History of NYC
New York City was founded by Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524. It is believed that he sailed in Upper New York Bay, but soon left his voyage before settling in the new land.
European settlement didnt begin until September 3, 1609 when Henry Hudson was looking for a westerly passage to Asia, like Christopher Columbus. Hudson never found his passageway, but instead he found a large beaver population. Beaver pelts were very popular in Europe and thus led to the Dutch claiming the new land as New York City.
The area of New York City is home to many of the battles during the Revolutionary War. One battle, the Battle of Brooklyn, was won by the British, who then took the colony from the Dutch. George Washington became president in April 30, 1789 shortly after the war (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_New_York, 2007).
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102 story landmark located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It stands at 1, 250 feet, and gets the name from New York’s nickname--the Empire State. The Empire State Building was the world’s tallest skyscraper for 40 years until the World Trade Center’s North Tower was built. After 911, and the tumbling of the North Tower, the Empire State Building regained its status as the world’s tallest building.
The Empire State Building was named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. It was ranked number one for America’s favorite architectural attraction. Currently, the Empire State building is the third largest building in the U.S., fifteenth largest in the world, and undergoing a 550 million dollar renovation. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epire_State_Building, 2010)
Ellis Island
Ellis Island was the gateway for millions of immigrants in the United States. It was the nation’s busiest immigrant inspection center from 1892 to 1954. It became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965.
Before Ellis Island opened, there were millions of immigrants arriving in the New York Harbor. The government gained control over immigration on April 18, 1890 when the construction of Ellis Island began. The station had an opening celebration in 1892 when 700 immigrants docked on the island. Over 450,000 immigrants were processed just in one year. And later, about 1.5 million immigrants were processed in only 5 years. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Island, 2010)
Ellis Island was the gateway to America for many immigrants. The immigrants that were inspected came from all over the world. Most people chose to migrate voluntarily, which means it was their decision to migrate. There was also more job opportunities in America, which was another major reason why people chose to migrate. However, some people could be considered refugees, which means they were fleeing from their countries because of dictators, laws, etc. Immigrants came to America because of forced migration as well.
Before Ellis Island opened, there were millions of immigrants arriving in the New York Harbor. The government gained control over immigration on April 18, 1890 when the construction of Ellis Island began. The station had an opening celebration in 1892 when 700 immigrants docked on the island. Over 450,000 immigrants were processed just in one year. And later, about 1.5 million immigrants were processed in only 5 years. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Island, 2010)
Ellis Island was the gateway to America for many immigrants. The immigrants that were inspected came from all over the world. Most people chose to migrate voluntarily, which means it was their decision to migrate. There was also more job opportunities in America, which was another major reason why people chose to migrate. However, some people could be considered refugees, which means they were fleeing from their countries because of dictators, laws, etc. Immigrants came to America because of forced migration as well.
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is historical monument. The people of France gave the Statue to the people in the U.S. over 100 years ago to celebrate their friendship since the American Revolution. It was designed by Frédéric Bartholdi, and it represents Liberta, the Roman Goddess of freedom. Lady Liberty holds a torch and a tablet evoking the law. She also has a broken chain on her feet and stands tall at 151 feet. The torch, tablet, and chain all represent the Declaration of Independence. Today, the
Statue of Liberty is an ionic symbol of freedom in the United States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staue_of_Liberty, 2010).
Statue of Liberty is an ionic symbol of freedom in the United States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staue_of_Liberty, 2010).
Housing
Most people in New York City live in duplexes. A duplex in NYC is made of stacked apartments on two floors. People also live in houses called rowhouses or town homes. The town homes are basically three or more houses in a row sharing a “party” wall with a neighbor and are typically three stories. Apartments like these can be anywhere between 18,000 dollars to over 1,000,000 dollars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_house_types, 2008).
Environmental Concerns
New York has a population of over 8 million people. This may be helping the economy, but it’s not exactly helping the environment. Since NYC has such a dense population, people are more dependable on automobiles. Because of this, more gas needs to be used to fuel the cars and buses, making gas prices soar. As you probably can guess, New York City is having a problem with air pollution. The city has over 11,000 taxis, which contribute to polluting the air. It is to be expected that if New York’s population keeps increasing, there will be more and more air pollution, causing asthma attacks and other respiratory issues (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_New_York_City, 2010).
Economy
New York City’s economy is the largest regional economy in the United States and second largest next to Tokyo. It is the financial capital in the world along with London and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the world’s largest stock exchange by market capitalization.
The financial, health care, insurance, and real estate industries are the bases of New York’s economy. The city is also important to journalism, mass media, publishing in the United States, and has some of the most famous art centers in the world. Creative industries, such as fashion, new media, advertising, design, and agriculture have a major impact on New York’s economy as well (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_New_York_City, 2010).
The financial, health care, insurance, and real estate industries are the bases of New York’s economy. The city is also important to journalism, mass media, publishing in the United States, and has some of the most famous art centers in the world. Creative industries, such as fashion, new media, advertising, design, and agriculture have a major impact on New York’s economy as well (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_New_York_City, 2010).
Culture
- Most people listen to punk rock and hip hop/rap
- Broadway plays/musicals
- Fashion (Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, Coach, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, etc.)
- Art (Pop Art, Historical Art)
- Film
- Dance (New York City Ballet)
- Museums
Top Ten Attractions
- Empire State Building
- Statue of Liberty
- Grand Central Terminal
- Rockefeller Center
- Ellis Island Immigration Museum
- American Museum of Natural History
- Times Square
- Central Park
- Museum of Modern Art
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
Most pictures were taken 3/10-3/14 2011 by Shelby Holland and Paige Birdsall.
