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Home to 20 million some odd people New York City is the largest city in the United States. It is located at the mouth of the Hudson River where it rests on the southern part of New York State.
The city's history can be dated back to 1609. The island of Manhattan the heart of NY City is said to have been bought from Native Americans for beads, buttons and trinkets. The city is split into five different suburbs or what residents call the five boroughs: Manhattan; Brooklyn; Bronx; Queens; and Staten Island.
To the rest of the world, NY is a world leader in finance, arts, communications and trade. The port of New York is regarded as the as one of the finest ports in the world and ranks as the largest port on the East Coast. Capitalism thrives in New York. It is home to the world's largest corporations. It is considered to be at the center of media, advertising, fashion, publishing and radio broadcasting in the United States.
A Visitors Guide:
There are many attractions for visitors to New York City. Below we list some of the popular attractions.
- Empire State Building - For a long time The Empire State Building was one of the Nation's tallest buildings. A symbol of the New York skyline it is sought after by travelers and sight seers from around the world.
- Statue of Liberty - A gift to the United States from the french. It was originally a sign of the friendship that was established during the French Revolution. It has now become the symbol for freedom and prosperity for immigrants who come to the United States looking for a better life.
- Grand Central Terminal - One of the most used transportation hubs around the world. The Grand Central Terminal is more than a mere tourist attraction it is the lifeline for residents of the big city.
- Rockefeller Center - Known for it's big Christmas Tree and ice skating in the winter, The Rockefeller Center is located in midtown Manhattan. It is home to the Today Show (nationally broadcast television show), Radio City Music Hall and vast amounts of shopping and dining.
- Ellis Island Immigration Museum - At one time in the country's history every European immigrant coming to the United States had to pass through the gates of Ellis Island. It is said that over 12 million immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island. Immigrants would undergo medical and legal inspection. It now serves as a museum to show our Nation's rich immigrant history.
- Staten Island Ferry - A free ferry from lower Manhattan to Staten Island. It is used by commuters on a daily basis. It also serves a free view of the harbor for visitors of the city.
- American Museum of Natural History - One of the countries richest collection of history. It is home to the Egyptian Art collection which includes pieces from 300,000 B.C. to 4th Century A.D. and many other important collections. The museum is the largest attraction in the city, bringing nearly 5 million people a year through it's doors. It is said that to view the museum's whole collection one would have to more than a few days at the museum.
- Guggenheim Museum - Home to modern day art such as sculptures, film and paintings it was designed by world famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It is know for it's spiral structure and unique display of art.
- Brooklyn Bridge - The bridge is one of the most widely known bridges after San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge was built in 1870 and in it's time is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. It is a historical monument of New York life. Ever so majestic in form and function.
- New York Stock Exchange - Over $46 billion worth of trade occurs at the NYSE everyday. It is the world's leading and most technologically advanced equities market. The exchange lists over 2,800 different world class companies whose market value is an astounding $20 trillion dollars. While it is no longer available as a tourist attraction, just being in the Wall Street district shows the amount of financial power and influence that the city wields.
- Central Park - Over 1,300 acres of lush green and water right in the heart of one the largest cities in the world. Central part is one of the urban wonders of the world. While it may look as if it is a preserved park land, it is actually 100% man made. Central Park is where the world's busiest city goes to slow down. It's beautiful and lively. A must stop on every visitors tour of the city.
Fun New York Facts
A city so rich in history is bound to have some cool historical facts. We dug some up for you.
- The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan is the only school in the world offering a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing.
- New York City has 722 miles of subway track.
- Oneida has the world's smallest church with the dimensions of 3.5' X 6'.
- The "New York Post" established in 1803 by Alexander Hamilton is the oldest running newspaper in the United States.
- The first railroad in America ran a distance of 11 miles between Albany and Schenectady.
- The first capital of the United States was New York City.
- The Genesee River is one of the few rivers in the world that flows south to north.
- Gennaro Lombardi opened the first United States pizzeria in 1895 in New York City.
- On July 28, 1945 an Army Air Corps B-25 crashed into the Empire State Building at the 79th floor level.
- The Big Apple is a term coined by musicians meaning to play the big time.
- Joseph C. Gayetty of New York City invented toilet paper in 1857.
Famous Faces
The city has never been short of famous break out faces. Here are some of today's and yester year's famous New York faces.
- George Abbott stage producer, Forestville
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar basketball player, NYC
George Babcock inventor, Unadilla Forks
Lucille Ball actress, Jamestown
Humphrey Bogart actor, NYC
James Cagney actor, NYC
Maria Callas soprano, NYC
Benjamin N. Cardozo jurist, NYC
Willis Haviland Carrier inventor, Angola
Paddy Chayefsky playwright, NYC
Bruce Cooper Clark general, Adams
Sean Combs Puff Daddy music, NYC
Peter Cooper industrialist, philanthropist, NYC
Aaron Copland composer, Brooklyn
Tom Cruise actor, Syracuse
Claire Danes actress, NYC
Sammy Davis, Jr. actor, singer, NYC
Agnes de Mille choreographer, NYC
George Eastman inventor, Waterville
Gertrude Belle Elion inventor, NYC
Millard Fillmore U.S. president, Locke
Henry Louis Gehrig baseball player, NYC
Sarah Gellar actress, NYC
George Gershwin composer, Brooklyn
Jackie Gleason comedian, actor, Brooklyn
Bret Harte writer, Albany
Learned Hand jurist, Albany
Chamique Holdsclaw basketball player, Flushing
Edward Hopper painter, Nyack
Julia Ward Howe poet, social reformer, NYC
Charles Evans Hughes jurist, Glens Falls
Washington Irving author, NYC
Henry James author, NYC
John Jay jurist, NYC
Billy Joel singer, composer, Hicksville
Michael Jeffery Jordan basketball player, Brooklyn
Jerome Kern composer, NYC
Rockwell Kent painter, Terrytown
Frank Langellaactor, Bayonne
Victor Lasky author, Liberty
Vince Lombardi football coach, NYC
Chico, Groucho, Harpo, Zeppo Marx comedians, NYC
Herman Melville author, NYC
Ethel Merman singer, actress, Astoria
Ogden Nash poet, Rye
Rosie O'Donnel comedian, Commach
Eugene O'Neill playwright, NYC
George Pullman inventor, Brocton
Red Jacket Seneca chief
Christopher Reeve actor, spokesperson, Manhattan
John D. Rockefeller industrialist, Richford
Norman Rockwell painter, illustrator, NYC
Mickey Rooney actor, Brooklyn
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt reformer, humanitarian, NYC
Franklin D. Roosevelt U.S. president, Hyde Park
Theodore Roosevelt U.S. president, NYC
Jonas Salk polio researcher, NYC
Margaret Sanger birth control, Corning
Alfred Emanuel Smith politician, NYC
Leland Stanford railroad magnate, Watervliet
Barbara Stanwyck actress, Brooklyn
Rise Stevens mezzo-soprano, NYC
Barbra Streisand singer, actress, NYC
Tupac Shakur rapper, Bronx
Louis Comfort Tiffany painter, craftsman, NYC
Martin Van Buren U.S. president, Kinderhook
Mae West actress, Brooklyn
George Westinghouse Jr. inventor, Central Bridge
Edith Wharton author, NYC
Walt Whitman poet, West Hills
John N. Willys indrustrialist, Canandaiqua
Frank Winfield Woolworth merchant, Rodman
Linus Yale inventor, Salisbury
We hope you enjoyed our brief introduction to New York. Please stay tuned for upcoming updates to our NewYorkz.com website. |
