NEW YORK

New York USAGeneral

  • Nickname: Empire State
  • State bird: Bluebird
  • State flower: Rose
  • Capital: Albany
  • Date of admission to the Union: 26th July 1788 (original 13 States; date of ratification of the Constitution)
  • Population: 18,197,000 (1999)
  • Population Density: 129.0/sq km
  • 1999 Total overseas arrivals/US Ranking: 5,798,000/3
  • Time: GMT - 5. Daylight Saving Time is observed.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)

Upper West Side
Home to musicians, intellectuals and celebrities, the Upper West Side spans north and south from 110th Street to Central Park and runs westward from Columbus Circle to the Hudson River. Major attractions include Lincoln Center, American Museum of Natural History, and Zabars! Columbus Avenue, one of the neighborhood's main thoroughfares, is a prime shopping, dining and people-watching strip, particularly between West 65th and 86th streets. Central Park West has recently been anointed Manhattan's "sexiest" address by New York Magazine.

Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is where the wealthy and socially prominent reside. The neighborhood extends from 59th to 96th streets and from the East River to Fifth Avenue. Many of New York's finest Museums are located in the district, including the Frick Collection, the Whitney Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Jewish Museum. Madison Avenue is the area's most prestigious shopping precinct. 

 

Midtown
Midtown, which extends from 34th Street to Central Park South between First and Eighth Avenues, is Manhattan's main business, commercial and shopping district. Many famous landmarks are here, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center. 
Other attractions include the United Nations, the Museum of Modern Art, the New York Public Library, the Pierpont Morgan Library, the Museum of Television and Radio, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. 

Midtown is the centre of many visitors' trips to New York City. The beautifully restored Grand Central Terminal is paces away from the Chrysler Building, the United Nations complex, Rockefeller Centre, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Trump Tower. There's the fascinating Morgan Library and the awesome New York Public Library, both of which have changing exhibitions. Behind the public library is the lovely Bryant Park, which hosts Broadway Under the Stars, free movies and music events in summer. And what says New York better than Fifth Avenue stores? Midtown also includes the new, revitalized Times Square and the Theatre District, where world-famous Broadway productions wow audiences nightly. Have a drink at a forty-foot guitar-shaped bar and gaze at memorabilia from your favourite rock stars at the Hard Rock Cafe. Explore pop culture and history in Madame Tussaud's where over 200 celebrities provide you with the interactive experience of a lifetime. The Museum of Modern Art, a midtown attraction now back in a larger renovated space, showcases the best in contemporary art. For more museums, check out the Museum of Television & Radio, the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, the American Craft Museum. Music aficionados can visit Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. Make sure to stop by NYC's Official Visitor Information Centre (810 Seventh Avenue between 52nd and 53rd streets) to speak with travel counsellors and pick up free brochures and discount coupons. The Diamond District is on 47th Street but if you'd rather invest in art, explore the galleries along 57th Street.


Chelsea
Within the boundaries of this revitalized neighborhood (29th Street to the north, 14th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue to the east and the Hudson River to the west), you'll find the Joyce Theater for dance, the Empire Diner for 24-hour eats, and the Chelsea Pier Sports and Entertainment Complex. 

Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village is located between 14th and Houston streets, and the Hudson and East Rivers. With Broadway dividing it, the Village comprises two separate neighborhoods. The West Village exudes a small-town feel with its tree-lined streets and 19th century row houses. Jazz clubs are a staple of the historic West Village. The East Village, the land of punk and funk, features experimental theaters, avant garde clubs and kitschy boutiques. Madonna lived here before she became a star. 

The Lower East Side
This is New York's landmark historic Jewish neighbourhood, which was once the world's largest Jewish community. It was here that the New York garment industry began. Today it is one of New York's favourite bargain beats, where serious shoppers find fantastic bargains (especially along Orchard Street on a Sunday afternoon), cutting-edge new designers, and hot bars and music venues - and possibly the best place to get a great pastrami sandwich, pickles out of a barrel, and the world's best bialys. Try Katz's Delicatessen (205 East Houston St.), the oldest and largest real NY deli, founded in 1888.

Bounded by Houston Street, Canal Street, and the FDR Drive, the neighborhood's center is Orchard Street. Once a Jewish wholesale enclave, this street is a true multicultural blend, with trendy boutiques, French cafés, and velvet-roped nightspots sprinkled among dry-goods discounters, Spanish bodegas, and mom-and-pop shops selling everything from T-shirts to designer fashions to menorahs. Orchard is lined with small shops purveying clothing and shoes at great prices. Grand, Orchard, and Delancey Streets are treasure troves for linens, towels, and other housewares, and the traditional Sunday street vendors (Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, is observed by many shopkeepers as a day of rest) offer great opportunities to hone your bargaining skills! At Shapiro's Winery visitors can taste one of their 32 flavors of wine, and at Streit's bakery, matzoh mavens can sample the freshly baked unleavened bread as it rolls off the conveyor belts behind the counter.

SoHo
SoHo is a neighborhood rich in 19th-century cast-iron architecture, contemporary art galleries, trendy boutiques and eclectic restaurants. The name is an acronym which comes from the area's location SOuth of HOuston. 

Murray Hill
 This ritzy, predominately residential neighborhood is bordered by 23rd Street in the south to 42nd Street north, 1st Avenue east and 5th Avenue west. Residential buildings in this neighborhood tend to be upscale, with elevators, 24-hour doorman service and sophisticated lobbies. The area touts the world famous Empire State Building, fabulous shopping along Madison and Fifth Avenues, and glamorous residences of Park Avenue. Ideal for ambassadors, executives and those who enjoy the finer aspects of life, this neighborhood is readily accessible to Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building and United Nations Headquarters.

 

The State: -

New York State can be divided into 11 holiday regions - New York City, Long Island, The Catskills, Capital-Saratoga, The Adirondacks, Finger Lakes, Thousand Islands-Seaway, Chautauqua-Allegheny, Central-Leatherstocking, Greater Niagara and Hudson Valley.
There is only one New York City. No other American metropolis even comes close to it in terms of population, diversity of culture, entertainment, business and commerce. Yet within a day's drive, visitors can find fine beaches and seascapes; quiet, forested mountains, quaint small towns, and plenty of historical sightseeing.

Long Island, a short train ride east of Manhattan, is the largest island adjoining the continental USA. A popular destination for native city dwellers, Long Island has recently been discovered by everyone else. It boasts some beautiful white sand beaches, as well as the celebrated seaside resort of Hamptons.
To the north of the city lie the Hudson River Valley and the resort area of The Catskills. Many visitors have compared the Hudson River with the Rhine - both feature busy boat traffic, dramatic cliffs, green hills and magnificent mansions. The Catskills, situated almost in New York City's backyard, are among the State's leading resort areas. A haven for outdoor enthusiasts, the region offers a range of activities including fishing and skiing, as well as some fascinating historical buildings.
New York State's capital, Albany, lies in the Capital-Saratoga region, north of the Hudson Valley. Its fine museums are among the oldest in the country. Saratoga Springs has been a leading spa and horse-racing centre since the late 1800s and is the ?summer home away from home' for the New York City Opera and Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra.

The Finger Lakes region in Central New York is dotted with resorts, campsites, water recreation areas, fine lakes and woodland scenery. Gouged into the land by the action of prehistoric glaciers, 11 slender lakes extend from north to south like the fingers of a hand. The area used to be famous for the quality of its glass, and today is known as the State's prime wine-producing region.

The Greater Niagara region is home to the State's second-largest city, Buffalo, a major industrial centre with a strong sense of history. It is a good base from which to plan an excursion to the most celebrated natural attraction in New York State, the 56m (184ft) Niagara Falls, which can be visited on foot, by boat or by helicopter. The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, plunging down to form the celebrated falls in the process.

The lakes and rivers of the Chautauqua-Allegheny region offer a range of outdoor recreational activities. Visitors can also tour Amish communities, Native American reservations and wineries; the region is the largest grape-growing area outside California.

The Adirondacks region is where James Fenimore Cooper set the action of his legendary novel, The Last of the Mohicans. Adirondack Park is the largest State park in the USA at 2.4 million hectares (6 million acres). The region is known for its woodland cabins, luxurious lakeside resort hotels and the prospect of canoeing, salmon fishing and big-game hunting.

The adjacent Thousand Islands-Seaway region offers a host of summer activities, including cruises among the many picturesque islands. More than 320km (200 miles) of spectacular coastline can be seen from the famous Seaway Trail byway, a scenic route stretching 700km (454 miles) past Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River.
The Central-Leatherstocking region was once the USA's western frontier, but is known today for its Native American memorials and sporting museums, including the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.