URBAN SETTINGS IN AMERICA : NEW YORK CITY

Literature 8 – Mrs. Munnier

NEW YORK CITY IS THE LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES AND ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD. IT HAS A POPULATION OF ABOUT 8 MILLION, MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE AS ANY CITY IN THE UNITED STATES.

THIS MIGHT PUT NEW YORK CITY’S POPULATION INTO

PERSPECTIVE – THE ENTIRE STATE OF INDIANA HAS ABOUT

6.5 MILLION PEOPLE. THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS NOT QUITE 3 MILLION PEOPLE.

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD HAVE COME TO OUR COUNTRY SEEKING BETTER LIVES. THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, WHICH IS IN NEW YORK HARBOR, BECAME THE SYMBOL OF THIS NEW LIFE.

NEW YORK CITY COVERS ABOUT 322 SQUARE MILES

AND IS DIVIDED INTO 5 AREAS CALLED BOROUGHS – MANHATTAN, THE BRONX, QUEENS, BROOKLYN, AND

STATEN ISLAND.

EACH BOROUGH HAS A LARGE POPULATION, IMPORTANT BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS. WITHIN THE FIVE BOROUGHS ARE MORE THAN 100 SEPARATE NEIGHBORHOODS.

Manhattan is the oldest and most important borough of New York City – it features NYC’s tallest buildings and the world’s most famous financial and theatrical

districts.

Manhattan also features Times Square, the United Nations Headquarters, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and much more.

Harlem is the most famous neighborhood in Manhattan. It is the best-known African-American community in the

United States.

Brooklyn, another NYC borough, has more people than any other borough in the city. Brooklyn is an important port, and has more people than any other borough in NYC.

Coney Islandis in Brooklyn.

The Bronx is a chiefly residential borough. Bronx Park lies in the center of the Bronx, and includes the Bronx Zoo – one of the best known zoos in the United States – and the New York Botanical Garden.

Queens ranks second in population among NYC’s boroughs. Huge housing developments and busy expressways are the major features of Queens. Queens also features La GuardiaAirport and the John F. KennedyAirport.

Staten Island has about 440,000 residents, making it the smallest borough in population. Many communities on Staten Island look more like suburban towns than sections of a major city.

Several small islands dot the water surrounding NYC. The most famous is Liberty Island, the site of NYC’s greatest landmark, the Statue of Liberty.

Ellis Island lies near Liberty Island. The U. S. Immigration Service used the island until

1954. Over 12 million immigrants entered the United States through

Ellis Island.

People move to NYC for many reasons. Many are attracted by job opportunities. Other people come to attend the city’s schools and colleges or to enjoy the many cultural activities. Still others come simply because they want to be a part of a large, exciting city. New York’s nickname is “The Big Apple.”

About 65% of New York’s families live in apartment buildings or hotels. About 70% of the families rent their homes. (In other U.S. cities, most families own their homes.)

New York’s major social problems include poverty, crime, and drug addiction. Because of its large population, NYC has more crime than any other U.S. city. However, the crime rate is actually lower in NYC than in many other cities.

The most famous NYC skyscraper, the 102-story Empire State Building, was built in 1931. It ranked as the tallest buildings in the world for many years.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists in hijacked commercial airplanes

crashed planes into the twin 110-story towers of the World Trade Center. The Trade Center Towers collapsed to the ground.

In April of 2006, developers began constructing a skyscraper called One

World Trade Center where the World Trade Center

once stood proud.

At the time of itscompletion, One

World Trade Centerin NYC will be the

tallest building in the Western Hemisphere

and the 3rd tallest building in the world.