ABOUT THE CITY
New York City consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. It is the most densely populated major city in the United States, with an estimated 8,274,527 people occupying just under 305 square miles. The boroughs each has its own splendid landmarks and rich history.
The Bronx is the only borough situated primarily on the mainland (while the other four are on islands). Brooklyn maintains a distinct culture, independent art scene, and unique architectural heritage. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves where particular ethnic groups and cultures predominate.
Queens, which is home to a population of almost 2 million, was once farmland, and at 108 square miles, is the largest of the five boroughs. Staten Island is overall the most suburban of the five boroughs of New York City. Please visit Manhattan as a seperate entity on our website.
Overview
New York City (officially the City of New York) is the largest city in the United States and one of the world’s major global cities. Located in the state of New York, the city has a population of over 8.2 million within an area of 321 square miles (approximately 830 km2), making it the most densely populated major city in North America. With a population of 18.7 million, the New York Metropolitan Area is one of the largest urban areas in the world. New York City is made up of five boroughs.
Manhattan Island is bound by the Hudson River to the west and the East River to the east. To the north, the Harlem River divides Manhattan from The Bronx and the mainland United States. Manhattan is 13.4 miles long and 2.3 miles wide at its widest point.
History
New York, a city of staggering contrasts, diversity and culture, ranks among history’s greatest trade and cultural centers. From Wall Street to the United Nations, the world’s most powerful and influential men and women prize success in New York above all other places. Its population hails from every country on the globe, bringing a variety of culture and viewpoints. However, above all else New York has always been about money and ambition.
Europe’s first contact with this area occurred in 1524, when Italian explorer Giovanni de Verrazano viewed New York from the base of Manhattan. The following year, a black Portuguese explorer named Esteban Gomez reached the Hudson River
Districts
Manhattan is loosely divided into downtown, midtown, and uptown regions, with Fifth Avenue demarcating Manhattan’s east and west sides. Its most famous districts are:
Wall Street and the Financial District
New York’s first district remains its most historic. Wall Street investment banks coexist with landmarks like Trinity Church. Battery Park draws people for its panoramic views. The World Trade Center was also one of the area’s most popular destinations, until its tragic destruction on Sept. 11, 2001; no longer will people be able to view the city from its observation deck, and it may be years before this area of Manhattan returns to normal.
Harlem
Long the national epicenter of African-American culture, Harlem was home to the Harlem Renaissance, arguably this country’s most influential artistic, literary and cultural movement.
Climate
Manhattan has a humid continental climate resulting from prevailing wind patterns that bring cool air from the interior of the North American continent. New York winters are typically cold and can be snowy. Snowfall varies from year to year, but usually averages about 2 feet (60 cm) in total. The Atlantic Ocean helps keep temperatures warmer in the city than in the interior Northeast, however, there has never been a winter since records began in 1869 in which enough snow to cover the ground did not fall at least once.
Important Contacts
718 and 347 Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island 212 and 646 Manhattan 516 and 631 Long Island 917 overlay originally for cellular, pagers, voice mail; now has some regular numbers; overlays all 5 borough areas.
| Area Codes | |
| Emergency | |
| Emergency | 911 |
| NYC government information and non-emergency services | 311 |
| Directory Assistance | 411 or |
| (212) 555-1212 | |
| NYPD | (212) 741-4626 |
| NYFD | (718)999-FDNY |
| Crime Victims Hotline | (212) 577-7777 |
| Financial Services | |
| Automatic Teller Information | |
| ATM Locator | (800) 248-4286 |
| MasterCrd ATM | (800) 424-7787 |
| VISA Plus System | (800) 843-7587 |
| Lost or Stolen Credit Cards | |
| American Express | (800) 233-5432 |
| AT&T Universal Card | (800) 423-4343 |
| Diners Club | (800) 234-6377 |
| Discover Card | (800) 347-2683 |
| JCB | (800) 736-8111 |
| MasterCard | (800) 826-2181 |
| VISA | (800) 336-8472 |
By Car
There are many other ways to get around the city, and most New Yorkers don’t own cars. The city is not designed to handle automobile traffic. But, if you’re going to drive, this will help. Avenues run north-south, Streets run east-west. Approximately 7 Avenues is one mile, as is 20 city blocks.
Cab is the best way to get around the city by car, and then you can let the cabbies do their job. All licensed cabs are yellow. They can be flagged down anywhere in the city, look for taxis that are lit and have their “Off Duty” sign off. Trips within Manhattan are metered, and if you cross a toll tunnel or bridge going into an Outer Borough, you are responsible for the toll.
Public Transportation
Buses
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) (718) 330-1234
NYC’s 3,700 buses operate throughout the five boroughs on more than 200 routes. You are usually within a few blocks of a bus stop.
Cost: The cost is $2 per ride, no matter the distance. You can pay your fare with a MetroCard, a token, or exact change in coins. The driver does not give change and fare boxes do not accept dollar bills or pennies. A MetroCard can save you money on multiple rides, and can be loaded with any amount of money.
Air Transportation
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) (718) 244-4444
Jamaica, New York 11430
JFK is the top international air passenger gateway to the United States and is also the leading freight gateway to the country by value of shipments. It is the home airport for JetBlue Airways, a major international gateway and fourth-largest hub for Delta Air Lines, and a major secondary hub for American Airlines
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) (718) 426-5000
Flushing, New York 11371
Television
| Ch 2 | WCBS | CBS | |
| Ch 4 | WNBC | NBC | |
| Ch 5 | WNYW | FOX | |
| Ch 7 | WABC | ABC | |
| Ch 11 | WPIX | CW | |
| Ch 17 | WEBR-CA | HSN (Sp.) | |
| Ch 24 | WNYE-DT | ind. | |
| Ch 25 | WNYE | ind. | |
| Ch 28 | WNBC-DT | NBC | |
| Ch 30 | WPXN-DT | ind. | |
| Ch 32 | WXNY-LP | LTV | |
| Ch 33 | WPIX-DT | CW | |
| Ch 44 | WNYW-DT | FOX | |
| Ch 45 | WABC-DT | ABC | |
| Ch 53 | WKOB-LP | KBS Korean | |
| Ch 56 | WCBS-DT | CBS | |
| Ch 60 | W60AI | HSN | |
| Ch 64 | WPIX | CW |
Radio
| AM Radio | ||
| 570 | WMCA | religious |
| 620 | WSNR | ethnic |
| 660 | WFAN | sports |
| 710 | WOR | talk |
| 770 | WABC | news/talk |
| 820 | WNYC | public/talk/news |
| 880 | WCBS | news |
| 930 | WPAT | Korean |
| 970 | WWDJ | contemporary Christian |
| 1010 | WINS | news |
| 1050 | WEPN | sports |
| 1130 | WBBR | Bloomberg Radio (business) |
| 1160 | WVNJ | standards |
| 1190 | WLIB | black gospel |
| 1280 | WADO | talk/news-español |
| 1330 | WWRV | religious-español |
| 1380 | WKDM | news/talk-español |
| 1430 | WNSW | Portuguese, Korean |
| 1480 | WZRC | Korean |
| 1500 | WGHT | oldies |
| 1560 | WQEW | Disney children |
| 1600 | WWRL | Air America |
| FM Radio | ||
| 88.3 | WBGO | public/jazz |
| 88.7 | WPSC | college/hot ac |
| 88.9 | WSIA | college/alternative |
| 89.1 | WFDU | college/Americana/variety |
| 89.1 | WNYU | college/alternative |
| 89.9 | WKCR | college |
| 90.3 | WHCR | college |
| 90.3 | WMSC | college/alternative/variety |
| 90.3 | WRPR | college/alternative/jazz |
| 90.7 | WFUV | NPR public |
| 90.9 | WKRB | college/CHR-pop |
| 91.1 | WFMU | college/free form |
| 91.5 | WNYE | school |
| 92.3 | WFNY | talk |
| 93.1 | WPAT | ac-español |
| 93.9 | WNYC | NPR public/classical |
| 94.7 | WFME | religious |
| 95.5 | WPLJ | hot ac |
| 96.3 | WQXR | classical |
| 97.1 | WQHT | urban |
| 97.9 | WSKQ | CHR-español |
| 98.7 | WRKS | urban ac |
| 99.5 | WBAI | community |
| 100.3 | WHTZ | CHR-pop |
| 101.1 | WCBS | adult hits |
| 101.9 | WQCD | smooth jazz |
| 102.7 | WNEW | rhythmic ac |
| 103.1 | WRDR | religious |
| 103.5 | WKTU | CHR-dance |
| 104.3 | WAXQ | classic rock |
| 105.1 | WWPR | urban |
| 105.9 | WCAA | urban |
| 106.7 | WLTW | ac/oldies |
| 107.5 | WBLS | urban ac |
Newspapers
The Daily News (212) 210-2100
450 W. 33 Street
New York, NY 10001
The 7th largest daily newspaper and the first U.S. daily printed in tabloid form.
New York Post (212) 930-8000
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036-8790
The oldest newspaper to have been published continually as a daily paper. A tabloid owned by NewsCorp.
New York Times 800-NYTIMES
A daily newspaper published in Manhattan and distributed internationally. The “Newspaper of Record” for America.
The Wall Street Journal (212) 416-2000
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281
An influential international daily newspaper published in Manhattan, New York with a worldwide average daily circulation of more than 2.6 million as of 2005.
Things To Do By Season
Spring
Springtime in New York City marks the return of championship baseball to Yankee and Shea stadiums and the start of a second season for their A teams the Staten Island Yankees and Brooklyn Cyclones. The parks and botanical gardens in every borough burst into bloom. Daffodils and azaleas crowd Central Park, tulips parade up Park Avenue’s center mall, and there are glorious flower shows such as Macy’s Flower Show, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens’ Cherry Blossom Festival, and the Greater New York Orchid Show.
If you love a parade, we’ve got ‘em, uptown, downtown, all around town for all occasions: St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Greek Day, Cuban Day, Salute to Israel, and Puerto Rican Day to name a few. May brings Bike New York — a five-borough bike tour, and Fleet Week, when ships from all around the world dock in New York Harbor.
Attractions
American Museum of Natural History (212) 769-5100
Central Park West (between 77th and 81 Sts.)
Bronx Zoo Wildlife Conservation Park (718) 367-1010
Fordham Rd. and Bronx River Pkwy.
Bronx
Brooklyn Botanic Garden (718) 623-7200
1000 Washington Ave
Dining & Nightlife
Without a doubt, New York is the best restaurant town in the country, and one of the finest in the world. Other cities might have particular specialties, but no other culinary capital spans the globe so successfully as the Big Apple.
Price
But there’s one thing you have to face sooner or later: Eating in New York isn’t cheap. The primary cause? The high cost of real estate, which is reflected in what you’re charged. Wherever you’re from, particularly if you hail from the reasonably priced American heartland, New York’s restaurants will seem expensive. Yet good value abounds, especially if you’re willing to eat ethnic, and venture beyond tourist zones into the neighborhoods like Chinatown, the East Village, Harlem, and even the Upper West Side.
Sports
Sports fans that prefer to sit and root for the home team have it made in New York. There are hundreds of opportunities to see professional sports played at some of the world’s best venues.
Belmont Park Race Track (718) 641-4700
Nassau County, NY
The New York Racing Association, largest thoroughbred racing facility in North America
Brooklyn Cyclones, Class A minor league baseball (718) 449-8497
Keyspan Park
1904 Surf Ave & Riegelmann Boardwalk
Brooklyn
Major team is the Mets
Shopping
New York City is a shopper’s paradise. Our stores include everything from the world’s largest department store (Macy’s) to tiny, hip boutiques. You can find anything here from every corner of the globe.
Flagship Department Stores
Macy’s Herald Square, the world’s largest department store, is one of New York City’s most famous retail icons and is renowned for its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Recommended Tours
Tour 1: Museum Mile from the Guggenheim to the Frick Collection
This tour covers many of the famous museums on the city’s Upper East Side, near Central Park. Guggenheim Museum – The Guggenheim is located at Fifth Avenue and 88th Street. Take the number 4, 5 or 6 train to 86th Street. Upon exiting the train, walk west on 86th Street to Central Park. Turn right, walking north, parallel to the park and the Museum will be on the right.
Designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, this mammoth spiral structure inspires as much debate as the art it houses.
Public Schools
Community Colleges
Community colleges exist for two major purposes. The first is to serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree. Four out of 10 collegebound high-school graduates start their college education this way.
The second function of community colleges is to prepare students for the job market by offering entry-level career training as well as courses for adult students who want to upgrade their skills for the workplace. They often offer programs that are not available at four-year schools, like fashion design.
Borough of Manhattan Community College (212) 220-8000
199 Chambers Street, NYC 10007
Located in the heart of this exciting and vibrant city, BMCC reflects the best of downtown Manhattan: the culture of Tribeca, the vibrancy of Wall Street, and the promise of the Statue of Liberty.
Liberal Arts Colleges
Liberal arts colleges offer a broad base of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Most are private and focus mainly on undergraduate students. Classes tend to be small and personal attention is available.
City College of New York (212) 650-7000
138th St & Convent Ave
New York, NY 10031
The oldest of The City University of New York’s (CUNY) 11 senior colleges, City College of New York is really a small university with four renowned professional schools and an outstanding College of Liberal Arts and Science. CCNY is the only public institution of higher learning in Manhattan with a School of Architecture and a School of Engineering.
Online Learning
Recent years have witnessed the rise of online degree programs, to allow the busy professional a chance to work at their own pace from the comfort of their home on the path to getting a degree. The costs to students are typically the same as for traditional classes- and financial aid is equally available-while the cost to the institution can be much less.
There are online universities ranging from legitimate distance learning systems to fly-by-night degree-mills. It’s important to research a particular institution before deciding to enroll in their system. Generally, brick-and-mortar schools that also offer online classes are the safest, though there are plenty of fully accredited online universities out there.
Nearly 3 million students are believed to be taking online classes at institutions of higher education in the United States this year. That number has been growing about 25% a year recently. Now, virtually all public higher education institutions, as well as a vast majority of private, for-profit institutions, now offer online classes. By contrast, only about half of private, nonprofit schools offer them. Online schools offer everything from Associate’s degrees to Doctoral programs with available emphases in everything from Business Administration to Criminal Justice to Nursing. Some programs require students to attend some campus classes or orientations, but many are delivered completely online. Online courses generally require a computer with a broadband connection, but are now a serious option for the busy professional.
Public vs. Private
Public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state residents. They get most of their money from the state or local government. Private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and other private sources. Private colleges are usually smaller and can offer more personalized attention and often more prestige.
Universities
Generally, a university is bigger than a college and offers more majors and research facilities. Class size often reflects institutional size and some classes may taught by graduate students.
Baruch College (646) 312-1000
One Bernard Baruch Way
New York, NY 10010
Located in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, Baruch’s selective admission standards, quality academic programs, and top national rankings make it an exceptional educational value.
City University of New York (212) 794-5555
535 East 80th Street
New York, New York 10021
The City University of New York (CUNY) provides higher education to more than 220,000 degree-seeking students and over 246,000 adult and continuing education students. CUNY consists of 10 senior colleges, a technical college, six community colleges, a graduate center, a law school, and a school of biomedical education. CUNY offers more than 1,450 academic programs, as well as adult and continuing education programs. Courses are taught by approximately 6,200 full-time faculty and 8,400 part-time faculty. In Fiscal 2005, CUNY granted 7,900 graduate and professional degrees, over 15,000 baccalaureate degrees, 9,600 associate degrees, and 140 certificates.
College of Staten Island (718) 982 -2000
2800 Victory Boulevard
Staten Island, NY 10314
The College of Staten Island is unique in the CUNY system due to its expansion of bachelor’s and master’s degree offerings on its park-like Staten Island campus.
Hunter College (212) 772-4000
695 Park Ave
New York, NY 10021
One of the oldest public colleges in the nation and the largest college of the City University of New York, Hunter is a national leader in urban public education.
Upper Division
Upper-division schools offer the last two years of undergraduate study, usually in specialized programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. Students then generally transfer to an upper-division college after completing an associate degree or after finishing a second year of study at a four-year college.
The Graduate Center
The City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue,
New York, NY 10016-4309
The Graduate Center is CUNY’s doctorate-granting institution, with more than a third of its rated Ph.D. programs ranking among the country’s top 20.
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