New York Travel Advisory – The City That Never Sleeps

History

New York City was inhabited by 5,000 Native Americans when it was founded in 1524 by an Italian explorer Giovanni da Varrazzano.  In 1644 the English conquered the city and named it New York.  The city was the location for a series of battles known as the New York Campaign.  The Congress of the Confederation named New York its capital and George Washington was inaugurated their but the capital was later moved to Washington DC.  Anger at military conscription during the civil war led to the worst incidents of civil unrest in the countries history which was known as Draft Riots of 1863.

Geography

New York City is located is southeastern New York State.  The city which is located at the mouth of the Hudson River is mainly built upon three islands Manhattan, Staten, and Long islands. The city is also divided into 5 boroughs, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.  It is the largest and most densely populated city in the United States with an estimated 8.8 million people living in a city with just 6,720 square miles of land.

Climate & Environment

Summers in New York City are hot and humid with average temperatures reaching between 79 and 84 Fahrenheit.  Winters are somewhat mild with average temperatures ranging from between 38 and 43 degrees Fahrenheit.  On average the city receives about 50 inches of precipitation which is evenly spread out during the year.  New York City mass transit system is the most used in the United States and it's gasoline consumption is one of the lowest which makes it the most Energy Efficient City in the United States.

Entertainment and Performing Arts

Today New York City is the second largest center for the film industry trailing only Los Angeles.  The city has over 2000 cultural organizations and more than 500 art galleries.  The city is also home to major cultural institutions which include the world renowned Carnegie hall, and Metropolitan museum of art.  In the late 1800's New York theaters began a new stage form that is today known as the Broadway Musical.

Economy

New York City is a global hub for business and is one of the three largest cities for international business along with Tokyo and London.  The city had a gross metropolitan product of 1.1 trillion dollars in 2005 making it the second largest in the world.  There are 43 of the fortune 500 companies headquartered in New York City.  New York City is also home to the New York Stock Exchange located on Wall Street which is the largest stock exchange in the world.

Transportation

Unlike any other city in the United States the mass transit system is the most popular for of transportation.  Almost 54% of New Yorkers commute to working using mass transit.  Half of New York residents don't own an automobile.  Thirty three percent of the mass transit users in the United States are from New York City and over two thirds of rail users are from New York.  New York is home to three airports JFK international, Newark Liberty International, and LaGuardia which had a passenger volume combined of just over 100 million passengers.