New York City is made up of 5 boroughs; Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and The Bronx.

Population: 8,300,000
History:  New Amsterdam was the original name since it was settled by the Dutch in 1624. When the British took over they renamed it New York in honor of the Duke of York.

Albany; (94,172 inhabitants)

New York City

The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps is the largest city in the country and a financial, cultural, trade, shipping, and communications center. It had been Manhattan Island, but turn of century it was rechartered to include Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Population: 8,210,000.

The city’s ethnic flavor runs strong. It is a city of neighborhoods: Greenwich Village, SoHo, Chelsea, South St. Seaport, Harlem, Little Italy, Chinatown, Tribeca. Other places of interest are Lincoln Center, Rockefeller Center, Battery Park, Times Square and the theatre district, Central Park, the Financial District. A must do: visit the World Trade Center Tribute to pay respect to the victims of 9/11; there are recovered objects, photographs, stories, films and personal effects (the area is still under construction); the Meat-packing District; Museum Mile and shopping on Fifth Avenue; the Brooklyn Bridge…and so many more.

After ten years of planning and construction, recently opened in Chelsea is the High Line. This is a pedestrian walkway built over the old railroad tracks used for the meatpacking and garment district (and expansion continues). It provides access to those areas on New York City's Westside.

It is impossible to run out of things to do in New York City. There are more than 150 museums; 39 Broadway theatres, and more than 250 Off-Broadway shows, thousands of top restaurants; and shopping in very trendy boutiques; sport bars, nightclubs, flea markets, fairs, parades…just too many to mention. The subway system works well, and will get you everywhere. There are new City Sights double decker buses with hop on/off privileges. A new land-and-water aquabus called the NYC Duck goes around Times Square, then splashes into the Hudson River..great views of the New York skyline.

Times Square offers incredible theatre experiences. Madison Square Garden has standing room only for its many concerts and shows, as does Radio City Music Hall. The NY waterway offers a wide variety of unique specialized tours of NY Harbor. The Staten Island Ferry is a free ride back and forth. Central Park is great for walking, or you can rent a bike or hire an open air pedicab. While there, try The Tavern on the Green for lunch and, of course, the Empire State Building is universally known, as is the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. There is a newly opened Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in SoHo…at present time featuring an exhibit of John Lennon’s memoirs. Grand Central Terminal’s recent restoration and new Marketplace is definitely worth a visit…maybe lunch or dinner.

The possibilities are endless; the choices will make you want to return. The city never sleeps, so breathe it all in and experience this exhilarating, unforgettable city.

New York City Photo Gallery

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