New York City:   Population (2004) 1,562,723 | 5 Boroughs of New York

Empire of human spirit

Can a city have insomnia? Well, New York City is famously known as the “city that never sleeps.” Throughout the world, New York City, or NYC, is famous for its vigorous life. Towering business landmarks, entertainment centers, historical sights and other scenes make the city a cornucopia of attractions and rich influence. Manhattan, a borough of New York City, is no exception.

“Manhattan” originates from the word Manna-hata, which possibly meant to Native Americans, “island of hills.” That’s not surprising, as the community was discovered to be quite hilly before European settlement. It is assumed that around 1524, Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazano explored the New York Harbor. Within a few months, Portuguese Esteban Gomez could have followed him. But there’s no concrete proof that these explorations definitely happened. Nevertheless, in 1609, a Dutchman named Henry Hudson entered Upper New York Bay. He sailed up to what is now the Hudson River.

The state of New York was named after the Duke of York and later James II of England. As part of the Dutch colony, it once had the name New Netherlands. The world famous Statue of Liberty became a testament to what has been the influx of millions of immigrants landing first at Ellis Island, New York City.

With a population of 1.5 million, today’s Manhattan has become the largest central business district in the U.S., and houses the city’s leading corporate headquarters and the New York Stock Exchange. Although Brooklyn and Queens have higher populations, because Manhattan is comparatively small, it’s considered reflective of New York City. So Manhattan is simply referred to as “The City.”

New York City plays at the top of political, economic, and cultural life in the United States. Although less endowed with natural assets than states such as California or Florida, New York and New York City in particular, boasts of much wealth, and a mixture of vast resources. Have you ever wondered why New York is called the Empire State? President George Washington once predicted that New York would become the seat of the new empire. The “empire” has indeed dictated much of the country’s direction in commerce, finance, and the arts. Furthermore, New York City also plays a dominant role in the country’s international business.

The most renown infrastructures in Manhattan include the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, New York University, Columbia University, the theater district around Broadway, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the American Museum of National History, the financial citadel around Wall Street, Central Park, and Chinatown.

The term “New York minute” is Manhattan in a nutshell; it refers to the borough’s rapid pace.

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