New York City Information

Located in the far south of New York State at the mouth of the Hudson River, New York City is a massive metropolis comprising five boroughs, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx - each almost a city within itself. Known as ‘The Big Apple’ and ‘the city that never sleeps’ New York is a powerhouse of the US economy and actually rivals the economies of some entire countries!

Traditionally the home of the Lenape Indians and first explored by the French in 1524, the area that was to become New York City was eventually settled by the Dutch in 1624 when the Dutch West India Company set up a trading post in Lower Manhattan. The colony was named New Amsterdam, but in 1664 it was ceded to the British and was renamed New York after the King’s brother the Duke of York. During the American Revolutionary War New York became the headquarters for the British forces in 1775 until their expulsion at end of the war in 1783. During the next century, and owing to an explosion in the numbers of immigrants to New York and with the result of major civic projects, the wealth and prosperity of the city rapidly increased.

The twentieth century brought with it increased immigration and the establishment of cultural enclaves within the city which are still evident today - along with the disparity between rich and poor. The city reveled in prosperous times and struggled through hard financial times, overcame political corruption and welcomed a flourishing creative and alternative scene, and continued to be ‘ the cultural melting pot of America’. After the horror of the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 New York went through periods of both financial prosperity and hardship all the while exhibiting the unperturbable quality of character this city is so famous for.

Coming to New York its difficult to choose what to do or where to go first - there’s just so much to see and do. There’s Central Park, in the heart of Manhattan, featuring its own zoo, or Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens housing museums, a zoo, botanical gardens and sporting fields. If art and sculpture are more your thing then browse through fine arts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, immerse yourself in the Museum of Modern Art, or just explore some of the hundreds of galleries hidden throughout the city.

There’s no shortage of grand buildings and architecture in the Big Apple either. Manhattan island boasts the Empire State, the third highest building in the US, the Chrysler building, an Art Deco masterpiece on the east side, as well as Grand Central Terminus in mid town Manhattan. The magnificent Statue of Liberty keeps a watchful eye on New York harbour from her perch on Liberty Island, while to the east the historic Brooklyn Bridge, one of the oldest suspension bridges in the US, spans the fast flowing East River between Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Other must see tourist sights are Times Square in midtown Manhattan, famous for the New Years Eve count down; Mulberry Street in Little Italy where the last of ‘Old’ Little Italy can still be found; the lively and exciting food and fare of the far East in Chinatown; the colour and history of Harlem - home to African American culture, and Spanish Harlem - the Puerto Rican cultural hub of the US. The New York Stock Exchange on Broad Street in lower Manhattan is the control room of the US economy, while adjacent Wall Street is the engine room and is widely regarded as the epicentre of capitalism in the US.

For an escape back to childhood adventure the Astroland Amusement Park on Coney Island in Brooklyn is the largest amusement park in New York, and a trip on the Staten Island Ferry between Manhattan and Staten Island is sure to bring out the kid in you.

New York City is one of those rare holiday destinations that when you scratch beneath the surface you find a multitude of layers below, each one more interesting, colourful and vibrant than the one before. The only thing you’ll want at the end of a holiday in New York is a rest!