10 Key Things about New York City, USA

New York City: The City that never sleeps

Nicknamed as “The Big Apple“ or the “The Melting Pot“, New York is the cultural and financial hub of the United States. Being the most populous and culturally diversified city, it has a lot to offer in terms of culture, entertainment and fun.

1. History of New York

The English explorer Henry Hudson landed on the natural shore of the soon to be New-York, in 1609,  to discover the native aboriginal Lenape tribes. Being claimed by the Dutch as “The New Amsterdam”, the English as “The New York”, it served as the battle ground for the Battle of Long Island in 1776 which marked the emancipation of the United States from the British Crown. It was the capital of United States from 1785 to 1790.Since then it  has been the premier gateway of legal immigration to the United States.

The City is established along one of the largest natural harbours and is divided into 5 boroughs – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and the Staten Island.

2. Night Life in New York

Regarded as the “City that never sleeps”, New York has a great nightlife to offer. Swing across to the Mulberry Project in Little Italy if you fancy a retro night. Or find yourself dancing to EDM at Cielo. If you like indoor games like pool, ping-pong or even a good ol’ game of chess, head over to Fat Cat Billiards in the West Village.

3. Safety in New York

The NYPD is the largest police force in the world with over 35,000 sworn officers. While being notorious for crimes in the 70’s and 90’s, New York now is relatively safe with the lowest crime rates in the entire nation.

However, cases of mugging are not unheard of, make sure you keep your valuables safely, especially when touring in the night.

Call 911 in case of Emergency and 311 in case of Non-Emergency.

4. Living Expenses in New York

New York city is the most densely populated city in the nation and therefore, the living expenses are pretty expensive relatively. Renting a 3 bedroom apartment averages at USD 5,928.98 inside city-centre and USD 3,088.01 outside the city-centre.

While a budget hotel costs you around 150 USD per night, living in a luxury hotel could cost you as much as 1000 USD per night.

5. Cuisines of New York

The city has a wide range of cuisines to offer. The extravagant European and Asian influence on the food Scene is remarkable. Be it the haute cuisine restaurants like Jean Gorges or the street food of delicacies like Kebabs and Falafels, you’ll surely find something to soothe your palate without severely pinching your wallet.

It has been aptly said that even if you go a different food joint every day, you’ll never be able to visit all of them in your entire lifetime.

6. Statistics of New York

It is the most populous city of US with nearly 8.5 million residents. Being the major port of entry for Immigrants, it is home to diverse cultures throughout the world.

As of 2014,the population is 44% white (33.3% non-Hispanic white), 25.5% black (23% non-Hispanic black), 0.7% Native American, and 12.7% Asian with Asians being the fastest growing population. As many as 800 languages are spoken in the most linguistically diverse city. Chinatown in Manhattan serves as home to the largest immigrant Chinese population in the world. Owing to this cultural diversity it is nicknamed as “The Melting Pot”.

7. Public Transport in New York

The city is known for its extensive network of City Subway which connects a whopping 469 stations which make commute from one place to another very easy. Nearly 52% of the population don’t own a car and rely on the mass commute which makes the environment less polluted.

The bus fleet is also the largest in North America with nearly 7000 buses and 200,000 daily commuters.

New York also has the busiest airspace with the three busiest airports in the New York metropolitan area including John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and La Guardia Airport.

Pollution in New York: New York City has focused on reducing its environmental impact and carbon footprint. The city is also a leader in the construction of energy-efficient green office buildings, including the Hearst Tower, among others.

New York City is supplied with drinking water by the protected Catskill Mountains watershed and the Croton Watershed making it the largest water supply system which does not require water treatment plants for potability.

The PM 2.5 level is nearly 71 which while above the norm, is safe and quite low as compared to New Delhi’s 180.

8. Weather of New York

The city experiences a humid subtropical climate with the coldest month being January. Precipitation is roughly 49.9 inches distributed uniformly through the year. Summers are typically warm to hot and humid, with a daily mean temperature of 76.5 °F (24.7 °C) in July and an average humidity level of 72%. Nighttime conditions are often exacerbated by the urban heat island phenomenon, while daytime temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C).

9. Culture of New York

New York City is considered as the cultural capital of the world and is a place of diplomatic importance owing the UN Headquarters being established in the city. It has been the birthplace to multitudes of cultural movements like the Harlem Renaissance, Hip Hop Culture in the Bronx, Abstract Expressionism in the 50’s, Punk and Metal in the 70’s and 80’s.  

It is also the home to Broadway, the biggest and most prestigious theater in the world, consisting of 42 stages. The city has over 2,000 cultural organizations and 500 art galleries to offer. If you are an enthusiast make sure you have the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MoMA) and Carnegie Hall in your itinerary.

10. Places to visit in New York

Author’s Conclusion: New York City should be a must in your travel bucket-list. You’ll surely have a lot fond memories be it of The Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building. With great food and culture, the city has a plethora of sights to offer.

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