NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Flag of New York

Nowhere in the U.S. is the beat of urban life more hammering than in New York City. Crammed into tiny spaces, millions of people find themselves in constant confrontation. Perhaps because of this crush, the denizens of New York are some of the loudest, pushiest, and most neurotic in the world, although they may also be the most vibrant, energetic, and talented as well. Much that is unique, attractive, awe-inspiring, and repulsive about the Big Apple is a function of the city's scale - too big, too heterogeneous, too jumbled, and too exciting.

Anyone visiting New York City for the first time needs boundless energy and the stamina of a long-distance runner. Both large and small screen have provided powerful images of New York that make it seem reassuringly familiar. But only by being there can the visitor experience the unique vitality and legendary pace of "the city that never sleeps". There are a thousand things to do and see, with something to marvel at around every corner. The Statue of Liberty, the street vendors selling their hot dogs and salted pretzels, the canyons of skyscrapers, the swirling crowds of New Yorkers going about their business, all welcome the visitor to their city - called with affection and pride "The Big Apple".

New York City is combined of the five boroughs:

Manhattan (see below)
The Bronx: This is the most northerly borough and the only one on the mainland. Despite its reputation for crime (mainly in the South Bronx), this borough contains some 2,024 ha of parks, including the Bronx Zoo and the tranquil New York Botanical Garden.
Brooklyn: Located on the western tip of Long Island, Brooklyn is linked to Manhattan by three bridges across the East River, the most famous being the Brooklyn Bridge. Driving or walking across this landmark, the visitor will have superb views of the river and Manhattan. Brooklyn is the most famous in the five boroughs, with more than 2 million inhabitants. It harbors many surprises, among them delightful Brooklyn Heights Historic District, the 213 ha Prospect Park and the elegant Brooklyn Museum on East Parkway.
Queens: Adjoining Brooklyn on Long Island, Queens is most often seen by visitors only on their way to and from the John F. Kennedy International Airport, which is located in the borough. Queens was named as a tribute to the wife of the English king, Charles II. The US Open Tennis Championships are held annually in Flushing Meadow-Corona Park.
Staten Island: This borough remained largely aloof from the others before 1964, when the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connected it with Brooklyn. The smallest borough, with about 380,000 inhabitants, it maintains a kind of rural independence and its residents speak of Manhattan as "the city". It can also be reached by the famous Staten Island Ferry, surely one of the world's cheapest, actually the trip is for free, and most spectacular half-hour sightseeing trips.

Manhattan Island, the very symbol of New York, lies at the head of Upper New York Bay, with the Hudson River to the west and the East River to the east.

In Manhattan, the heart of New York, you can find all those places made so familiar by film and television. Here are the skyscrapers, theaters, museums and art galleries; Chinatown, Greenwich Village, the East Village, Central Park and Harlem. Manhattan is divided into three major districts: Downtown (extends from the Financial District north to 14^th Street), Midtown (runs north to the beginning of Central park at 59^th Street) and Uptown (everything beyond this point).

What to see?

Downtown: Battery Park, Brooklyn Bridge (it provides a great vantage point from which to contemplate the NY skyline and the East River), City Hall, New York Stock Exchange and Wall Street, St. Paul's Chapel, Staten Island Ferry, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Trinity Church, Woolworth Building (it was for 17 years the tallest building), World Financial Center, World Trade Center (great view of Manhattan)
Midtown: Carnegie Hall, Chrysler Building (it's perhaps the 20^th century's most romantic architectural achievement, especially at night, when the lights within its triangular openings play off its steely crown), Empire State Building (it is the Manhattan skyscraper par excellence with its graceful proportions, fabulous setbacks, and distinctive pinnacle, a glinting beacon in the night. From the observation decks you have a marvelous view of New York), Flatiron Building, Grand Central Terminal, Madison Square Garden (home of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers), Museum of Modern Art, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center (an art deco masterpiece of architecture and sculpture, Rockefeller Center boasts foyers, facades, and gardens showcasing works by more than 40 artists), St. Patrick's Cathedral Trump Tower, United Nations Buildings.
Uptown: Central Park Zoo, Gracie Mansion (that's the official residence of the Mayor of New York), Metropolitan Museum of Art, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

This is just a small fraction of all the sights, New York has to offer. Actually, it's nearly impossible to list here all the points of interest as there are so many...

Neighborhoods: From SoHo's vibrant arts scene to the Lower East Side's vibrant immigrant influences, from Midtown West's curbside comedies to its musicals on Broadway, from the Upper West Side's yuppie glean spiced by Eastern European sophistication to the East Side's social pedigrees and trust funds, Manhattan neighborhoods differ as much as some cities. None has exact boundaries and all have multiple, splintered personalities.