Most popular NYC searches: |
New York Links | NYC Links | New York Information | NYC.com | NYTIMES.com
New York is the most
populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York
metropolitan area, which is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in
the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over
global commerce, finance, media, culture, art, fashion, research, education,
and entertainment. As host of the United Nations Headquarters, it is also an
important center for international affairs. The city is often referred to as
New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the state of
New York, of which it is a part.
Located on a large natural harbor on the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern
United States, the city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn,
Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The city's 2008 estimated population
exceeds 8.3 million, and with a land area of 305 square miles (790 km2), New
York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States. The
New York metropolitan area's population is also the nation's largest,
estimated at 19.1 million people over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km2).
Furthermore, the Combined Statistical Area containing the greater New York
metropolitan area contained 22.2 million people as of 2009 Census estimates,
also the largest in the United States.
New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The
settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under
English control.[6] New York served as the capital of the United States from
1785 until 1790. It has been the country's largest city since 1790. As many
as 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most
linguistically diverse city in the world.
Many districts and landmarks in the city have become well known to
outsiders. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came
to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Times Square,
iconified as "The Crossroads of the World", is the brightly illuminated hub
of the Broadway theater district, one of the world's busiest pedestrian
intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry.
Anchored by Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City vies with London
as the financial capital of the world and is home to the New York Stock
Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its
listed companies. The original Manhattan Chinatown attracts throngs of
tourists to its bustling sidewalks and retail establishments. World-class
schools and universities such as Columbia University and New York University
also reside in New York City.
New York is the most populous
city in the United States. In 2005 its population was estimated to be
8,213,839 (up from 7.3 million in 1990). This amounts to about 40% of the
state of New York's population and a similar percentage of the metropolitan
regional population. Over the last decade the city has been growing rapidly
and demographers estimate New York's population will reach between 9.2 and
9.5 million by 2030.
New York's two key demographic features are its density and ethnic
diversity. The city has an extremely high population density of 26,403
people per square mile (10,194/kmē), about 10,000 more people per square
mile than the next densest American city, San Francisco.[146] As synonymous
with New York County, Manhattan's population density is 66,940 people per
square mile (25,846/kmē), highest of any county in the United States.
New York City is exceptionally diverse. Throughout its history the city has
been a major point of entry for immigrants; more than 12 million European
immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1924. By 1900, New
York City had more Italians than any city in Italy except Rome, more Poles
than any city in Poland except Warsaw, as many Irish as Dublin, and more
Jews than any other city in the world. The term "melting pot" was first
coined to describe densely populated immigrant neighborhoods on the Lower
East Side.