Science

City in Review: New York City

Downtown Manhattan skyline by New York City Hall. From Flicker’s Creative Commons

By: Henry Hung, Journalist

From Times Square to the Empire State Building, New York City is home to many attractions that can help fill up anyone’s bucket list. Home to major sports teams like the New York Knicks, New York Yankees, Brooklyn Nets, and New York Mets, the city has a whopping 62 major championships! Besides sports, the city hosts many large performing arts centers, like Apollo Center, the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, and Madison Square Garden. These venues host Broadway shows, sporting events, and conventions for people all around the world to visit. Historic sites like the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island hold rich history for the millions of immigrants who have passed by New York City to achieve the “American Dream”.

New York City’s written history began in 1524, when Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano led the French ship La Dauphine to discover the “new world”. However, it was not until 1614 that actual settlements began around New York City. The Dutch began taking most of today’s New York as its “new world” colony. Four of today’s five boroughs in New York City were first taken over by the Dutch.

After the English took control over the Dutch in 1664, the colony continued to grow, as New York City slowly became a large town. During the American Revolutionary War, New York City stood at a major risk, as many battles and fights were located around New York City and the Hudson River. When the colonists defeated the English, they chose New York City as the young country’s first capital. The first drafts of the Article of Confederation was written in New York City before the US Constitution took over as the supreme law of the land.

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island stood a major part of New York City during the surge of immigrants arriving the states. Nearly 12 million immigrants arrived to America through Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty, which represents liberty.

Besides history, New York City has stood as a national landmark for the country. Because of its great location and population, New York City is home to many large corporations. Some of these companies include JP Morgan Chase, Verizon, American Express, Pfizer, and Metlife. However, even with all the job opportunities, one in 106 New York City residents are homeless. This is mainly because of the expensive housing and the lack of needed services in New York City.

New York City is also a very popular travel hub, as it is home to multiple international airports and train stations. John F. Kennedy International Airport, located in North Queens(Jamaica), is a hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. With over sixteen million passengers each year, it has planes domestically around the country and internationally around the world. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway in the world, and is the 13th busiest airport in the United States. LaGuardia Airport, located in South Queens(East Elmhurst), is also a hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. LaGuardia serves the greater US states, but does not serve international flights. Newark Liberty International Airport, located in Newark, New Jersey, is right across the Hudson River from New York City. A hub for FedEx Express and United Airlines, it is the 50th-busiest airport in the world, hosting more than fifteen million passengers in 2020. Penn Station, located in the heart of New York, hosts Amtrak trains, New York Subway trains, State Island Railroad trains, and many other trains connecting New York City and other major cities along the east coast.

“The city that never sleeps” continues to be one of the busiest and most fascinating cities in the world. The history behind all the attractions creates a different atmosphere, one that can not be replaced in any other part around the world. No matter how far New York City is, it should be on the top of everyone’s bucket list.

City in Review: New York City

ESTEEMStream.News