9781422283639

INTRODUCTION

New York City is on the east coast of the US in the southeastern corner of New York State. It has a population of more than eight million, the most of any city in the country, and an area of 302 square miles (783 sq km). Four of its boroughs (Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens) are completely or partly on islands in the Hudson River. East River and New York Bay. Most of the fifth, the Bronx, is on the mainland.

The Big Apple “The Big Apple” was a term probably first used by jazz musicians to mean any large city. Now the nickname refers only to New York, with its unique style and energy. New Yorkers often claim that their city’s lively streets, busy shops, excellent cultural life, and dynamic financial district make it the most exciting place on Earth. The New York skyline, with its sleek skyscrapers, is a worldwide symbol of big city life.

Many gleaming skyscrapers, full of

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Grid system People can find their way around easily in New York because most of the city’s roads are built on a grid system. Numbered streets run from right to left and numbered avenues go up and down. There are some exceptions to this rule, for example the famous road called Broadway, which runs diagonally across much of Manhattan.

offices and apartments, tower over New York. This unique skyline is instantly recognizable to other people all over the world.

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Major World Cities