New York City

"New York, New York" and "NYC" redirect here. For other uses, see New York, New York (disambiguation) and NYC (disambiguation).

This article is about the city. For other uses, see New York City (disambiguation).

City of New York — City — From top left: Midtown Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, the United Nations Headquarters, the Empire State Building, and Lower Manhattan with the Brooklyn Bridge Flag Seal Nickname(s): The Big Apple, The Concrete Jungle, The City That Never Sleeps, The Capital of The World (Caput Mundi), The Center of the Universe, NYC, Gotham, The Greatest City in The World, The Empire City, The City So Nice They Named It Twice, The City. Location in the state of New York City of New York Location in the United States Coordinates: 40°43′N 74°0′W / 40.717°N 74°W / 40.717; -74 Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1624 Government - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) [1] Area - City 468.9 sq mi (1,214.4 km2) - Land 304.8 sq mi (789.4 km2) - Water 165.6 sq mi (428.8 km2) - Urban 3,352.6 sq mi (8,683.2 km2) - Metro 6,720 sq mi (17,405 km2) Elevation 33 ft (10 m) Population (July 1, 2008)[2] - City 8,363,710 - Density 27,440/sq mi (10,606/km2) - Urban 18,223,567 - Urban Density 5,435.7/sq mi (2,098.7/km2) - Metro 19,006,798 - Metro Density 2,828.4/sq mi (1,092/km2) - Demonym New Yorker Time zone EST (UTC-5) - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4) ZIP codes 100xx-104xx, 11004-05, 111xx-114xx, 116xx Area code(s) 212, 718, 917, 347, 646 Website www.nyc.gov

New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is one of the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over global commerce, finance, media, culture, art, fashion, research, and entertainment. As host of the United Nations Headquarters, it is also an important center for international affairs. The city is often referred to as New York City or The City of New York to distinguish it from the state of New York, of which it is a part.

Located on a large natural harbor on the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, the city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The city's 2008 estimated population exceeds 8.3 million people,^[2] and with a land area of 305 square miles (790 km²),^[3][4] New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States.^[5] The New York metropolitan area's population is also the nation's largest, estimated at 19.1 million people over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km²). Furthermore, the Combined Statistical Area containing the Greater New York metropolitan area contained 22.232 million people as of 2009 Census estimates, also the largest in the United States.

New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under English control.^[6] New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790.^[7] It has been the country's largest city since 1790.^[8]

Many districts and landmarks in the city have become well known to outsiders. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Times Square, iconified as "The Crossroads of the World", is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway theater district and is one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections. Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, has been a premier global financial center since World War II and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies. Manhattan's architectural skyline is universally recognized, and the city has been home to several of the tallest buildings in the world, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the twin towers of the former World Trade Center. The original Chinatown in Lower Manhattan is one of the most prominent ethnic Chinese enclaves outside of Asia and draws throngs of tourists to its bustling sidewalks, restaurants, and discount retail establishments.

Mass transit in New York City, most of which runs 24 hours a day, is the most complex and extensive in North America. Approximately one third of mass transit ridership and two thirds of rail ridership in the United States originates from within the New York metropolitan area. The iconic New York City Subway system is the busiest in the Western Hemisphere, while Grand Central Terminal, also popularly referred to as Grand Central Station, is the world's largest railway station by number of platforms. New York's airspace is one of the world's busiest air transportation corridors. The George Washington Bridge is the world's busiest motor vehicle bridge.^[9]

New York City is famous for its ethnic diversity and population density. In 2005, nearly 170 languages were spoken in the city, and 36% of its population was born outside the United States;^[10][11] the New York region continues to be the largest metropolitan gateway for legal immigrants to the United States.^[12]

New York City carries an important role as a center of culture. The city prominently excels in its spheres of art, cuisine, dance, music, opera, theater, independent film, fashion, museums, and literature. The New York Times has won more Pulitzer Prizes for journalism than any other news publication. The city is the birthplace of many cultural movements, including the Harlem Renaissance in literature and visual art; abstract expressionism (also known as the New York School) in painting; and hip hop,^[13] punk,^[14] salsa, disco, freestyle, and Tin Pan Alley in music. New York is also widely celebrated in popular lore, featured frequently as the setting for books, movies, and television programs.