About New York City

"Cut off as I am, it is inevitable that I should sometimes feel like a shadow walking in a shadowy world. When this happens I ask to be taken to New York City. Always I return home weary but I have the comforting certainty that mankind is real flesh and I myself am not a dream."
Helen Keller

The largest city in the United States (2000 pop. in metro region: 21,199,865), the home of the United Nations, and the center of global finance, communications, and business, New York City is also a treasure trove of concert houses, museums, galleries, and theaters — and did we mention the shopping? The Big Apple is home to icons, epics, legends and mythic figures: the Yankees, the Mets, the Statue of Liberty, MOMA, Broadway, Times Square, the World Trade Centre and - New Yorkers.

"New York is the biggest collection of villages in the world."
~Alistair Cooke

Located in the southeastern part of New York State, NYC consists of five boroughs separated by various waterways. Brooklyn and Queens occupy the western portion of Long Island, while Staten Island and Manhattan are completely on their own land mass. Bronx, to the north, remains attached to the New York State mainland.

The Dutch founded the city in 1624, buying it from Native Americans for $24 and called it Fort Amsterdam, then New Amsterdam. When the English captured the settlement in 1664, it was renamed “New York”, after the Duke of York, who later became James II of England.

Things to do and see in New York City:

Googling “New York City” produced 550 million hits. Here are some of our favorites:
Travel Guides:

• Frommer’s
• Lonely Planet
• Rough Guide
• Gridskipper

Local Takes:

• The New York Times 36 hours in NYC
• NY.com
• What & Where
• New York City’s Official Marketing & Tourism Website
• The Official New York City Site

Just Different, Just Fun:

• Walks & History
• January in New York City - Weather and Event Guide
• More than a magazine: The New Yorker
• New York Magazine
• Trip Cart - great all-purpose guide with handy map.