New York
New York City is located in New York State in the Northeastern region of the United States. The New York City region was first inhabited by various American Indian tribes such as the Algonquian and Iroquoian. In the early 1600s Dutch Settlers founded Fort Nassau near the present day city of Albany, and in 1664 the Province of New York was established as a British colony. New York City played a large part in the American Revolution, even founding the Sons of Liberty organization.
During the Revolutionary War the British Empire made New York City their primary base of operations during the extent of the war. New York became the 11th state to sanction the United States Constitution in 1788 and was the national capital under the new constitution until 1790. In the 19th century New York City was the epicenter of immigration into the United States, processing more than 12 million immigrants through Ellis Island. Today the city of New York City has a population of over 19 million making it the most populated city in the United States.
Throughout the years New York City has been a hub for the arts and the various cultural movements. In the 1800s the theaters along the street of Broadway began to showcase a new kind of stage performance which became known as Broadway Musicals. Strongly influences by the many different immigrant populations, the productions used songs in narrative form to not only convey the story but to also produce a deep emotional connection within the audience. Today New York City contains 39 theatres through the Theater District known as “Broadway” seating more than 500 audience members each.
Musical movements such as Jazz, Punk Rock, Hip Hop, and Disco evolved on the streets of New York City. Combining the various cultural influences and the emotional states of the populous, artists created new styles of music embraced by the New York’s downtown music scene.
New York City is only one of five municipalities in the United States to have all of the main performing art disciplines call it home (The Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, and the Public Theater).
Ney York City is also known world-wide for its art scene. Art movements such as Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art were formed in New York City, and have highly influenced artists all over the world. Today neighborhoods such as Chelsea and DUMBO showcase known and up-and-coming artists.
New York City hosts professional sports teams from the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, and National Basketball Association. New York has also hosted the Olympic Games in 1932 and 1980.
With over 12 million drivers licenses and over 11 million vehicle registrations on file with the NYSDMV, New York has to maintain one of the most extensive transportation infrastructures in the United States. New York is famous for its mass transit subway allowing commuters to enter and leave the city on railroad systems such as Long Island Railway, Metro-North Railroad, and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson.
Intermodal transportation has recently allowed travelers to easily switch from one mode of transportation to another such as the AirTrain JFK which permits rail passengers to move from the public transportation straight to the terminals in the John F. Kennedy International Airport.
