Overview
From its simple acronym to quirky nicknames such as Gotham, the Big Apple, and ‘The City that Never Sleeps’, New York City has seen several transformations over the years. And with good reasons too. The city is one of the largest, busiest, and most influential metropolis in America.
New York City’s five boroughs—Queens, Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island, and Brooklyn are associated with distinct sets of lifestyles, such that moving between the boroughs may seem like a trip between different countries.
History
In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazano, an Italian man first discovered New York Harbor. Before then, natives − called the Lenape, hunted and farmed in the area. However, no European explorer settled there until 1624, when the Dutch founded the first permanent trading post. In 1626, the governor, Peter Minuit bought the Manhattan island from the natives. A settlement was built at the south of the island (called New Amsterdam), and fewer than 300 people moved there. Fifty years later the population grew to more than 200,000 people and became the largest city in the hemisphere.
In 1664, an English fleet attacked and the British seized New Amsterdam from the Dutch. The city was renamed New York after the brother of King Charles II, Duke of York. New York grew in population, infrastructure, and diversity over the century.
In the 1770s the city fell to the British during the Revolutionary War and served as a military base from 1776 until 1783. The city recovered quickly from the war and began industrial activities in earnest. At the start of the 20th century, New York began to take the shape of the state we now know it to be. The cities of Queens, Staten Island, Bronx and Brooklyn, came together to form the five boroughs with Manhattan in 1985. To date, the city remains a magnet to tourists from all over the world.
Geography
The city covers a total area of 1213.37 square kilometers. It is situated in the northeastern wing of the United States and stands between Boston and Washington DC. New York City has grown tremendously as a trading center due to its location at the edge of the river Hudson.
The topography of NYC is a product of the Wisconsin Glacial Stage, about 75,000 to 10,000 years ago. The movement of ice led to deep depressions in Queens and Brooklyn, erratic boulders in Manhattan central park, and influenced the separation of Staten Island from Long Island. The glacial retreat also created a solid bedrock at a shallow depth, which acts as a foundation for Manhattan’s impressive skyscrapers.
Population
Having an estimated population of over eight million people, NYC is the most densely packed region in the country. It is argued that every 4.4 minutes, a child is born in New York City. That is in every thirty-seven individuals in the United States, one calls New York home. It’s not surprising that a little over eight hundred dialects are spoken in the city. FYI, “NYC is the most linguistically diverse city in the world’’.
Famous Landmarks and Structures
Wyckoff Farm
NYC is known for being home to some unusual and famous landmarks. One is the Wyckoff Farm located in Brooklyn. It is the oldest building in NYC, with roots as far back as the 16th century; precisely 1642. Officially named a landmark in 1965, the building was built by the Dutch and was inhabited by the Wyckoff family until 1961.
Statue of Liberty
In 1886, France gifted the statue of liberty to the United States in celebration of its centennial birthday. The universal symbol of freedom took four months to assemble after its three hundred and fifty parts were shipped to its new home. It is about 305-feet tall, and the equivalent of twenty-two buildings. The statue currently stands on Liberty Island, near the entrance to the New York harbor.
Empire State Building
This iconic skyscraper stands an amazing height of 1454-feet. Currently, it is the 4th tallest building in the city and the 43rd tallest tower in the world. The building was constructed in 1930 and took a total of 410 days to complete. The building is also home to many businesses and has its own zip code—10118
Fun fact: The Empire State building’s antenna is struck by lightning about twenty-five times in a year.
Central Park
Central Park is located right in the middle of Manhattan and spans a total of 462 acres of land. It is one of the biggest, and most exhilarating parks in Manhattan, pulling in a total of 42 million visitors annually. The park has captivating views almost at every point. It has a zoo, a museum of art, an open-air theatre, an ice skating rink, playgrounds and athletic fields, and dozens of small momentums.
Brooklyn Bridge
Asides from being a mode of transportation from lower Manhattan to Brooklyn, the bridge stands as a major iconic structure in the city. It was designed in 1869 by John A. Roebling but was officially opened after construction on May 24th, 1883. The bridge is about 1.3 miles long and its towers were fashioned from granite, limestone, and Rosedale cement.
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