New York City - The City That Never Sleeps

New York City is one of the biggest and most important metropolises on earth and lies in the state of New York. It is divided into the 5 boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island and has an area of about 1,214,4 km², 789.4 km² of which are land area. With a population of about 8.4 million people, it is the biggest and most populated city in the USA. Its metropolitan region is inhabited by about 18 million people. The city centre, the island of Manhattan, borders on the Hudson River in the west and the East River in the east. On the other side of the Hudson River, you see the neighbouring state of New Jersey, which you reach by crossing the George Washington Bridge in the north or the Brooklyn Bridge in the south. The main attraction on the island of Manhattan is Central Park, a gigantic green oasis in the middle of the busy borough. The city lies in the temperate climate zone and usually has hot summers and cold winters.

New York was explored by a number of European settlers in the 16th century, for example by the Italian Giovanni da Verrazzano. At this time, the region was still the territory of the Lenape, a tribe of the Algonquin Native Americans. About 100 years later, the Dutch settled here and founded the first permanent settlement on the present-day territory of Governors Island, which they called "New Amsterdam". A little later, they bought the whole area from the Native Americans and relocated their settlement to the island of Manhattan (Manna Hatta), from where the city grew very quickly. Today, New York City is one of the most popular city trip destinations and one of the reasons for that are the city's many sights: about 500 galleries, 200 museums and over 150 theatres. Since there is a lot to see and do, travellers should plan their trip beforehand. Highlights in New York are rides to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the former gateway for millions of immigrants. Other attractions are Central Park with Belvedere Castle and the Strawberry Fields, the Flat Iron Building, the Rockefeller Center, the UN Headquarters, the Empire State Building, Trinity Church, the High Line, Times Square, the Broadway and Grand Central Station. This list is far from complete as there is an equally large number of museums. Interesting examples are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim Museum, the New York Transit Museum and the Museum of the City of New York. Popular districts are SoHo, Brooklyn Heights and Greenwich Village.

New York is a multicultural city. This is reflected in various ethnic districts such as Chinatown, Little Italy and Little Germany, but also in almost 18,000 restaurants. So if you are looking for a culinary experience, you will not go short in New York City. You find everything here from simple hot-dog stands to bistros and cafes to noble gourmet restaurants. Typical New Yorker food are bagels, pancakes, cheesecake, hot dogs, sushi and Waldorf salad. Popular shopping destinations are Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Century 21, Tiffany & Co, the Strand Book Store, 5th Avenue, SoHo and the Upper East Side. Times Square with the Broadway is already crowded during the day but it is full of life in the evening when all lights are on and the musicals and plays are being performed. New York has a great number of clubs and discos and its nightlife is world-famous. Other highlights are the events, many of which are celebrated with parades. Examples are the Chinese New Year, St. Patrick's Day, Christopher Street Day, Columbus Day, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the New York Marathon. At Christmas, thousands of people come to the Rockefeller Center, where the lights on the famous tall Christmas tree are switched on. One thing you should not miss out on if you want to experience New York City is a ride in a yellow taxicab, the typical New Yorker taxi, and on the subway.

Ice skating in Bryant Park, a carriage ride in Central Park and jogging on Brooklyn Bridge are popular activities in New York. You see many sporty New Yorkers on the bridge who are active alone or in groups, especially in the morning. In the evening, the great theatres and stages open their doors. The Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera ("Met") and the Broadway offer a varied programme which caters for all tastes. Sport plays an important role too. Sports fans should definitely watch a baseball game with the New York Yankees or the Mets and a football match with the New York Giants or the Jets.

New York has three airports which are close to the city centre: John F Kennedy Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark International Airport. From there, you can use different types of public transport to get to your destination. The city's bus and subway network is one of the best in the world.