The city of New York is located in the Northeastern United States. The State of New York, part of which is New York City, borders six other States, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, and Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east. The State of New York also borders Canada to the northwest, precisely the counties of Ontario and Quebec. The city’s small distance from those counties and the six States mentioned above makes those places convenient destinations for New Yorkers for short trips.
The city comprises five big boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island. Many like saying that New York is “the center of the world” because it is believed to be the financial and cultural capital of the world.
Manhattan, the most known borough of the city, is an island located between the Hudson River and the East River. Besides Manhattan, the rest of the city is also mainly built on two other islands, Long Island and Staten Island. The Bronx is the only borough not built on an island.
The population of the city is approximately 8,500,000. When it comes to numbers, the borough of Brooklyn comes first, having close to 2.500.000 residents; Queens follows with almost 2.300.000, then Manhattan with about 1.600.000, the Bronx with almost 1.400.000, and last Staten Island with a population of nearly 500.000. New York is the most populous and most densely populated city in the United States, but also among the biggest cities in the world.
The first non-Americans who lived in New York were the Dutch around 1600. They gave the city the name “New Amsterdam.” Later, the city was governed by the English, who changed its name to “New York.” For almost five years (1785-1790), the city was the capital of the United States. During the second half of the 19th century, immigrants from various countries started flocking to the city for a better tomorrow. In 1931, the first skyscrapers were built. The September 11, 2001 attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center resulted in the devastating loss of 3,000 human lives.
Some of the most known landmarks of the city are the Empire State Building, The Statue Of Liberty, Central Park, The Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, 5th Avenue, Broadway with its famous theaters, The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, The Museum Of Natural History, The Museum Of Modern Art, and The Bronx Zoo.
More than anything else, New York is famous for its beautiful buildings, either for the breathtaking skyscrapers or for its historic buildings. Some of those are The Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, One World Trade Center, Rockefeller Center, The Chrysler Building, The Flatiron Building, The Oculus, The Woolworth Building, The Time Warner Center, Hudson Yards, Federal Hall, New York City Hall, Fulton Center, The New York Stock Exchange, The United States Custom House, and The Helmsley Building.
The most known bridges of the city are The Brooklyn Bridge, The Manhattan Bridge, The Williamsburg Bridge, The Queensboro Bridge, The Bronx–Whitestone Bridge, The Triborough Bridge, The George Washington Bridge, and The Verrazzano Bridge.
New York has numerous small or big squares and parks. The most popular squares are Times Square, Union Square, Washington Square, Madison Square, and Herald Square.
Some of the most known and beautiful parks of the city are Central Park, Prospect Park, Madison Square Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Bryant Park, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, The Hills at Governors Island, Washington Square Park, The High Line, Hudson River Park, Riverside Park, Astoria Park, Morningside Park, Inwood Hill Park, Pelham Bay Park, Fort Greene Park, McCarren Park, and Snug Harbor.
One could probably say that the city’s Buses and Subway of the city may be credited with having coined the phrase “The city that never sleeps.” They operate 24/7. Cars or other means of transportation are not that necessary because the buses and the train can take everyone to almost every corner of the city. Subway started its operation in 1904, and it is the biggest in the world. Although the Subway’s lack of cleanliness is noticeable from the first ride, it remains a very convenient means of transportation for about 5,000,000 people who use it daily. The bicycle is also an alternative means, especially in the last years that the city has implemented a bicycle-sharing system.
New York is believed to be the World’s Financial Capital surpassing London, which was considered the capital for many years. The most prominent companies in the world have their headquarters in the city. Wall Street, where The New York Stock Exchange is located, is famous all over the world. In 2018, according to official data, New York was the city with the most billionaires worldwide, precisely 85. The United States had the most billionaires in the world in the same year, precisely 705.
New York is considered the World’s Cultural Capital. All cultural events that take place in the city every day, on every corner of it, are countless. Its wonderful museums, the thousands of artists from across the globe who live and create in the city, but also all artists who visit it and make their art known, leave no doubt that this city creates impressive art and offers it to the rest of the world. In addition, many movies and successful TV series and shows have also been filmed in New York.
In this category, Media, New York is believed to be the world’s capital. The most successful magazines and newspapers that influence readers around the world have their base in this city. In addition, prominent publishers, TV channels, and radio stations create here and affect people in the rest of the world. To mention a few, Penguin Group, Kaufman Astoria Studios, Fleischer Studios, Van Beuren Studios, New York magazine, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Daily News, New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, Tumblr, FourSquare, AOL, BuzzFeed, HuffPost, ABC, CBS, NBC, MTV, Fox News, HBO, Comedy Central, and Silvercup Studios are all companies that have their headquarters in New York. Among the hugely successful TV series and shows are Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show, Late Night, and Law & Order.
The city’s nearly 110 private and public Universities & Colleges attract students from all over the world who may reach numbers up to 600.000. The City University Of New York (CUNY) is the biggest public institution in the world. Many private also universities in the city, like Columbia University, are among the best worldwide.
Although New York offers countless entertainment and self-improvement options, it has its price. The average rent for an apartment is $3,500. For a one-bedroom apartment, one may find prices from $1,200 up to $10,000, or even more, depending on the neighborhood. Those interested in buying should be prepared for prices of $600,000-$800,000 for apartments quite far from Manhattan and more than $1,000,000 in good neighborhoods. Numbers like $25,000,000, $50,000,000, and $80,000,000 are not strangers to the city when buying an apartment. In 2019, the most expensive apartment was sold in U.S. history at a record price of $238.000.000. In addition, the higher taxes and the heavy winter in New York have forced many New Yorkers to move to other States with fewer taxes and a better climate.
The most prevalent religion in New York is Christianity (Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and other Christians), followed by Judaism and Islam. Hinduism and Buddhism have some followers, too. Also, quite a significant number of New Yorkers identify themselves as Atheists.
To your surprise, basketball is not the most popular sport in the city; The most beloved is baseball. “New York Mets” and “New York Yankees” are the “signature” teams of New York. What comes next is American football and its known teams, “New York Giants” and “New York Jets.” Basketball comes third with its “Brooklyn Nets” and “New York Knicks,” but also hockey with the “New York Rangers.” Soccer is quite popular, too. Other sports that New Yorkers like are Boxing, horse racing, and golf. Two sporting events in New York that are famous worldwide are the US Open (The United States Open Tennis Championships) and The New York City Marathon.
The city’s biggest and most known stadiums and arenas are Citi Field, Yankee Stadium, Icahn Stadium, Richmond County Bank Ballpark, MCU Park, Madison Square Garden, New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory, MetLife Stadium, Red Bull Arena.
Although New York is one of the biggest cities in the world, its residents, who come from every corner of this planet, are kind. They manage to live peacefully without letting their country, religion, or sexual orientation become barriers. Scientists say New York is the only city in the world where one can hear up to 800 languages. A big part of New Yorkers is business-oriented, trying to bring ideas to life, starting their businesses, or climbing up the corporate ladder fast.
New York’s options for hanging out don’t need any introduction… If something is not found here, it is probably not found elsewhere. Thousands of restaurants, from the smallest and most economical to the fanciest and most expensive, with tastes and delicacies from every corner of the planet. Cafes, bars, and nightclubs for days and nights that never end. Cultural events that amaze every day, all year long. Even if one does not exploit all those options and just goes for a walk, they never get bored…because every neighborhood is different, every block is unique, and every corner holds its surprises.
The tourists that visit New York every year may reach an impressive number of 63,000,000. About 12,000,000 come from abroad, and the rest from the United States. Despite the high cost of a trip to the city, even if it is short, the unique character and the beauty of New York leave a smile on everyone’s face; it never disappoints you. As many say, everyone must visit in their life that unique city, even once.
When it comes to American cuisine, the first things that come to mind are usually pizza, burgers, fries, hot dogs, and cheesecake. That is not unusual because every town and city in the US has numerous fast food restaurants serving famous burgers and other delicious food. New York’s cuisine is not an exception, and it is characterized by countless restaurants and fast food chains that compete for the best burger and other dishes. Besides that, the city is a heaven for food lovers due to its residents from all over the world. Every country’s cuisine is represented by at least one restaurant (if not numerous) in this city. Every immigrant has brought with them their country’s culture, which is showcased the best in its cuisine. If we had to choose one only feature of New York’s cuisine, we would probably mention the “delicatessens” or “delis.” Those are small or big convenient stores offering sandwiches, soups, and a buffet with dishes from various cuisines. Those places are ideal for a quick and relatively economical meal. They are found in every neighborhood and block, especially in areas with office buildings to serve thousands of workers on their lunch break.
Life in the city is not easy. Although the options for everyday essentials, clothing, entertainment, etc., are countless, and New Yorkers can choose from the most economical to the most expensive, the sky-high rents (much more the cost to buy an apartment), the costly health insurances, and the high taxes make life in New York quite difficult. For students from abroad who come to live in the city for some years, another quite insidious problem comes to be added to all the above (for the Americans, it is a probably more minor issue), and its name is “culture shock.” Everyone experiences it. For some, it is less intense; for others, it is more. Some experience it earlier, and some with a delay, but they all go through some anxiety, stress, identity confusion, various levels of depression, and many more. As many people say, there is no perfect place… Every place has its pros and cons. Nevertheless, life in New York is, in simple words, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that everyone would love to have and take its precious lessons.