Introducing New York

"New York, New York - so good they named it twice"

‘New York’s hectic pace and alluring promise draws visitors and new residents from all over the world, who come in search of a piece of this American pie.’ Columbus Press – World City Guide

New York is one of the most visited cities in the world.

Let’s find out why (In other words, what is the appeal of New York?)

New York City is in New York State (one of the 50 states of the United States of America).;

In the picture above you can see the Empire State Building, one of Manhattan’s famous landmarks on the New York skyline. But the land in the background is in a different state – New Jersey. The Statue of Liberty is also just visible.

New York City is divided into 5 districts or boroughs. These are:

1.Manhattan
2.Brooklyn
3.Queens
4.The Bronx
5.Staten Island

By far the most important in terms of tourism is the borough of Manhattan.

Manhattan is in fact an island. The photograph above shows the dramatic skyline at the lower end of the island looking back towards the financial district. The twin towers of the World Trade Centre were almost twice as tall as the skyscrapers in the photograph. (About as high as the seagulls wing!)

New York city operates on a system of roads called streets and avenues. New York is laid out in a ‘grid iron’ pattern, like many American cities. Streets run across the city from west to east and the numbers increase going north. The Empire State Building is on 34th Street and Times Square is on 42nd Street. Avenues are much longer and run north to south, generally crossing streets at right angles. Some avenues are known by their number such as 5th Avenue and others have names, such as Park Avenue.

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