The City in Brief
Founded: 1613 (incorporated, 1898)
Head Official: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (R) (since 2002)
City Population
1980: 7,071,639
1990: 7,322,564
2000: 8,008,278
2004 estimate: 8,104,079
Percent change, 1990-2000: 9.36%
U.S. rank in 1980: 1st (State rank: 1st)
U.S. rank in 1990: 1st (State rank: 1st)
U.S. rank in 2000: 1st (State rank: 1st)
Metropolitan Area Population (PMSA)
1980: 8,275,000
1990: 8,546,846
2000: 9,314,235
Percent change, 1990-2000: 8.98%
U.S. rank in 1980: 1st (CMSA)
U.S. rank in 1990: 1st (PMSA)
U.S. rank in 2000: 1st (PMSA)
Area: 303 square miles (2000)
Elevation: 50 to 800 feet above sea level
Average Annual Temperature: 54.91° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 42.6 inches of total precipitation; 26.5 inches of snow
Major Economic Sectors: Education and health services; trade, transportation and utilities; government; professional and business services; financial services; leisure and hospitality
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (April 2005)
Per Capita Income: $22,402 (1999)
2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 250,630
Major Colleges and Universities: City University of New York (several branches); CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Mt. Sinai School of Medicine; State University of New York’s Downstate Medical Center and Maritime College; New York University; Columbia University; Juilliard School
Daily Newspapers: The New York Times; New York Daily News; The New York Post; Newsday
Introduction
The ”Big Apple,” the ”City That Never Sleeps”—New York is a city of superlatives: America’s biggest; its most exciting; its business and cultural capitals; the nation’s trendsetter. The city seems to pull in the best and the brightest from every corner of the country. The city’s ethnic flavor has been nuanced by decades of immigrants whose first glimpse of America was the Statue of Liberty guarding New York Harbor and by large expatriate communities such as the United Nations headquartered there. Just minutes from the multimillion-dollar two-bedroom co-op apartments of Park Avenue, though, lies some of the most dire urban poverty in America. But the attendant crime that affects New Yorkers and visitors alike has seen a continued dramatic reduction from 1993 to 2004—NYC has a murder rate half that of cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago, in part as the result of a concerted effort by local agencies. But for all its eight million residents, New York remains a city of neighborhoods, whether it’s avant-garde Greenwich Village, bustling Harlem, the ultra-sophisticated Tri BeCa, or one of the ethnic enclaves such as Little Italy or Chinatown. And a cleaner, brighter, safer New York is attracting people from around the world who are coming to enjoy the city’s renaissance.
Geography and Climate
New York, located on the Atlantic Coastal Plain at the mouth of the Hudson River, is a city made up mostly of islands. Of the city’s five boroughs, only the Bronx is contiguous to upstate New York. The larger metropolitan area takes in Long Island, northern New Jersey, and southwestern Connecticut. Commuters now live as far away as eastern Pennsylvania. The city lies at the conjunction of the Hudson and East Rivers with New York Bay leading to the Atlantic Ocean. The weather is mostly continental with the ocean moderating summer temperatures and keeping the humidity relatively high. Due to the number of colossal buildings and the city’s high level of energy use, New York City tends to have its own ”micro-climate” of warmer summers and winters than surrounding areas.
Area: 303 square miles (2000)
Elevation: 50 to 800 feet above sea level
Average Temperatures: January, 32.4° F; July, 76.9° F; annual average 54.91° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 42.6 inches of total precipitation; 26.5 inches of snowfall
History
Islands Draw Native American, Dutch, and English Settlement
Imagine a New York City lacquered in ice, specifically the last ice age that covered a good part of the continent more than 15,000 years ago. As the ice began to retreat, it simultaneously scraped minerals out of the earth and deposited rocks and soil in its path. Two of the terminal moraine deposits eventually became present-day Staten Island and Long Island. Early inhabitants were drawn to the fertile ground, the abundant fauna, and the clean rivers; archeological evidence suggests that the area was first peopled around 6,000 years after the retreat of the glaciers. The abundant waterways surrounding modern-day New York eventually made the area an ideal base for Algonquian tribes, who lived on the banks of the harbor at the time of initial European discovery.
Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano was the first European to arrive in the region, landing at Staten Island in 1524 and mapping the region. Henry Hudson, however, became the first European to reach Manhattan in 1609 and then sailed up the river that would later bear his name. Hudson’s mission had been to look for the fabled Northwest Passage to the Orient. Although English, Hudson represented a Dutch concern. The Dutch West India Company dispatched the first permanent settlers to Manhattan Island in 1624. They established Fort Amsterdam, which grew into the town of New Amsterdam as more settlers arrived. In 1626, the fledgling town’s governor, Peter Minuit, bought Manhattan—meaning ”Island of Hills”—from the Ca-narsie tribe for 24 dollars’ worth of beads and trinkets; locals sometimes cite this transaction as one of the last real estate bargains in New York.
New Amsterdam’s population grew to roughly 1,000 people by the 1650s, but strife between Europeans and local Native Americans—who resisted being taxed by the settlers—also escalated. The Dutch West India Company, fearing the strife could hurt its economic interests, selected the autocratic Peter Stuyvesant to end the troubles. Stuyvesant, who was fitted with a decorated wooden leg and known as ”Hardheaded Pete,” was able to restore peace locally, but during his seventeen-year rule the Dutch and the English fought three naval wars. The English early recognized the trading potential of the site. Finally, in 1664, English war ships arrived in New York Harbor. Stuyvesant surrendered and the town was renamed New York in honor of the Duke of York. New York prospered under English rule, as the population swelled to 7,000 people by 1700. The first newspaper, The New York Gazette, was published in 1725 and King’s College, now called Columbia University, opened in 1754.
New York has always thrived on rough-and-tumble politics, beginning as early as the Revolutionary War era. The Stamp Act Congress, which protested unfair taxes levied by the British rulers, met there in 1765 and five years later New Yorkers first clashed with British troops. American forces took control of New York at the start of the war, but British troops recaptured the area after the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776 and held New York until the end of the war in 1783. Two years later, New York was made the temporary capital of the new nation and was the seat of Congress until 1790. New York City hosted the first presidential inauguration, as George Washington was sworn in there in 1789.
New Residents Bring Growth, Challenges
New York was once smaller than the other two colonial centers, Philadelphia and Boston. But its importance as the major East Coast port brought millions of immigrants, many of whom settled in ethnic ghettos. German, Irish, and other northern European immigrants flocked to the city throughout the 1800s, drawn by the lure of working on the city’s docks and in its mills. By the last two decades of that century, Italian and many eastern Europeans also began arriving. With them came a variety of religions, including Catholicism, which heightened cultural and racial tensions between old and new residents. The immigrants, a number of whom did not speak English, came to depend on the Democratic Party-controlled Tammany Hall, a political machine that dispensed jobs and advice to immigrants in return for their votes. Led by William ”Boss” Tweed, Tammany Hall eventually collapsed under the weight of its own corruption, and Tweed himself was arrested in 1871 on charges of cheating the city of as much as $200 million.
At the same time, nationwide unrest was fomenting around the issues of states’ rights and slavery. New York was not a center of abolitionist sentiment during the Civil War, despite joining the Union; merchants feared trade with important Southern industries would be damaged. When army conscription was established in 1863 to fill dwindling Union ranks, riots broke out that eventually killed about 1,000 people, including many African Americans who were lynched. Order was not restored until troops arrived from Gettysburg to quell the disturbances.
Various political coalitions struggled to rule the city until Fiorello LaGuardia, nicknamed ”The Little Flower,” was elected mayor in 1934. LaGuardia, for whom one of the city’s two major airports is now named, brought a spirit of reform to a city $30 million in debt in the middle of the Great Depression. He restored fiscal stability during his tenure, which ran until 1945, fought growing crime, and also introduced public welfare services to the city. New York’s place as a world capital was bolstered in 1946 by its selection as headquarters for the United Nations. World Fairs held in
New York City, the first in 1939 featuring the introduction of television and a second in 1964, further enhanced the reputation of the metropolis.
Growth Balanced by Reform
As the science of civil engineering grew, so did the city. Brooklyn for example was fairly isolated from the rest of the area until the Brooklyn Bridge was finished in 1883. But Brooklyn and three other then-separate boroughs—the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island—did not join with Manhattan to become New York City as it is known today until 1898. Manhattan then counted the largest population, but the expanding network of bridges and tunnels leading to and from the island allowed New York City workers to spread to outlying areas.
By the 1960s, though, the city seemed nearly ungovernable. Striking transit workers shut down all subway and bus service—in a city dependent on mass transit—in 1966. A 1968 garbage workers’ strike left mountains of trash to pile up on hot city streets for nine days. Police and firefighters struck in 1971 and by 1975 the city faced bankruptcy or a default on its bond payments. A bailout from the federal government helped stabilize the crisis. Into that void stepped Edward Koch. Elected mayor in 1978, Koch helped return the city to a delicate balance between competing social forces and introduced his trademark phrase: ”How am I doing?” In 1989 David N. Dinkins became New York City’s first African American mayor, inheriting the stewardship of a city mired in the worst recession in the post-World War era and the demise of which was predicted daily, as has been the case throughout its history. The tenure of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the 1990s saw a historic reduction of the city’s crime rate, several years of balanced budgets, and a much-hailed improvement in the overall quality of life of city residents. Mayor Giuliani had entered office on the heels of the World Trade Center bombing on February 26, 1993, in which six people were killed, thousands more were injured, and extensive property damage was incurred. Before leaving office in January 2002, he was faced with an unimaginable tragedy—September 11, 2001.9/11: Sadness and Solidarity Most citizens of the United States remember exactly what they were doing on the morning of September 11,2001, when they heard the news—a plane had struck the north tower of the World Trade Center (WTC) complex in New York City. Initial reports were that it was an accident until many of those same people watched, stunned and horrified, as live television chronicled the second plane crashing into the south tower. Thirty-five minutes later, word came that a third plane had hit the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., followed by the downing of a fourth plane in a Pennsylvania field. Compounding the tragedy was the stark realization that the weapons used against the World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon were hijacked U.S. commercial airliners, full of travelers. The magnitude of lost lives was overwhelming, nowhere more than in the streets of New York where citizens witnessed the crashes with their own eyes. Within minutes, emergency personnel from across the massive city were mobilized to respond to the WTC crash sites.
The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were dependent on a central structural core, and the impact and jet fuel fires from the planes had first sent shockwaves down the length of each building and then compromised the supporting structure. At 9:59 a.m., as office workers, janitors, and executives fled the World Trade Center—while rescue workers filed in to help them to safety—the south tower suddenly collapsed into a heap of rubble. The north tower followed a half-hour later. Hundreds of rescue workers and thousands of WTC workers and visitors were killed or injured. The U.S. Government ultimately determined that the four attacks on 9/11 were a symbolic strike at the financial and military emblems of the country and were coordinated through a Muslim terrorist group, al-Qaeda, under the leadership of a man named Osama bin Ladin.
In the days after 9/11, New Yorkers pulled together with a new appreciation for each other and their city. Thousands of volunteers hailing from the city and far beyond gathered to offer aid for rescue, recovery, and clean-up efforts, while donations avalanched in from across the country to support the injured and bereft. Mayor Giuliani was onsite at Ground Zero soon after the attacks, and he stayed onsite to boost the morale of workers and volunteers. The city as a whole vowed that it couldn’t be brought to its knees by fear-based tactics, and plans were almost immediately put into effect to prove just that.
While the smoke was still rising, New York Governor George Pataki and Mayor Giuliani created the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to oversee the design and construction of a lasting memorial to the victims of 9/11, while also generating a plan to rebuild and revitalize the area most profoundly affected by the horrific events. Mere months later, mayor-elect Michael Bloomberg continued the momentum and supported the previous administration’s steps to remediate the damage.
Spontaneous memorials had been started soon after the collapse of the towers, and the need for a more permanent observation of the events and recognition of the victims was quickly deemed necessary. A design competition for the memorial was held in 2002, with the idea of architect David Childs being selected as the favorite. The ”Freedom Tower,” as redesigned in 2005, will eventually surpass the height of the original Twin Towers and will feature an observation deck, office space, listings of the names of victims of the tragedy, and a spire of light beaming endlessly into space from the top of the structure. Groundbreaking for the Freedom Tower is scheduled for 2006, with completion expected by 2010. In the meantime, Governor Pataki announced in June 2005 that construction would start on two interim memorials to the victims, survivors, and rescue workers affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center buildings. One of the memorials is an oral history project located at the Port Authority Transit Hub near the WTC site, where people can record their recollections of that day and of the loved ones they lost. The second interim memorial is the Tribute Center located across from the WTC area, housing the collected items left at the site after the tragic occurrences of 9/11.
After the smoke cleared, New York City remained the financial powerhouse of the world. The city won’t forget the sacrifices made by its citizens on September 11th and on many previous occasions, and it’s a city that realizes that the best memorial is to live on. The tourist trade rebounded with surprising speed, and New York City’s gritty determination has pulled it through tough economic times not necessarily related to the events of 9/11. The biggest city in the country was built on the diversity of its citizenry—Irish, Jewish, Palestinian, Russian, Italian, Muslim, African, Portuguese, and so many more—and it will continue to be the cultural, financial, and educational heart of the nation.
Historical Information: New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194; telephone (212)873-3400
Population Profile
Metropolitan Area Residents (PMSA)
1980: 8,275,000
1990: 8,546,846
2000: 9,314,235
Percent change, 1990-2000: 8.98%
U.S. rank in 1980: 1st (CMSA)
U.S. rank in 1990: 1st (PMSA)
U.S. rank in 2000: 1st (PMSA)
City Residents
1980: 7,071,639
1990: 7,322,564
2000: 8,008,278
2004 estimate: 8,104,079
Percent change, 1990-2000: 9.36%
U.S. rank in 1980: 1st (State rank: 1st)
U.S. rank in 1990: 1st (State rank: 1st)
U.S. rank in 2000: 1st (State rank: 1st)
Density: 26,402.9 people per square mile (2000)
Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)
White: 3,576,385
Black or African American: 2,129,762
American Indian and Alaskan Native: 41,289
Asian: 787,047
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 5,430
Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 2,160,554
Other: 1,074,406
Percent of residents born in state: 49.5% (2000)
Age characteristics (2000)
Population under 5 years old: 540,878
Population 5 to 9 years old: 561,115
Population 10 to 14 years old: 530,816
Population 15 to 19 years old: 520,641
Population 20 to 24 years old: 589,831
Population 25 to 34 years old: 1,368,021
Population 35 to 44 years old: 1,263,280
Population 45 to 54 years old: 1,012,385
Population 55 to 59 years old: 369,105
Population 60 to 64 years old: 314,349
Population 65 to 74 years old: 494,794
Population 75 to 84 years old: 321,360
Population 85 years and over: 121,703
Median age: 34.2 years
Births (2003)
Total number: 124,345
Deaths (2003)
Total number: 59,213 (of which, 807 were infants under the age of 1 year)
Money income (1999)
Per capita income: $22,402
Median household income: $38,293
Total households: 3,021,588
Number of households with income of…
less than $10,000: 485,306
$10,000 to $14,999: 214,421
$15,000 to $24,999: 354,413
$25,000 to $34,999: 346,777
$35,000 to $49,999: 430,297
$50,000 to $74,999: 503,722
$75,000 to $99,999: 273,552
$100,000 to $149,999: 234,553
$150,000 to $199,999: 75,626
$200,000 or more: 103,810
Percent of families below poverty level: 18.5% (20.6% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)
2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 250,630
Municipal Government
New York City operates under the mayor-council form of government. The mayor is elected in a citywide election, and 51 council members are elected from as many state senate districts within the municipality; a council speaker is elected by the council membership. All officials serve four-year terms. The mayor represents the executive branch of the local government, while the council is largely responsible for legislative functions and also has sole right of approval for the city budget. The Public Advocate, who is not a member of the council, presides over meetings and may vote only in case of a tie. New York City is divided into five boroughs, each of which has its own president and district attorney.
Head Official: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (R) (since 2002; current term expires 2006)
Total Number of City Employees: 300,000 (approximate; 2005)
City Information: Office of the Mayor, New York City Hall, New York, NY 10007; telephone (212)788-9600
Economy
Major Industries and Commercial Activity
Despite the loss of the World Trade Center buildings, New York has remained at the core of national and international financial dealings and has continued as the global center of corporate headquarters in finance and services, media, entertainment and telecommunications, manufacturing, and trade. Profits on Wall Street, however, are not expected to equal the heights achieved in 2003, and financial services jobs are on the decline at present. Hundreds of nationwide corporations make their home in New York, from finance to insurance to advertising. New York City leads the country in the number of Fortune 500 and 1000 companies headquartered there, including 8 of the world’s top 10 securities firms, and about two-fifths of the country’s 50 leading law firms, as well as 219 banks representing every major country. The city’s biggest industry is publishing, with more printing plants than anywhere else in the United States and approximately 13,000 employees. New York’s clothing industry is headquartered in the Garment District near Times Square, where hundreds of factories employ more than 100,000 people.
In recent years, the high-tech and ”new media” industries have taken a $9.2 billion toehold in the city, particularly in what is being termed Silicon Alley—Upper Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. New York City has supported growth in this arena through its Digital NYC: Wired to the World program that assists with construction and remodeling efforts that result in affordable spaces with ready access to the Internet. New York City offers hundreds of thousands of miles of installed fiber-optic cable, enabling businesses to communicate with clients around the globe. Life science research and development is seeing a similar surge in activity, as the headquarters of at least three of the world’s primary pharmaceutical companies have located within midtown Manhattan. Pfizer has announced ambitious expansion plans that will reportedly result in 2,000 new jobs by 2009, along with new office space and an extensive makeover for its current headquarters. Alongside cutting-edge research, professional services firms related to financial consultation or legal issues of intellectual property also flourish.
New York tourism contributes greatly to the local economy, fueled by huge advertising campaigns and interest in the site of the 9/11 tragedy. Hotel room occupancy rates are steadily increasing to more than 85 percent, and traffic through the area’s airports broke the 8,000,000 mark in early 2005. Many tourists visit the city in order to experience its art and culture, resulting in a leisure and hospitality industry with more than 600,000 workers.
Television and film production in New York City constitutes another growth industry, demonstrating a significant increase in the number of overall shooting days for movies, videos, advertisements, and television programs. Almost 150 studios and stages support the industry, and film production costs in the city are now so reasonable that they rival those of Los Angeles. Three of the ”Big Five” music recording businesses have headquarters in New York City.
Items and goods produced: published goods, apparel, chemicals, food products, furniture, machinery, paper products, textiles
Incentive Programs—New and Existing Companies
Mayor Bloomberg took office in January of 2002, mere months after the decimation of the World Trade Center buildings. Facing not just a public relations nightmare but also the nationwide economic downturn at that time, the mayor and his administration have expanded the city’s industrial interests beyond Wall Street and into biotechnology, film production, and the recreation and tourism business. Unemployment is at its lowest point in 25 years, with 62,000 new jobs created in the city since the middle of 2003. The City of New York appears to acknowledge the value of small businesses, as reflected in its Business Improvement Districts.
Local programs—New York City has many programs available to assist eligible businesses with locating real estate, accessing capital for expansion, lowering energy costs, finding skilled employees and lowering taxes. Businesses that locate in the lower Manhattan area and who complete renovations in excess of 20 percent of the property’s assessed value may qualify for the Lower Manhattan Energy Program, which can reduce energy costs up to 45 percent. Manufacturers may receive a tax credit for 3.4 percent of the money spent on utility costs, plus an additional sales tax exemption on purchases of electricity, fuel oil, steam, and natural gas.
State programs—Empire State Development (ESD), the state agency responsible for promoting economic development in New York, has programs available to assist businesses that are expanding and creating jobs. Qualified businesses that locate in an Empire enterprise zone can be exempted from sales tax, benefit from tax reductions, or receive credits on real property and business taxes. Enterprise zone businesses may additionally save money on utilities, receive technical assistance, or receive tax credits on wages for newly-created jobs. Even outside of these zones, businesses that create new jobs can capitalize on Investment Tax Credits. Companies specializing in research and development are eligible for tax credits on 9 percent of their corporate facility tax and may receive a capital credit for their investment in emerging technologies. Machinery and equipment, facilities, property, fuels, and utilities dedicated to research and development activities may also qualify for sales tax exemptions, and the state operates more than 50 high-tech business incubators to further develop the industry. New York State has additionally partnered with electric and gas utility companies to create the ”Power for Jobs” program in which companies that fulfill the requirement of retaining or generating a specified number of jobs then receive a break on their utility costs that can be as much as a 25 percent savings.
Low interest loans can be accessed through Empire State Development by small manufacturing enterprises, small service operations that are independently owned and operated, businesses operating within an Empire Zone, businesses located in ”highly distressed” areas, businesses owned by women or minorities, defense industry manufacturers, and small businesses seeking to increase their export activities. Other loan programs range from direct financing through the ESD to interest subsidies and loan guarantees. Depending on the financing source, funds can be used for building construction, equipment acquisition, building purchases, and working capital. New York State’s progressive tax structure combines tax credits, deductions, exemptions, and write offs to help reduce the tax burden on businesses.
Businesses that start up in or relocate to designated Commercial Expansion Areas may be eligible for a 3-5 year rent credit of up to $2.50 per square foot, dependent on lease length and company size. New York City’s Commercial Expansion Areas include certain Commercial Zones and Manufacturing Zones in Bronx, Upper Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. To qualify, businesses must occupy a building of at least 24,000 square feet and constructed prior to 1999. Businesses in these same zones may be eligible for participation in the Relocation and Employment Assistance, or REAP, program. A tax credit of $3,000 per job is allowed for up to 12 years for jobs relocated from Manhattan below 96th Street or from outside the city to Manhattan below Houston Street. Businesses that have renovated a facility at a cost of more than 50 percent of its assessed value may also be eligible, as may businesses that sign a lease of no less than three years and that spend no less than $25 per square foot improving the space.
The Printers’ Relocation Fund allows for partial reimbursement of relocation expenditures to commercial printing businesses and graphic arts companies that move within New York City. Grants may be 50 percent of the qualifying moving costs or $200,000, whichever is the lesser amount.
The New York City Industrial Development Agency offers straight lease transactions and issues low-cost double and triple tax-exempt and taxable bonds on behalf of a wide range of commercial, industrial, and nonprofit companies and organizations. Many financing programs are aimed at eligible small and medium-size businesses to help them obtain financing often not available elsewhere. Various programs provide tax-exempt financing for the purchase of production equipment and machinery; tax exemptions on newly acquired property or renovations for industrial companies; venture capital funds to make capital available for companies specializing in advanced technology; funds for the expansion of nonprofit organizations; loans to small start-up city-based service, retail contracting and manufacturing businesses; and funds to assist community-based banks in making loans for which businesses may not have qualified previously.
Job training programs—In 2003, the New York City Department of Small Business Services was merged with the Department of Employment to create a single point of entry called the Division of Workforce Development. The Division staffs Workforce1 Centers throughout the boroughs of New York City, where job seekers can find extensive databases of open positions, career counseling, skills workshops, and placement programs. The centers also provide GED preparatory courses and instruction in English as a Second Language. Employers can find assistance through the Division’s NYC Business Solutions Centers, where customized recruitment and training allows industries to hire workers who are already trained. The Business Solutions Centers offer advice for entrepreneurs, resources for negotiating governmental regulations, and onsite skill development for employees.
The New York City Employment and Training Coalition has combined the resources of local community colleges, community-based organizations, and training programs associated with labor unions to create a comprehensive approach to training and retraining of the workforce. The Coalition offers employer roundtable discussions, training for management staff to facilitate recruitment and retention of quality employees, workshops and conferences, research, and technical assistance.
In 2005, the New York City Council partnered with the United Way of New York City to publicize a request for proposals for grant funding that will support programs as part of NYCWorks. The $10 million initiative will increase access to education, job readiness training, and specific job skill development for unemployed or underemployed workers in the metropolitan area.
Development Projects
New York City’s Economic Development Corporation has continued its efforts to restore and reenergize the Lower Manhattan region through tax incentives that encourage retail, commercial, and residential development. Minimum amounts of investment in property improvements, minimum lease lengths, and other criteria for participation in the Lower Manhattan Revitalization Program ensure stability and commitment on the part of businesses and citizens alike.
A division of L’Oreal beauty products has decided to locate its stylist training facility in the TriBeCa neighborhood. Approximately 120 employees of the Matrix salon beauty products company will work in the 31,000 square foot space, where hairstylists will learn how to effectively use the company’s products on clients.
Coney Island has meant summer fun for generations of New Yorkers; the stretch of Brooklyn beach, with its amusement park, circus sideshows, and hotdog-eating contests, has sometimes seemed to be on shaky ground, but new development in the area has bolstered the landmark yet again. In 2001, construction was completed on KeySpan Park, home of the new minor league Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team (an affiliate of the New York Mets). In 2005, the Coney Island Development Corporation chose a designer to revitalize the historic Parachute Pavilion at Coney Island, with the ultimate goal of creating a year-round attraction that will preserve the essence of the amusement park and its surroundings.
In 2004, Mayor Bloomberg announced plans for a commercial biotech research and development campus on the grounds of the city-owned Bellevue Hospital. The East River Science Park is expected to attract major players in the pharmaceutical, medical device production, and biotechnology fields. Approximately 4.5 acres have been set aside for the facility that, when completed, will encompass 870,000 square feet of research, retail, and office space. The Economic Development Corporation has committed $10 million to the project, with an expected return of 6,000 construction jobs during realization of the science park and 2,000 new permanent jobs upon completion. One of Manhattan’s current pharmaceutical residents, Pfizer, also has plans in the works to renovate its existing headquarters, expand into several new buildings, and relocate thousands of employees to the downtown headquarters, at the cost of $1 billion over the next 15 years.
In the 1970s, Hunts Point (Bronx) was a crime-infested area notorious for frequent arsons in its abandoned buildings and warehouses. After being designated an In-Place Industrial Park in 1980, followed by Empire and Empowerment Zone designations in 1994, Hunts Point emerged as an industrial powerhouse, with an emphasis on food production. The City of New York and the Bronx Borough plan to capitalize on that momentum through the Hunts Point Vision Plan announced in 2005, in which the existing Produce Market on the site will be upgraded, vacant parcels in the Food Distribution Center will be developed, a buffer zone of food-related businesses will be created between the industrial park and the nearby residential neighborhood, bike paths will be constructed, rail and highway access will be enhanced, new parks will be planted, the visual appeal of the area will be heightened with new sidewalks and streetscapes, the appearance of the waterfront will be improved, and a Hunts Point Works employment and training center will be generated.
In 2005, the city of New York and the borough of Queens put a plan in motion to redevelop the former Municipal Parking Lot 1. Approximately $500 million has been set aside to turn the five-acre site into a new town square with residential spaces, a community center, retail slots, recreational facilities, and a business-class hotel. The project is called Flushing Commons and it is anticipated to generate 2,000 construction jobs during the building phase and an eventual 2,000 permanent jobs. An ancillary project in Flushing involves the construction of more than 100 affordable housing units complemented by retail spaces. The city of Flushing is also undertaking an $11 million downtown redevelopment project that will make the area more friendly for pedestrians, and a former industrial property in western Flushing will eventually be transformed into a 3.2 million square foot retail and residential area called Flushing Town Center, at a cost of about $600 million.
Economic Development Information: New York City Economic Development Corporation, 110 William Street,New York, NY 10038; telephone (212)312-3600; toll-free (800)NYC-0100
Commercial Shipping
In 2003, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey area handled about 4 million cargo containers and 55 million tons of bulk cargo, at a record value of $100 billion. The world’s leading airport system includes LaGuardia, which transported 14,096 tons of cargo and 15,219 tons of air mail in 2004 in addition to 24,435,619 passengers. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) opened two new cargo facilities in 2003, encompassing 435,000 square feet of warehouse and office space. Japan Airlines operates a sophisticated cargo structure at JFK, with 260,000 square feet of space, and the JFK Air Cargo Center is equipped to handle live animal shipments. In 2003, JFK moved 1,709,457 tons of cargo, 84,243 tons of air mail, and 31,732,446 passengers.
In 2002, New York State government and the Port Authority partnered in a rail freight service improvement project that was expected to cost about $40.195 million. Movement of goods within and outside the New York City area should be enhanced as track and yard capacity are increased in Brooklyn and Queens, vertical clearances are heightened along the Oak Point Link, cargo facilities are expanded, a new engine house is constructed for NY&A rail line, and other enhancements are instituted that will benefit rail freight service providers such as CSX and CP.
Two Foreign Trade Zones in New York City cover three major import-export sites: the Brooklyn Navy Yard, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Howland Hook Marine Terminal (along with Port Ivory). Foreign Trade Zones are legally outside U.S. Customs territory and permit importers to store or assemble goods with minimal U.S. Customs scrutiny and no duty charges until goods enter U.S. commerce streams.
The city is bisected and surrounded by a web of interstate highways, including I-95, I-80, I-78, I-295, and I-280. More than 60 trucking companies offer local and national ground transportation of freight, and both FedEx and United Parcel Service operate air freight and package delivery services that are sited in Jamaica, NY.
Labor Force and Employment Outlook
The 2000 U.S. Census reported that 72.3 percent of New Yorkers possess a high school diploma or its equivalent; 27.4 percent of the city’s population goes on to earn at least a bachelor’s degree, and 11.6 percent achieve a graduate degree of some variety. Overall, this makes for a well-educated workforce. For the State of New York, labor market analysts predict that there will be marked growth in the education and training industry, with a 15.4 percent increase in available positions by the year 2012. Healthcare and healthcare support professions are expected to pick up 147,930 jobs, and community social service work is anticipated to increase by almost 20 percent. Manufacturing and administrative support positions will more than likely decrease in availability, while transportation-related and agricultural work are projected to remain essentially static. Financial services employment will continue its gradual rebound, with an 11.5 percent gain in jobs by 2012.
The following is a summary of data regarding the New York consolidated metropolitan area labor force, 2004 annual averages.
Size of nonagricultural labor force: 8,278,500
Number of workers employed in …
construction and mining: 329,700
manufacturing: 499,600
trade, transportation and utilities: 1,582,400
information: 289,300
financial activities: 769,700
professional and business services: 1,223,500
educational and health services: 1,358,000
leisure and hospitality: 606,700
other services: 346,000
government: 1,273,000
Average hourly earnings of production workers employed in manufacturing: $15.35 (April 2005)
Unemployment rate: 4.5% (April 2005)
Largest employers Number of employees (2004)
City of New York 300,000
New York Public Schools 73,774
Merrill Lynch 50,600
JFK International Airport 35,000
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. 21,928
Credit Suisse First Boston 18,341
Consolidated Edison Co. of NY 14,079
New York University 13,000
Bear Stearns Companies 10,961
HSBC Banks 10,800
Morgan Stanley Financial 9,700
Cornell University 9,200
LaGuardia Airport 8,000
Beth Israel Medical Center 7,460
Cost of Living
New York is by far the nation’s most expensive city in which to live, and it ranks as the thirteenth most expensive worldwide. The city’s unique rent control policies provide cheap rent to long-ensconced residents—who tend to be middle class or affluent—while leaving newcomers to fend for themselves on the open market. Areas that have been undergoing gentrification in the last decade, such as the Park Slope (Brooklyn) and Parkchester (Bronx) neighborhoods, have seen a more than 50 percent increase in rents. To deter rent inflation that may chase older residents or lower-income owners out of their properties, New York City is now offering a property tax abatement to owners of buildings comprised of less than six units and who rent to senior citizens. The city has also proposed that renters in New York City be able to benefit from the School Tax Relief program that at present only applies to property owners, and that property owners who trim the City of New York trees near their homes may qualify for a property tax credit.
The following is a summary of data regarding several key cost of living factors in the New York area.
2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Average House Price: $990,800 (Manhattan only)
2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Cost of Living Index: 216 (Manhattan only, U.S. average = 100.0)
State income tax rate: Ranges from 4% to 7.7%
State sales tax rate: 4%
Local income tax rate: Graduated, from 1.5% to approximately 4.45%
Local sales tax rate: 4.375%
Property tax rate: Class 1 (single-family dwelling) in Manhattan, 15.094% of assessed value; Class 4 in Manhattan, 11.558% of assessed value (2004-2005)
Economic Information: Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, 1375 Broadway, Third Floor, New York, New York, 10018; telephone (212)479-7772; fax (212)831-4244
Education and Research
Elementary and Secondary Schools
New York City’s public school system is the largest in the nation, serving more than one million children. Until recently, school district activities were dictated by the New York City Board of Education, which gained a reputation for poorly serving its student population. Soon after taking office, Mayor Bloomberg abolished the Board of Education and assumed mayoral control of New York Public Schools under a school governance agreement. One of Bloomberg’s campaign promises was to create special classrooms that would keep students with multiple disciplinary infractions involved in education but in a controlled setting. As a result, the district opened 20 New Beginnings Centers by 2004 along with five off-site Suspension Centers that operate in partnership with community-based organizations to provide a complete range of student support services.
The school system leans toward the magnet model, with a variety of specialized learning institutions within the elementary, middle, and high school strata. Concentrations include leadership studies, writing and communication, culinary arts, technology, computer science, international relations, performing arts, law, social justice, aerospace, and sports professions to name just a few. In the fall of 2005, the Department of Education plans to open more than 50 new small secondary schools across the city, in an effort to broaden the academic choices available to students and their parents or guardians. The new schools will concentrate on an academically rigorous curriculum, personalized to each student and enhanced with community partnerships. In addition, there are 48 charter schools in operation within the district, which is divided into 10 regions that are loosely based on sections of the five New York City boroughs.
New York City public schools tend to have fewer teachers, administrators, and librarians than the state average; spending per pupil also lags behind the state average. Approximately 54.3 percent of the city’s public school students graduate from high school, while the district sends about 71.5 percent of that diminished group on to an institution of higher education.
Many private K-12 schools operate in the New York City area, some of which are secular and some of which are religiously based. Since the city is a major television and film production center, a number of acting and technical schools related to the industry have been created.
The following is a summary of data regarding the New York City public schools as of the 2004-2005 school year.
Total enrollment: 1,047,156
Number of facilities
elementary schools: 616
junior high schools: 221
senior high schools: 295
special education schools: 57
Student/teacher ratio: 12.5:1
Teacher salaries (2004) minimum: $39,900
maximum: $81,232
Funding per pupil: $11,627
Public Schools Information: Chancellor’s Office, New York City Department of Education, New York, NY 10007;telephone (212)374-5115
Colleges and Universities
New York is the only U.S. city with a large public-university system. The City University of New York (CUNY) offers open admission at its 20 sites to all New York City residents with a high school degree. With branches in all five boroughs, CUNY embraces eight liberal arts colleges, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the New York City College of Technology, the City University School of Law, business programs, and graduate degree programs. The extensive State University of New York (SUNY) system operates several specialized branches in the city, such as the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Downstate Medical Center, the State College of Optometry, and the Maritime College.
More than two dozen private colleges in New York City provide access to associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees. New York University is one of the largest private institutions of higher education in the country, enrolling almost 40,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs with a focus on the arts. Columbia University belongs to the Ivy League and is the city’s oldest college. Columbia is renowned for its journalism program and has gained a reputation for its medical research work. Yeshiva University, a private Jewish academic research institution, enrolls almost 7,000 students in graduate and undergraduate programs in its Albert Einstein School of Medicine and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. The Julliard School is considered one of the best music, dance, and theater schools in the country. In recent years, Juilliard has begun to focus on community outreach, the interface of technology and art, and interdisciplinary programming. Fordham University is a Jesuit institution with a specialty in medieval studies, while Rockefeller University is famous for its biomedical sciences. The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, which opened in 1993, offers a master of arts degree. The New School in New York was formerly the New School for Social Research, and it has retained that academic bent.
Libraries and Research Centers
The New York Public Library system, like the city itself, is immense. Five central libraries, four specialized research libraries, and 80 branch facilities hold collections of more than 19 million topics system-wide, in addition to 1.6 million audio resources, 205,074 video materials, and more than 85,000 periodicals. The Science, Industry and Business Library (SIB), which opened in 1996, is the nation’s largest public information center dedicated to science and business. The SIB houses more than 2 million volumes and 60,000 periodicals and provides users with broad access to electronic science and business content via 150 networked computer work stations. Among the research centers’ special collections are the Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, which includes the Vladimir Nabakov Archive; manuscripts and archives of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; and the Theater on Film Archive, which preserves videotapes of live theater performances accumulated for more than 25 years.
In addition to the city library system, more than a thousand other libraries are operated in the city by schools, private groups, and most museums. The Pierpont Morgan Library is known for its collection of rare topics and manuscripts. The Morgan Library is on the grounds of a 45-room Victorian brownstone, connected to the library by a glass-enclosed conservatory. In 2005, the library temporarily closed for a major expansion effort that will improve the entrance, internal circulation, the galleries, and auditorium space. Masonic literature, history, and relics are collected in the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of Grand Lodge, while the New Historical Society houses a fine collection of materials relevant to New York’s role in early United States history. At the United Nations, the Dag Hammarskjold Library specializes in international affairs and world peace with an aim of getting U.N. members the best information possible as quickly as possible. The U.S. National Archives for the Northeastern United States houses such items as court records from the Rosenberg and Hiss cases, limitation of liability suits involving the Titanic, and census records since 1790 on microfilm.
With its universities and industry research campuses, New York City has become a global contributor in practically all areas of research and development. On average, the city receives $1.2 billion in funding from the National Institute of Health, underwriting the efforts of its 128 resident Nobel Laureates and other members of the scientific community. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority assesses public utilities, conducts research on energy efficiency and alternative power, and supports projects in schools, municipalities, and local industries. New York University is a leading research center with programs in medicine and health fields, international studies, urban affairs, and Latin America. The State University of New York maintains a research foundation that supports efforts across the SUNY system of universities. Recent projects include a study of brain cell behavior and methods of preventing blindness. Columbia University’s Center for Environmental Research and Conservation studies nature and wildlife issues nationally and globally. Among the independent organizations researching health areas are those focusing on drug addiction, blood disorders, hearing problems, genetic disorders, and psychiatric issues. The New York Botanical Garden studies the flora of the New World, catalogs five million samples in its herbarium, and publishes the Botanical Review. Offering research and consultation on government public policy is the Institute of Public Administration. The New York Public Interest Research group conducts consumer-interest, environmental, energy, governmental system, social justice, and health research. The United Nations Institute for Training and Research studies all aspects of United Nations policy, operation, and organization.
Public Library Information: The New York Public Library, 188 Madison Ave #1, New York, NY 10016; telephone (212)930-0800; fax (212)921-2546
Health Care
New York City offers the opportunity for world-class medical care and has one of the highest concentrations of hospitals on the planet, with 111 facilities that span the spectrum from smaller neighborhood hospitals to major medical centers. The city is served by more than 30 teaching hospitals, a number of medical schools, more than 10 cardiac rehabilitation centers, and 6 cancer treatment centers. The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation—by far the largest public hospital system in the country—employs thousands of workers at 11 acute care hospitals, 6 diagnostic and treatment centers, 4 long-term care facilities, 1 home health agency, and 100 community health clinics.
According to U.S. News & World Report, a number of the top hospitals in the country in 2005 are located in New York City, including: New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell (third in neurology, second in psychiatry, and fourth in kidney disease); Hospital for Special Surgery (second in orthopedics and third in rheumatology); Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (first in cancer care); Mount Sinai Medical Center (third in geriatrics and seventh in digestive disorders); and Rusk Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University Medical Center (eighth in rehabilitation). Other specialized services can be obtained at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center, the Orthopaedic Institute, and the New York Ear and Eye Infirmary. Residents of New York City can also access a wide variety of holistic healthcare, including homeopathy, hypnotherapy, massage therapy, and acupuncture. Diagnosis and treatment for pets and exotic animals is available from the nearly 400 veterinarians and animal hospitals operating in the five boroughs.
Health Care Information: The New York Health and Hospitals Corporation, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013; telephone (212)788-3339.
Times Square, called The Great White Way, is known for its neon, movie houses, theaters, stores, and crowds.
Recreation
Sightseeing
An energetic visitor could keep busy for weeks in Manhattan alone. A good place to start is where the Dutch explorers first settled—in Battery Park on the southernmost tip of Manhattan, which offers spectacular views of the harbor and the Statue of Liberty, itself accessible by boats leaving from the park. The American Museum of Immigration at the base of the statue—the largest of modern times—traces the history of the men and women who sailed into the harbor for a new future. Ellis Island processed more than 12 million European immigrants before it was shuttered in 1954; it is once again open to the public and drawing visitors from around the country and the globe.
A natural sightseeing transition might be a trip to the New York City Hall, the oldest in the nation still housing the city’s governmental functions. Back in 1802, a design team consisting of a Frenchman and a native New Yorker won a competition to create the then-new City Hall; the resulting building reflects the Federal style of architecture, with noticeable French influences. Ten Corinthian columns, a soaring rotunda, arched windows, and a cupola crowned by a copper statue of Justice make the building a dramatic sight. The Governor’s Room in the City Hall contains a museum with relics from the civic development of the U.S. and New York; its visitors have included Albert Einstein and President Abraham Lincoln, who later lay in state in the room following his assassination.
The New York Stock Exchange offers free tours and a visitor’s gallery to observe the hectic activity; for a more peaceful perspective, the sightseer can look down on the city from the observation platform of the fabled Empire State Building, once the world’s tallest building. Grand Central Station is a destination in itself; since it opened in 1913, the station whose name has become synonymous with bustle has added shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Group and individual tours can be arranged. Rockefeller Center is not just a place to see but to be seen—the NBC network produces ”The Today Show” in the historic complex of buildings that includes the Rainbow Room and the Radio City Music Hall.
Ground Zero, the former site of the World Trade Center complex, is a powerful experience. Interim memorials are located near the site to keep alive the memory of the tragedy of September 11, 2001. The absence of the towering buildings themselves, in a city that uses every available space, is haunting.
The United Nations meets for about three months beginning on the third Tuesday of September, and free tickets to the General Assembly are distributed about an hour before each conclave. Guided tours of the building are also available in at least 16 languages. Visitors should also take time to stroll through New York’s many neighborhoods. Chinatown abounds with restaurants and stores. Greenwich Village retains much of its Bohemian charm with nightlife, and specialty boutiques. The Garment District, still a headquarters for the clothing trade, teems with workers pushing racks of clothing down the street.
In the Bronx, the 250-acre New York Botanical Garden owns one of the world’s biggest plant collections in an herbarium with four million specimens. The Bronx Zoo is home to more than 4,000 animals in natural environments. The zoo is active in preservation activities, having been the home of the Wildlife Conservation Society since 1895. Some of the realistic habitats include the Himalayan Highlands Habitat, the Congo Gorilla Forest, and an Asian rainforest. The zoo also contains a butterfly garden, a tiger exhibit that puts visitors within a whisker of the cats, and a bug carousel for the kids.
The Brooklyn Botanical Garden cultivates 900 varieties of roses and is undergoing a series of improvements and restorations in 2005. Astroland, near the Coney Island Boardwalk, is a family fun center with rides, games, and other amusements. Also nearby, the New York Aquarium highlights a shark tank, dolphin and sea lion shows, Beluga whales, and thousands of other fish and varieties of marine life. The Brooklyn Bridge, one of the world’s most beautiful suspension bridges, is open to pedestrians for a memorable view of lower Manhattan.
The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens is nearly as large as Manhattan and is a beautiful site for nature walks. On Staten Island, the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge offers similar opportunities. The Staten Island Zoo is small, but maintains an excellent reptile collection.
New York is famous around the world for its glittering nightlife, from jazz clubs in Harlem to discos and nightclubs in Manhattan. Comedy clubs, improvisational theater, and singles lounges are key New York attractions.
Arts and Culture
New York City is the ultimate destination for performers in and consumers of all aspects of the arts. The city’s rich culture attracts fans to the fabled lights of Broadway (and off-Broadway) theaters and the all-night clubs of Greenwich Village. The Theater District in Manhattan offers 36 theaters and a ton of talent in a small strip of land. Performance venues named for luminaries such as Ethel Barrymore, the Gershwins, and Helen Hayes line the streets and entertain millions every year. The artistic heart of the city literally beats at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, home of cultural icons such as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the School of American Ballet, the New York City Opera, The Chamber Music Society, the New York City Ballet, and the Metropolitan Opera. The 268-seat Walter Reade Theater located within the Lincoln Center is the first permanent home of the Film Society. The Dance Theatre of Harlem started as an initiative to give underserved children the opportunity to study a wide variety of dance forms and has now become one of the best-known multicultural professional companies in the world.
Cultural and historical museums in New York City are as diverse as the populace. El Museo del Barrio has evolved into a primary ethnic institution for New York’s Latino residents and is a must-see within Manhattan’s Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue. Both the Museum of the City of New York and the collections of the New York Historical Society illustrate how the ”Big Apple” developed into the metropolis it is today. The Museum of Television and Radio keeps a vault of 16,000 radio and television tapes that visitors can select by computer and then watch in private booths. The museum also holds special screenings and is a center for radio, television and film research efforts. The Jewish Museum is devoted to Jewish culture both ancient and modern, as is the Yeshiva University Museum. The South Street Seaport Museum is actually a historical district that is several blocks long and features exhibits relating to New York’s marine past. A fleet of ships from the late 1800s and early 1900s is docked at the museum pier and can be boarded by the public. The American Museum of Natural History in Central Park features permanent exhibits on peoples from around the globe, meteorites, gems, primates, birds and reptiles, and is probably best known for its dramatic dinosaur reconstructions. The 563-carat sapphire called Star of India is on display at the museum, and the museum’s Hay-den Planetarium presents frequent lecture series, weekly galaxy explorations, and daily astronomy demonstrations. The New York City Fire Museum resides in a circa-1903 firehouse built in the Beaux Art fashion and contains historical articles, equipment, and memorabilia related to fire-fighting. The New York City Police Museum contains one of the world’s biggest collections of police and emergency services memorabilia.
The Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA as it’s popularly known, is the largest art museum in the country with 135,000 specimens of painting, sculpture, photography, films, and drawings. The building itself recently underwent an expansion and remodeling that increased both the total square footage and the exhibit space by approximately a third. The collections within MoMA include some of mankind’s greatest art treasures ranging from classical Greek sculpture to avant-garde photography. The permanent collection features artists such as Raphael, El Greco, Vermeer, Van Gogh, Hopper, Dali, and Pollock. The Whitney Museum of American Art holds the largest collection of twentieth-century American work and is now amassing pieces from the twenty-first century. The museum has collected the works of Hopper, O’Keefe, and Calder extensively and has dedicated rooms to each of these artists. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, housed in a Frank Lloyd Wright building, is a masterpiece itself and specializes in modern painting, sculpture, and graphic arts. The now-public collections started as the private holdings of the Guggenheim family; Peggy Guggenheim was known for her appreciation for and support of contemporary art and was instrumental in the careers of several modern artists, including Jackson Pollock. The New Museum of Contemporary Art (NMCA) exhibits some of the most current trends in the art world. In 2005, the NMCA will begin construction of a 60,000 square foot facility on Prince Street to allow for expanded collections and programming. A temporary location for viewing will be established on the ground floor of the Chelsea Art Museum on West 22nd Street. The American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) opened exactly two months after the terror attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, and the building itself has won several awards for its architecture. The AFAM collection includes 4,000 paintings, quilts, sculptures, and weathervanes. The Studio Museum in Harlem collects culturally relevant works in a variety of media and offers educational workshops. The Dahesh Museum has concentrated its collection efforts on the works of nineteenth and early-twentieth century European artists such as Bonheur, Vernet, and Picou. The younger set will appreciate the Children’s Museum of the Arts, where a hands-on experience in visual and performing arts awaits. The Museum of African Art, located on SoHo Museum Row, seeks to increase public awareness and appreciation of the works of African artisans. The Cooper-Hewitt Museum, part of the Smithsonian Institution, is the nation’s only museum devoted to contemporary and historical design.
Festivals and Holidays
Practically every day is a party somewhere in New York City. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Irish) and the Columbus Day Parade (Italian) remain the city’s two biggest ethnic celebrations. Others include the German Steuben Day Parade, the Muslim Day Parade, the Brooklyn Latinos Unidos Parade, the Mexican Day Parade, and the Polish Pulaski Day Parade. The Great 4th of July Festival explodes with fireworks by Macy’s Department Store and a street fair. Toward the end of July, the River to River Festival at the waterfront in Manhattan honors the arts in all forms. In August, the New York Fringe Festival is an alternative celebration of visual and performing arts. The Festival of the Americas in mid-August expresses the diversity of the continent from north to south. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, broadcast nationwide, features huge cartoon-character balloons that drift over city streets and has figured largely in movies such as ”Miracle on 34th Street.” Since 1933, the lighting of the communal tree in Rockefeller Center has drawn New Yorkers and visitors in a kick-off for various cultural observations occurring in December. New Year’s Eve is celebrated in a raucous party that centers on Times Square where the ”Big Apple” and the ageless Dick Clark have for many years marked the start of a new year.
Sports for the Spectator
A Big League city demands Big League sports heroes and New York’s professional teams have provided those for generations. The New York Yankees of professional baseball’s American League East play in the ”House That (Babe) Ruth Built,” Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The National League New York Mets play their baseball games at Shea Stadium in Queens. The New York Rangers of the National Hockey League, the New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association all play home games at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. The National Hockey League’s New York Islanders host their hockey matches at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, which is also the scene for arena football action with the New York Dragons. From the National Football League, the New York Giants and the New York Jets both play their home games across the river in New Jersey at Giants Stadium within the Meadowlands complex.
While New York City was unsuccessful in its bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, there are still plenty of amateur sporting events to enjoy in the metropolis. Minor league baseball is represented by the Brooklyn Cyclones, an affiliate of the Mets, and the Yankees’ farm team in Staten Island. Columbia University competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in a number of sports such as basketball, cross-country, and soccer.
Aqueduct Race Track in Queens attracts horseracing fans as do nearby Belmont Park Race Track in Elmont and the Meadowlands in New Jersey. For almost 140 years, the Belmont Stakes have been one leg of the Triple Crown thoroughbred horserace series. The U.S. Open Tennis Championships are played annually in August and early September at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park area of Queens.
Sports for the Participant
Recreational sports for hundreds of thousands of Manhattan residents center on gigantic Central Park, an 840-acre green oasis of rolling hills, ponds, and biking and running paths. Many roads through the park are closed on weekends and certain hours during the week to allow cyclists to pedal in peace. Rowboats can be rented from Loeb Boathouse for a small fee. Runners, walkers, and rollerbladers have unlimited access to miles of footpaths in Central Park, but should exercise caution at night and in isolated areas of the park.
New York City’s Parks and Recreation Division administers more than 1,700 parks and facilities scattered throughout the five boroughs that constitute the city. With 614 ball fields, 991 playgounds, 53 outdoor swimming pools, 14 miles of beaches, and 550 tennis courts, the city offers something for everyone. A plethora of city-sponsored sporting opportunities are available for individuals and groups, and the Police Athletic League operated by the police department coordinates sporting events for more than 70,000 children every year.
The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens is nearly as large as Manhattan, with 9,155 acres of natural habitats and hiking trails that aren’t overly demanding. On Staten Island, the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge covers 2,500 acres where hikers can hit either the Blue or White trails as they pass through diverse ecosystems. Outside of New York City, the Adirondack Forest Preserve contains more than 2,000 miles of established trails that can challenge hikers of all ages and abilities. The Adirondacks offer opportunities for backpacking and camping, rock climbing and boul-dering, or canoeing in the lake country. In the winter, there’s skiing at Whiteface Mountain and hiking trails convert to cross-country skiing use. A number of resorts with downhill and cross-country trails are within easy driving distance of the city.
The New York City Marathon, held annually, is one of the biggest races in the country, attracting thousands of professional and amateur participants from around the globe. In the winter, ice skaters can glide on rinks at Rockefeller Center and at the Wollman Memorial Skating Rink in Central Park. Open all year is the New York City Building rink at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park where rentals are available. There are eight golf courses within the vicinity, including Rock Hill, Montauk Downs, Spook Rock, and Swan Lake.
Shopping and Dining
The iconic Macy’s in Herald Square, the world’s largest store, covers 2.1 million feet of space and offers 500,000 different items for the shopper’s consideration. Macy’s has a visitors center that conducts tours in several languages and the department store houses a gourmet food shop in The Cellar. Flagship stores for Calvin Klein, Chanel, Versace, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, and others have led to a designer boom on Fifth and Madison avenues and 57th Street. SoHo (short for the area south of Houston Street) remains a favorite destination for its unique boutiques and stylish art galleries.
Fifth Avenue, New York’s avenue of fashion, includes Bergdorf Men, located across from Bergdorf Goodman and featuring clothing for men only. The venerable Henri Bendel resides in a beautifully restored Beaux Arts building; nearby, Saks Fifth Avenue still caters to upscale shoppers. Also nearby is FAO Schwarz toy emporium, where kids of all ages come to be amazed and entertained. Rare toys, collectibles, faux vehicles, and stuffed animals run rampant in a store that invites visitors to play with the merchandise.
Designer clothing at bargain prices can be found at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, located about an hour outside of Manhattan in upstate New York. Vendors include Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Neiman Marcus, Barney’s, Banana Republic, The Gap, and Chanel. A shuttle bus service is available to and from the city.
The Crystal District is a five-block expanse of Madison Avenue that houses the world’s greatest collection of luxury crystal. Baccarat, a French crystal company, maintains a flagship store in that area, along with Steuben, Swarovski, and Lalique. More sparkly things can be found at the perennial source for engagement and wedding rings, Tiffany and Co. The most extensive offering of Lladro ceramics in the United States is available at Lladro U.S.A. Inc. on 57th Street. New York is also home to world-famous auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
Dining options in New York are limited only to one’s pock-etbook. The more than 18,000 possibilities include everything from posh four-star restaurants to sidewalk cafes and Kosher delicatessens. Continental cuisine coexists with soul food in Harlem, pasta in Little Italy, and Asian specialties in Chinatown. Several restaurants atop New York’s skyscrapers offer meals with a breathtaking view. There are a number of time-honored eateries that deserve individual mention: The Four Seasons combines luxurious surroundings with sumptuous food that continually pushes the envelope of American cuisine; the Russian Tea Room is a New York institution which recently reopened and is enjoying a renaissance; Tavern on the Green has been feeding its flocks since 1934—before that, it was a sheepfold; Tom’s Restaurant was featured on the comedy series ”Seinfeld” and serves up cheap eats.
Visitor Information: NYC & Company, Convention and Visitors Bureau, 810 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019; telephone (212)484-1200; fax (212)245-5943
Convention Facilities
New York has been named one of the world’s ”Best Cities” by Travel + Leisure magazine, and in 2002 Conde Nast Traveler designated it a ”Hot City.” The combination of 71,000 hotel rooms, cultural attractions, world-class professional sports teams, and proximity to the world’s financial powers makes New York City an extremely attractive choice for conventions and tradeshows. Venues range from traditional convention halls to unique accommodations in museums, ships, racetracks, and universities.
The Jacob Javits Convention Center is named for the former United States senator from New York and was designed by renowned architect I. M. Pei. The stunning glass facade of the building mirrors the city’s skyline by day and glows from within at night. It offers 814,000 square feet of exhibition space including the largest single hall in the Western Hemisphere at 410,000 square feet, supplemented by more than 100 other rooms.
Pier 94 New York styles itself as ”The Unconvention Center” as it offers a 175,000 square foot space that can be flexed to meet the needs of any event. The Show Piers on the Hudson offers 225,000 square feet of space on the waterfront for tradeshows, exhibits, and conferences. Other major convention destinations are Madison Square Garden, the Hilton New York, Lincoln Center, the Waldorf Astoria, and the American Museum of Natural History.
Convention Information: NYC & Company, Convention & Visitors Bureau, 810 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019; telephone (212)484-1200; fax (212)245-5943
Transportation
Approaching the City
The two major New York City airports saw a combined total of 54,215,216 passengers pass through their gates in 2003. Thousands of flights depart each day from New York to more than 500 destination cities around the world. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) handles the most international flights—more than 200 a day—of any other airport, in addition to domestic traffic. LaGuardia Airport, somewhat closer to Manhattan, offers mostly domestic connections. Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey also serves the metropolitan area. A rapid rail link to Newark Liberty was completed in 2001 and construction on the JFK and LaGuardia branches of the AirTrain system are expected to be complete within the next few years, creating easier access to the airfields while reducing traffic.
Interstate, U.S., and state highways form a virtual web around and through the New York City area, with I-495, I-95, and U.S. 1 being primary routes. The New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95) is the major artery leading into the city from the south. From the north, the New York Thruway (Interstate 87) connects with the Major Deegan Expressway, which follows the east side of the Harlem River through the Bronx. The New England Thruway (another part of I-95) also leads into the city from the north. Interstate 80 from western New Jersey parallels I-95 as it approaches New York City.
The two main train stations, Pennsylvania and Grand Central, serve as both commuter and long-distance terminals for more than 600,000 people every day, as well as providing Amtrak connections. In the past decade, Grand Central Station underwent a renovation that restored it to its previous magnificence, with a gourmet food market, five restaurants and lounges, entertainment, and updated information kiosks. The Port Authority Bus Terminal—the largest in the world—is the main station for bus transportation locally and nationally.
Traveling in the City
New York City consists of a collection of islands, making bridges and tunnels an important aspect of navigation. The Lincoln Tunnel connects Interstate 495 to Manhattan, and Queens links up via the Long Island Expressway. The Brooklyn Bridge in the southern part of Manhattan crosses the water to the eponymous borough, and the Holland Tunnel gets commuters to New Jersey. In all, there are 12 major bridges or tunnels connecting the boroughs.
Traffic in New York is probably the heaviest in the nation. The term ”gridlock,” a traffic jam out of which no one can move, was invented there and many intersections are clogged during any given day. Many residents do not own cars, relying instead on plentiful taxis or public transportation. A $100 million system of sensors has been installed under the city’s roadways to enable the New York City Transportation Department to monitor congestion, identify trouble spots, and control the flow of traffic by changing the duration of traffic lights. Much of Manhattan is laid out in a grid pattern, but other boroughs require a good street map for visitors. Broadway Avenue runs from north to south through the city, intersecting the numbered east-west streets. Parking in a garage in Manhattan ranges from $6.00 to $15.00 per hour.
Subways are one of the best bargains in the city. A $1.50 token or Metrocard fare payment permits travel on more than 704 miles of subway track, including local and express trains. The subway system is well-maintained and policed so that it is much safer and cleaner than its somewhat un-shakeable 1970s-era reputation would indicate. Subways and buses are the only sure way to beat Manhattan’s numbing gridlock on surface streets. Many New Yorkers walk or ride bikes to their destinations.
Communications
Newspapers and Magazines
More than 200 newspapers have offices in New York, including the city’s major daily newspapers: The New York Times, one of the world’s most influential newspapers, Newsday, and the The New York Daily News. Many other English- and foreign-language dailies and weeklies and more than 100 scholarly journals serve specialized readerships, including the Wall Street Journal and the Amsterdam News, which focuses on African American issues.
Hundreds of local and national magazines are published in New York. Newsweek and Time are both based in the city. Other magazines include Flying, Psychology Today, Sports Illustrated, Parade, Cosmopolitan, People Weekly, Ladies Home Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, Bon Appetit, Cycle World, Forbes, GQ, and Glamour.
Television and Radio
Eight television stations broadcast from New York City, including the three major networks of CBS, ABC, and NBC. Appearing in the background of the morning news programs has become a competitive sport for residents and visitors alike. Throughout the history of television, many programs have been created, produced, and set in New York City, including ”The Ed Sullivan Show,” ”Late Night With DavidLetterman,” “ILoveLucy,” ”ThatGirl,” ”Kojak,” ”All in the Family,” ”Mad About You,” ”Sex and the City,” ”Seinfeld,” and ”Law & Order: SVU.” Hundreds of radio stations broadcast from the city, covering all major radio formats from all-talk to urban contemporary music to classical music on both AM and FM bands. Other radio stations cater to those with a taste for Spanish music and news, Caribbean music, Christian music, and soul.
Media Information: The New York Times Company, 1 New York Times Plaza, Flushing, NY 11354-1200; telephone (718)281-7000
New York Online
City of New York. Available www.nyc.gov
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. Available www .manhattancc.org
New York City Department of Education. Available www .nycenet.edu
New York City Economic Development Corporation. Available www.newyorkbiz.com
New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. Available www.nyc.gov/html/hhc/home/home.shtml
The New York Historical Society. Available www.nyhistory.org
New York Public Library. Available www.nypl.org
NYC & Company, Convention & Visitors Bureau. Available www.nycvisit.com
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Available www.panynj.gov
