of the Hudson River, which forms a sheltered natural harbor and eventually flows into the Atlantic Ocean. These geographic advantages have greatly aided New York in its growth as a trading city. Most of the city is built on the three islands of Manhattan, Staten Island, and Long Island, making land scarce and encouraging a high population density.

The Hudson flows through the Hudson Valley (Hudson Valley) into New York Bay. Between New York City and the city of Troy, the Hudson is an estuary.[9] While the Hudson forms the boundary between New York City and New Jersey, the East River separates the Bronx and Manhattan boroughs from Long Island. Harlem River, a tidal street like the East River, connects the East with the Hudson River, forming the boundary between Manhattan and The Bronx.

The city’s coastlines have changed a lot over the course of history, due to land reclamation that the Dutch had already started in colonial times. Especially in lower Manhattan, this process has brought about changes, such as the development of Battery Park City in the 1970s and 1980s.

The total land area of the city is estimated to be 789.43 km², while the entire area is 1,214.4 km². New York City’s highest natural point is Todt Hill on Staten Island with an elevation of 124.9 m above sea level. The small coastal mountain range is largely covered with forests and is part of the Staten Island Greenbelt.

Demographics

Located in the state of New York, New York City has a population of more than 9 million people in an area of 800 km² (2000). It is at the heart of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the largest conurbations in the world, with a population of more than 22 million.

The city is home to a large number of immigrants from more than 180 countries. This makes it one of the most cosmopolitan places on Earth. The largest groups are Jews, Italians, Chinese, Latinos, Irish and African Americans. Many from Asia are based in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Many people from the United States itself are drawn to New York City for its culture, energy, cosmopolitanism and the hope of making it in the Big Apple.

29% of the population is white. 27% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. They come from almost all countries of Central America and South America. 25% of the population is African American or black. 11% of the population is of Asian descent. They mainly come from the countries of China and Vietnam. 5% of the population is of other descent. 3% of the population is of mixed descent.

12% of the population is older than 65 years. 33% of the population is single. 25% of the population lives below the poverty line. 10% of the population is unemployed.

Sights

The statue of Liberty

One of New York’s most famous landmarks is the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is 93 meters high and weighs 225 tons. From the entrance to the top there are 354 steps to climb. It was designed by Frederic Bartholdi, a French sculptor.

The statue is a worldwide known icon of all of America. The French gave it to America in 1876 on the 100th anniversary of the American Revolution. It was officially unveiled by President Cleveland on October 28, 1886. In 1986 it was restored. This action cost around 70 million euros. Also the original torch, which was corroded, was then replaced with a new one. The flame is covered with 24 carat gold leaf.

Empire State Building

Another famous building is the Empire State Building. Construction began on March 17, 1930 and the official opening was May 1, 1931, a super-fast completion for the time. As a visitor you can walk around (also outside) on the 102nd floor where you have a view of many kilometers in clear weather. You are then at a height of 381 meters. The top of the antenna is 443 meters. The frame consists of 60,000 tons of steel, has 6,500 windows and 10 million bricks were used. This skyscraper employs 18,000 people and attracts 3 to 4 million visitors every year.

A special aspect of the building are the 73 lifts with a speed of 183 to 427 meters per minute. In this way, they can bridge 80 floors in 45 seconds. The building consists largely of offices, apartments and shopping facilities on the lower floors. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, which destroyed the World Trade Center, this skyscraper is once again the tallest building in New York.

Central Park

Central Park is the most famous park in New York and perhaps also in America. The park stretches from 59th to 110th Street and has a total area of 341 acres. More than 20 million people visit the park every year. It took 16 years to build the park. It was completed in 1873; in 1965 it officially became a historic landmark and in 1974 a New York City landmark.

Times Square

Times Square is the name of a square where Broadway crosses 42nd Street. Impressive illuminated signs have been installed on all facades around the square. The area around the square is also called Times Square.

Rockefeller Center

At Rockefeller Center is a 5.5-meter high gold statue of Prometheus by sculptor Paul Menship near fountains. In winter there is an ice rink here, which is skated on, and there is a huge Christmas tree. The downtown area consists of the centrally located GE Building, also the tallest in Rockefeller Center, surrounded by several other buildings. Rockefeller Center now consists of 19 buildings, 14 of which are original Art Deco buildings with 100 works of art. From the roof of the GE Building (called ‘Top of the Rocks’) you have a beautiful view over the metropolis.
Rockefeller Center consists of:

Radio City Music Hall
General Electric Building
Rainbow Room

United Nations Plaza

United Nations Headquarters in New YorkHere is the headquarters of the United Nations. The flags of the 192 member states flutter in front of the building. It consists of:

Secretariat Building
General Assembly
Conference Building
There is an office of Universala Esperanto-Asocio in the office.

Nightlife

There are many opportunities to have fun in New York. New York is also known as ‘the city that never sleeps’. The entertainment options are enormous. One can go to the theatre, opera, dance, music, cinema and cabaret. There are many bars, cafes like Hard Rock Cafe and nightclubs. Broadway is the main entertainment street with many musical theaters.

Food and drink

There are many types of dining options in New York, from a breakfast bar to one of the many bistros, cafes, restaurants, American or foreign, from cheap to very chic. The restaurants Jean-Georges, Le Bernardin, Per Se and Alain Ducasse (Essex House) have been awarded three stars in the Michelin Guide of North America (2005). Also known are the various chains of fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Also a hot dog and a Coca-Cola are widely available. See also American dish.

Shop

Empire State Building from 34th Street. The famous New York yellow cabs When it comes to fashion from simple to haute couture and perfumes, New York is also the place to be. The sheer amount of stores in New York, especially downtown, include:

department stores (the best known are Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodmann, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue)
shopping centres; Manhattan Hall, Trump Towers
many types of shops such as clothing, shoes, accessories, books, music, perfumes, delicatessen, household, home furnishings, children, antiques, paper and drawing materials, etc.
boutiques
supermarkets
markets
Most shops open at 9am. Saturday is a busy day. A lot is open on Sundays, especially the big shops.