New York, New York… I’m now in New York. Before detailing my experience, let me give you a brief rundown about New York for better understanding about the City I’m talking about. It is America’s largest city with a population of just over eight million (could you imagine).
During a tour I learnt that it was founded on one of the world’s finest natural harbors at the mouth of the Hudson River by the Dutch in the early seventeenth century.
It is spread out over five boroughs (regions): Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the Bronx. The rich variety of ethnic heritages of its inhabitants contributes to making New York City a truly exciting, international, and cosmopolitan city.
It was once the capital of the United States. New York witnessed the inauguration of George Washington and the opening of the Stock Exchange in 1789. Today the famous ‘Wall Street’ area is headquarters of the New York stock exchange as well as numerous brokerage firms and financial and corporate offices of major enterprises. The Big Apple as it is fondly called leads the nation in entertainment, publishing, and advertising fields, and is well known for its garment industry. New York’s ethnic diversity is a result of immigration from all over the world. Some were welcomed by the Statue of Liberty, as Ellis Island became the city’s first immigration depot in 1892.
In New York it is interesting to know how nationality had a prominent role in the establishment of neighborhoods and led to the development of China Town and Spanish Harlem. With such cultural diversity, it is only fitting that New York City hosts the Secretariat, General Assembly, and Security Council of the United Nations as well several of its other councils.
New York City’s promotion of the fine arts is world-renowned. The Times Square area, containing forty-two commercial theaters, boasts a rich musical and theatrical Broadway tradition that is richly enhanced by the Metropolitan Opera House, the New York City Ballet and Carnegie Hall. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is among the greatest art museum in the world.
The museum of Modern Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum are acclaimed for their presentation of Twentieth Century art.
Talking about education, New York has some of the finest institutions of higher learning this include: Columbia University, Barnard College, the Juilliard School, New York University, The Copper Union, Fordham University, Union Theological Seminary, and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Several Manhattan skyscrapers offer observation deck access to the public, including the Empire State Building. The public transportation system of New York includes subways and buses that service all five boroughs.