About Manhattan

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 is the borough that many visitors most closely associate with New York City.  Manhattan refers to the Island of Manhattan and encompasses most of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the five boroughs of New York City. Manhattan is coterminous with New York County, which is the most densely populated county in the United States. Although its population is third largest of the five boroughs, after Brooklyn and Queens, and it is geographically the smallest.

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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. Despite these early encounters, the Dutch settled New York first, after explorer Henry Hudson lent his name to the world’s largest tidal river. In 1625, six farms called “bouweries” were started in Manhattan.

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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.

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Housing

Finding an apartment in Manhattan can be a daunting process. In today’s tight real estate market, stories abound about apartment hunters seeing scores of units before finding a suitable one, only to be outbid by a prospective tenant with check in hand. It is also common to hear anecdotes about unbelievable deals on centrally-placed apartments found simply by word-of-mouth. Here are several ways to go about looking for the right place.

Brokers

One of the most common methods of finding an apartment in New York City is using a real estate broker. If you know what neighborhood you want to live in, it’s usually best to find a broker based there. Many brokers also have Web sites where you can view available apartments, sometimes even with photos and detailed descriptions.

Word-of-Mouth

There is good news for those who would prefer not to pay hefty brokers’ fees: a substantial number of New Yorkers find their units by word-of-mouth, mostly from friends, relatives, and co-workers. If you’re looking for an apartment, make sure everyone you know knows that you’re looking.

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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.

By Car

Manhattan is really best traveled some other way, by cab or subway, instead of driven.  The city is designed for pedestrian travel.  If you do decide to drive, you’ll have to cross a bridge or go through a tunnel to get to the island.  Once there, the streets are laid out in a grid pattern, so navigation isn’t too hard, as long as you watch for one way streets.  Everything here is extremely expensive as far as using a car, from parking to renting, so consider another way.

Voter Registration

New York Board of Elections
(800) FOR-VOTE
www.elections.state.ny.us

To Vote in New York, you must be:

• A United States citizen.
• 18 years old by the date of the election
• Live at your current address at least 30 days prior to an election.
• Not be in jail, or on parole, for a felony conviction.
• Submit your registration application 25 days prior to the date of election.

You can register in person at the County Board of Elections or register when you apply for your driver license, or by filling out a form online at the New York Board of Elections Website.

Public Transportation

Getting around New York City is a breeze, thanks to 3,700 buses, 714 miles of subways, 12,000 taxis and limousines, and countless feeder roads. There are also ferries, helicopters, bicycles, and frequent Amtrak and commuter rail service. And don’t forget your feet! NYC is a walking city – flat and much of it on a grid.

Buses

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)

(718) 330-1234

www.mta.nyc.ny.us

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.

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.

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Air Transportation

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

Jamaica, New York 11430

(718) 244-4444

www.kennedyairport.com

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)

Flushing, New York 11371

(718) 426-5000

www.laguardiaairport.com

LGA is located on the waterfront of Flushing in the borough of Queens. It is named after a former Mayor of New York, Fiorello LaGuardia and is the smallest of the New York area’s three primary commercial airports.

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Area Codes
212 and 646 Manhattan
718 and 347 Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island
516 and 631 Long Island
917 overlay originally for cellular, pagers, voice mail; now has some regular numbers; overlays all 5 borough areas.

Television

Radio

Newspapers

The Daily News
450 W. 33 Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 210-2100
www.nydailynews.com
The 7th largest daily newspaper and the first U.S. daily printed in tabloid form.

New York Post
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036-8790
(212) 930-8000
www.nypost.com
The oldest newspaper to have been published continually as a daily paper.

New York Times
800-NYTIMES
www.nytimes.com
A daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally

The Wall Street Journal
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281
(212) 416-2000
www.wsj.com
An influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with a worldwide average daily circulation of more than 2.6 million as of 2005.

Dining

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.

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Attractions

Bronx Zoo

Fordham Rd. and Bronx River Pkwy.
Bronx
(718) 367-1010
www.wcs.org/zoos

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

1000 Washington Ave
(718) 623-7200
www.bbg.org

Chrysler Building

405 Lexington Ave at 42nd St

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Museums

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Fifth Ave. at 82nd St
(212) 535-7710
www.metmuseum.org

Museum of Jewish Heritage

36 Battery Place  at First Place
Battery Park City
(212) 968-1800
www.mjhnyc.org

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Recommended Tours

Tour One: 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. The museum permanently displays works by Chagall, Picasso, Kandinsky, Klee, Van Gogh and many others. The Guggenheim also mounts temporary shows.

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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. A highlight is The Cellar, a gourmet paradise featuring everything from unique utensils to creative takeout cuisine. With 10 floors and half a million items for sale, it’s a good idea for first-time shoppers to head up to the Visitor’s Center on the 34th Street balcony.

Affectionately known as “Bloomie’s,” Bloomingdale’s has been a Saturday afternoon “see-and-be-seen” institution for decades. This East Side Mecca’s main floor handbag department has one of the best selections in the city. Visitors can find young designer favorites on the second floor, and the tempting fourth floor shoe salon stocks many of the models seen in fashion magazines. Thousands line up during the holiday season to see the whimsical Christmas window displays.

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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
Nassau County, NY
(718) 641-4700
The New York Racing Association, largest thoroughbred racing facility in North America

Brooklyn Cyclones
Keyspan Park
1904 Surf Ave & Riegelmann Boardwalk
Brooklyn
(718) 449-8497
Class A minor league baseball, affiliated with the MLB’s Mets

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Public Education

New York City Department of Education
52 Chambers Street
New York NY 10007
(718) 935-2000
schools.nyc.gov
There have been recent changes to create a world-class school system for the city’s 1.1 million school children.  These reforms, called Children First have reorganized the school system to focus the organization on creating 1,400 great schools. The school system is now organized into 10 Regions across the city – each of which includes approximately 120 schools. Each Region contains 2, 3 or 4 Community School Districts, as well as the high schools located within their geographic boundaries. Please visit the website to help you locate and learn about your region.

Higher Education

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.

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.

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Area Employers

Here us a sampling of the many potential employers in the area:

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