New York City: Guide
New York City, NY is one of the most famous cities in the world and has the largest population of any city in the US. One of the world's financial, commercial and cultural capitals, New York City is host to some of the biggest names in modern media and is even the home of the United Nations headquarters. Also one of the most culturally diverse areas in the world, an estimated 170 languages are thought to be spoken in the city and almost 40% of the population is made up of immigrants. The city has earned several nicknames, the most famous of which are probably the Big Apple and "The City that Never Sleeps". NYC is also quite notably home to some of the most famous landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. New York City was the capital of the US for five years, from 1785 to 1790, and has remained the country's largest city ever since.
The city itself is comprised of five distinct areas known as the Five Boroughs. These boroughs are known as Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, and each borough also has its own characteristics aside from New York City as a whole. Although these five boroughs exist, many people will assume Manhattan when talking about New York City since this area contains much of the focus of the city. In fact, Manhattan receives so much attention many people will refer to the other four boroughs as the "Outer Boroughs" even though it is actually the border between Brooklyn and Queens that lies at the physical center of New York City.
New York City itself is an exciting development opportunity waiting to be tapped into thanks to a number of factors about the city. New York as a whole is a highly desirable area with Staten Island at the top of the list as the most expensive and sought after homes can be found in this borough. New York City boasts many great tourist attractions and each borough has its own highlights to share with tourists and residents alike including the Bronx which boasts the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, featuring over 6000 kinds of animal and covering over 200 acres of land.
New York City has a massive growing population well in excess of 8 million people within these five boroughs and for the most part New York City is made up of over developed islands. Some areas such as the Bronx still have plenty of land to spare but they enjoy a multitude of parks and gardens instead that fills up this much desired space. That's good news for investors who rely on the heavy population to increase demand and push appreciation and sales upwards.
In addition to this New York's island structure and high population growth has resulted in limited space for development which means highly competitive markets for the investor to enjoy. New developments are still taking place however in areas such as Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens and more investment opportunities are available every day.
Naturally New York City also boasts one of the most famous monuments in the world known as the Statue of Liberty which stands tall on the uninhabited Liberty Island. This island sees more than 15,000 visitors per day and is situated in New York Harbor where it is closely guarded and patrolled by the Unit States Park Police Marine Patrol Unit. Although the ownership of this island has been challenged in the past thanks to it's close proximity to New Jersey, the supply of utilities from New Jersey and being clearly displayed well within New Jersey bounds on official maps, Liberty Island has been ruled as owned by New York State but it still remains a focal point for both New York State and New Jersey.
New York City has a rich history too, with some interesting architectural remnants, and has been the source of many movements, including the birth of hip hop, salsa, punk, and abstract expressionism. Originally a trading post founded by the Dutch in 1624, New York City was known as New Amsterdam until the British took over in the mid 1600s. The city was the setting for many battles during the 1700s and it became a focal point for the British military until they left in 1783. One of the most notable events to take place in New York City was the inauguration of the very first President of the United States, George Washington at Federal Hall.
New York City has always been heavily populated, but it wasn't until 1790 that NYC overtook Philadelphia as the largest city in the US. The city kept on growing, and by 1920 had even surpassed London as one of the most populous areas in the world. In the early 1930s New York City became the world's first ever megacity with a metropolitan area containing an astounding 10 million citizens.
One of the things New York City is known for is its 24-hour, all access use of mass transit. What many people don't know is that the large usage of mass transit in NYC saves billions of gallons of oil yearly, almost half of all the oil saved by transit across the country. With all the activity in New York you may also be surprised to hear that New York City is one of the most energy efficient cities, using far less electricity and emitting far less greenhouse gases than almost anywhere else in the US.
The city government has also taken important steps to making the city more environmentally friendly, using compressed natural gas and clean air diesel-hybrid buses in its fleet. NYC has a unique position with regards to its water supply too, with access to drinking water from the Catskill Mountains watershed. This makes NYC one of the few cities in the US which does not require purification plants to treat the water supply.
All in all, New York City, NY is one of the most diverse and interesting places on Earth. Whether considering tourism, real estate, history and cultural significance, NYC simply cannot be overlooked.