The Big Apple. Gotham. “The” City. New York City is without a doubt one of the most well known and exciting cities in the entire world. With over 8 million inhabitants, it the largest city in the United States, and is the home of Broadway, Wall Street, and the United Nations. It has been the birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance, abstract expressionism, and hip-hop music, as well as notables such as Al Capone, George Gershwin, Michael Jordan, Mary Tyler Moore, and Eleanor Roosevelt. New York City is truly a must-see place for anyone interested in culture, history, politics, business, travel, or just about any other topic in American life. The city is comprised of five boughs (The Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island), and each has a variety of things to do and see if you are visiting that part of the city. Of course, there are many sighseeing attractions in these different parts of the city.
Located at the northernmost tip of the city, the Bronx is where it is traditionally said that rap and hip-hop music got their starts. It is the home of the Bronx Museum of the Arts, which houses themed exhibits that are of particular interest to those living in the area, like the work of artists from Africa. While here, you can also visit the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo. One of the most popular destinations, however, is Yankee Stadium, home of the professional baseball team the New York Yankees, which is one of the most popular teams in the country. At Yankee Stadium, you can also find Monument Pack, which honors players in Yankee history. A number of bridges and tunnels connect the Bronx with Manhattan and Queens, and you can travel the area extensively by subway as well.
When most people think about New York City, this is the bough they envision. Manhattan is the most densely populated city in the United States and is home to a number of landmarks, including the spot where the Twin Towers stood before the 2001 terrorist attacks. There are a variety of neighborhood within Manhattan, including SoHo, a commercial area known for its great shopping centers and upscale designers; the East Village, a Bohemian part of the city; and the Upper East Side, which is one of the wealthiest places to live in the United States. Times Square is, of course, one of the most popular locations in this part of the city, being the cultural center of New York City. From there, you can easily walk or take a quick subway ride to a number of Broadway theatres, the Metropolitan Opera, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and Central Park.
Queens is the largest borough in New York City in regards to land and is comprised of a large number of immigrants. The John F. Kennedy International Airport, one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, is found in Queens, as is the La Guardia Airport. The New York Mets call Queens home, and the western part of the borough is an artistic center, where you’ll find the Noguchi Museum, the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, the American Museum of the Moving Image, and the Socrates Sculpture Park.
Adjoined to Queens is the borough of Brooklyn and is the most populated part of the city. In fact, if Brooklyn were a city apart from New York City, it would still be the third most populated city in the world! One of the most popular tourist destinations in this part of the city is the Brooklyn Museum, which houses over 1.5 million objects of interest, including a large collection of ancient Egyptian art. If you love amusement parks, Coney Island is also found in Brooklyn and is the site of the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Lastly, if you’re interested in a more suburban part of New York City, Staten Island is the place for you. The island is probably most famous for the Fresh Kills Landfill, which was the largest methane pollution site in the world before it closed in 2001. It briefly reopened in September of the same year to received the wreckage from the World Trade Center, as well as to serve as a crime lab from police officer looking for remains. However, also found on Staten Island are a number of museums, including the Staten Island Museum, the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, and the John Noble Collection. Like the rest of the city, this is a place of culture and history, so no matter where in New York City you travel—be it Staten Island or elsewhere—you will find something to interest everyone.