NEW YORK
New York
New York City is one of the 4 largest metropolises in the world, in addition to being the city that never sleeps, it is a city that offers many attractions and
a wide range of activities.
Words that could define New York? "surprising, grandiose, astonishing, magical" without hesitation. Even if we know that all these maze of streets will lose us, that we will feel small in the middle of these buildings and that the way of life will shift us, we are still surprised by New York life .
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The Big Apple is arguably the most amazing city you'll ever visit, and believe me, You will not be disappointed.
Key dates
1624-1783
The first European colony was truly created on this date, on a territory bought from the Indians for a derisory sum. The United Provinces take possession of what would become the island of Manhattan.
But the region was taken over by the English in 1664, and the site of the former Dutch colony took the name of New York, after the Duke of York who would become King of England as James II. The village experienced slow development during the 18th century, halted by the battles of the War of Independence, and in particular by the Battle of Brooklyn, which was followed by a fire that ravaged the city in 1776.
1723-1880
Gateway for European migrants on their way to the United States, New York experienced rapid growth after the end of the War of Independence. It was the capital from 1785 to 1790, while at that time the foundations of its economic and financial power were laid: the Bank of New York was founded in 1784, the Stock Exchange, the embryo of what would become Wall Street, in 1792. population rose from approximately 50,000 inhabitants to 2.5 million from 1790 to 1890. The structure of the city was redesigned: the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 laid the foundations for urban planning in Manhattan, and prescribed in particular the Hippodamian plan (streets and perpendicular avenues) for the construction of the road network.
1880 to present
New York's cultural influence grew as its economic and financial power consolidated. The city is endowed with emblematic monuments soon known around the world: the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, the Statue of Liberty in 1886, the Chrysler Building in 1930, the Empire State Building in 1931.
All these buildings embody, each in their own way, the American Way of Life where prosperity rhymes with freedom. They still summarize today what the United States offers the world through its political and social model.
For more details here is a series of 5 very interesting videos that will tell you the story of New York, here is the first one:
Districts
The city of New York is divided into several districts: the island of Manhattan, the island of Staten Island, the Bronx which is located on the mainland north of Manhattan, then Queens and Brooklyn located on the island of Long Island South East. Several small islands are also part of the city: Roosevelt Island, Riker's Island a prison, Prall's Island a bird sanctuary, Liberty Island the island of the Statue of Liberty, City Island, Ward's Island, Ellis Island the island where the immigrants, Isle of Meadow a nature reserve, and Governors Island.
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The map on the left represents the different divisions of the Manhattan district.
Why Big Apple?
There are several reasons, the first refers to a famous American sports journalist from the 1920s. John J. Fitz Gerald covered horse racing, which was very popular at the time, for the New York Morning Telegraph. He coined the phrase after hearing two young stable boys use the term "apple" to refer to the rewards offered to the winners of the greatest races. So Fitz Gerald began calling his column "Around the Big Apple."
Image gallery
