New York City overview
New York City is at the southern tip of New York state and the most densely inhabited city in the United States. With around 9 million people within the city and around 20 million within the metro area, it is a huge city that contributes massively to our culture, identity and economy.

Brief history of New York
The region as originally home to the Algonquian Native Americans. The area was discovered in 1554 by the French and claimed the area. The Spanish arrived at the mouth of the Hudson River in 1525 and also placed a claim. The British arrived in 1609 where Henry Hudson was working for the Dutch East India Company. The first known settler was a Spanish explorer called Juan Rodriguez who began trapping and trading in the area.

The city itself was founded around 1664 thanks to its natural port. Named after the Duke of York, the area was originally Dutch but was seized by the British. Originally underneath an ice sheet, the region had been taken down to bedrock, which has enabled the modern city to rise high in such a small area.

The British ensured the continued success of New York by using it as a significant port and trading post throughout their rule. The area was evacuated by the British and taken over by the United States in 1783. From then, the city grew quickly and cemented itself as a prime trading center between the US and Europe.

Over the next 230 years, the city grew to include many outlying areas and independent towns to become the huge city it is today.

Doing business in New York
New York is a global hub for finance, business and general commerce. It is a world center for banking, trading and financial services. It is also still a major trading port and center for the law, advertising, creative industries and real estate. With some of the most valuable land anywhere in the world, real estate in New York is big business. Wall Street is obviously a huge influence over the wealth of the city, with much of the east coast trading being done on the floors there.

Most major corporations have an office somewhere in New York. Silicon Alley is another significant contributor to the economy, as is tourism. Surprisingly, New York’s main local export is chocolate.

Highlights of New York
New York has so many highlights that selecting just a few is difficult.

A few highlights must include; Times Square, Broadway, the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, United Nations, Metropolitan Museum of Art, One World Trade Center, Central Park and Washington Square Park, Rockefeller Center, New York Public Library, Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art and hundreds of other locations.

New York City character
A one of the two most famous ‘world cities’ (the other being London), New York has a massively varied culture and character. It is a melting pot of people, customs, languages and influences. It seems every immigrant population has it’s own neighborhoods that reflect their unique character and also contributes to the wider city.

With over 180 cultures represented within the city, cosmopolitan is an understatement but is also very apt. New York is a very no-nonsense city with few natives suffering fools or seemingly willing to waste time helping or even acknowledging others. Yet get past that veneer and you will find a rich and vibrant character that welcomes you with open arms.