Essay about New York

The Cultural Melting Pot: New York City

The topic of my essay is New York. I would like to present this city as best as it is considered to be the influential cultural center of the world. New York is the only city in the world so well known to people who have never been there. I think that the city plays an important role, among others in the American film industry. It was films and TV series that created New York in my head, although I've never been there. Now I would like to introduce this wonderful city. New York is located in the northeastern part of the United States off the coast of the Atlantic. The city is one of the largest in the USA, and also the most populated city because it has more than 8.6 million inhabitants. New York has enormous global importance in cultural, financial, and technological issues.

The Historical Roots of New York

What were the beginnings of today's metropolis? The city was founded in 1614 in Manhattan by the Dutch. They bought a piece of land from the Indians and founded a city called New Amsterdam. In 1664, the area was conquered by Englishmen who changed their name to New York. An interesting fact is that the panorama of New York has as many as 5818 skyscrapers, of which over 90 of them rise to a height of at least 183 meters. Everything is the city's biggest, best, and most modern. The city is an important center of banking and finance, global trade, tourism, new and traditional media as well as art in the United States. New York is considered an influential cultural center of the world. Representatives of all nations, continents, and cultures live in this unusual city. It is a real epic center of culture and art, thanks to which travelers have endless possibilities of spending time. In my opinion, New York belongs to everyone. The wonderful city is divided into five districts: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, referred to as boroughs. Each of them coincides with a specific county in the state of New York.

Manhattan: The Heart of New York

The most famous borough is Manhattan. It is the heart of New York and is also considered the whole of New York. The history of Manhattan begins on September 4, 1609, when sailor Henry Hudson sailed to its shores. The Englishman was employed by the Dutch East India Company. The fact that interested me was that the goods paid to the Indians for the island were also glass beads. In 1877 Martha J. Lamb in her 'History of the City of New York, described the moment of purchase of the island of Manhattan. The woman made the glass beads become part of the history of the island of Manhattan. Today, the district is divided into Downtown, Midtown, and Upper. The area of ​​the smallest district is only 59.1 km². By contrast, the population is 1.665 million. During the settlement of the island, a natural selection was made into smaller districts whose names were associated with the settling population. Little Italy is occupied by emigrants from Italy, slowly displaced by the growing Chinatown with the Chinese population. The Lower East Side, on the other hand, was inhabited mainly by people of Jewish origin. Each district is special. Each of them has a different national climate. It is here that the largest number of the most iconic monuments and attractions are located. The city's elite lives here as well. One of the best films in the world was played here. These films include: 'I Am Legend, 'After Hours' and a Christmas classic that everyone knows and watches a hundred times 'Home Alone 2'. Manhattan is also the home of the legendary Broadway, which has over five hundred art galleries, one hundred and fifty museums, and a similar number of theaters. Manhattan is the center of New York and its most expensive area. New York island has now become a global financial, business, and entertainment center. In addition to many financial institutions, mainly concentrated in the south around Wall Street, where we know the place well from, for example, the movie The Wolf of Wall Street, the headquarters of the United Nations is also located in the city. The list of places and buildings that are icons of New York is quite large. One such facility is the Chrysler Building built in 1930. For a short time, it was the tallest building in the world. Later, the term fell to the Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building is still one of the most effective and at the same time architectural masterpieces in the city. In this borough in 2018, the Whitney Museum of Art celebrated the 90th anniversary of the birth of the genius Andi Warhol. The museum exhibited his art. It is important because he was one of the pop art representatives. The most popular place in Manhattan is certainly Central Park. It is located in the very center of the district. In my opinion, this is the best-known city park in the world and one of the city's business cards. The park was founded by Frederick Law Olmsted and Galvert Vaux. The construction lasted almost 20 years. In 1962, Central Park was on the National Historic Landmark list. Central Park has 341 hectares. It is an extraordinary oasis of peace and greenery and the most friendly area of ​​the Big Apple. Manhattan is certainly the most popular district in New York but not the only one.

Brooklyn: The Diverse Borough

The next district I would like to describe is Brooklyn, also known for its large screens. Its beginning dates back to the sixteenth century when the Dutch founded a colony, which they called Breuckelen. Since 1898, it is one of the boroughs of New York and a county. The area is 180 km², and the number of inhabitants is 2.649 million. If the borough was an independent city, it would be fourth in size in the US. For people working in Manhattan, Brooklyn is a great option. The district acts as a bedroom. It is an old borough of New York, which has changed from an industrial one into a fashionable residential and cultural area. It is a district where you can find people, culture, and cuisine around the world. In my opinion, everyone will find a place for themselves here. Brooklyn attractions are really worth a visit while in New York. The first of the main is of course the famous Brooklyn Bridge. A magnificent and powerful bridge connects Manhattan with Brooklyn. It was designed by John August Roebling. It was here in 1776 that the first battle for American independence, called the Battle of Long Island, took place. It was shot here, among others, Once Upon a Time in America and Vanilla Sky. The popular Gossip Girl series was also shot here, the series shows the mighty differences between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Brooklyn has almost a 50-kilometer-long coastline. Coney Island is a favorite recreation place. One of the oldest roller coasters in America The Cyclon has been delivering adrenaline since 1927. It has been incorporated into the official list of New York monuments. We also have Prospect Park - the Brooklyn equivalent of Central Park.The Brooklyn Museum is one of the oldest museums in America that presents art from almost all over the world on a huge surface. The borough is inhabited by Hindus, Jews, Russians, Italians, Arabs, and many other nationalities, including Poles in Greenpoint. Famous New Yorkers born in Brooklyn like Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Woody Allen, and Phil Silvers from they emphasize their origins with great fondness up.

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Place Order

The Bronx and Its Cultural Contributions

The Bronx is the most northerly borough. The number of inhabitants is 1.471 million, and the area is 110 km². This district was the first to be connected to the agglomeration. An interesting fact is that the name Bronx comes from the name of the Swedish immigrant Jonas Bronck. He was the first to settle in this area. I find many interesting places on its territory. The biggest tourist attractions of the Bronx are the Botanical Gardens and the largest municipal zoo in the USA. This borough also has an icon of American and the most popular sport, Yankee Stadium. All families come to the matches of the Yankee team. Here I would like to point out that baseball is the most popular sport in New York. Another attraction that is located on the north coast of Bronx is the island called City Island. The island has wonderful picturesque and breathtaking marinas. The Bronx is widely recognized as the birthplace of hip-hop, which developed here in the 1970s. In the 1980s, hip-hop and urban culture, such as rap, DJ-ing, and graffiti, began to penetrate the mainstream. The Bronx area is also famous for talented jazz musicians such as Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington. It is interesting that almost no one knows that salsa was born in this New York borough, inspired by Cuban and Puerto Rican rhythms. It should also be noted that the Bronx is inextricably linked to Harlem.

Queens and Staten Island: The Lesser-Known Boroughs

The next borough that I would like to introduce is Queens. This is the largest district in terms of the area because it has 461.7 km² and the land area is 280 km². Their initial name was Queen Catherine of Branganza. This name was associated with the name of the Portuguese wife of Charles II, who was the king of England. Queens is a large and extensive residential and commercial borough. Its rapid development took place after 1909 when the Queensboro bridge was built and communication improved. Queens consists of several small islands, and most of them are located on Jamaica Bay and the Gateway National Recreation Area. Queens is home to many Asian and Latino nationalities. The largest group of inhabitants is nearly 50% of the population of Asian origin, mainly Chinese, Indians, Koreans, and Filipinos. Thanks to such diversity, you can find restaurants and cuisines worldwide. Mainly inhabited by people from the middle class. The popular New York baseball team Mets has its headquarters here. The stadium belongs to one of the largest tourist attractions. Other attractions include the New York Hall of Science and the Queens Museum. In the 1940s, the borough was the epicenter of jazz. Musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald formed here.

The last, least known of all boroughs in New York is Staten Island. The area is 265 km². The district has the smallest population because it is only 479,458. In addition to the main island, or Staten Island, there are many small and uninhabited islands. These islands are The Isle of Meadow, Pralls Island, Shooters Island, Swinburne Island, and Hoffman. As a borough, it has been operating since 1898 when New York was reorganized as a city. Staten Island has the most suburban character of all five boroughs. It is called (the Forgotten Borough). The district is connected to Brooklyn with the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. This island is a place frequently visited by tourists due to its most popular attractions. Staten Island provides a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Lower Manhattan. Greenbelt is one of the most visited places. Located in the center of Staten Island, covering an area of ​​2,500 acres, Greenbelt contains about 45 kilometers of hiking trails and is one of the last untouched forests in New York. It was founded in 1984. Greenbelt's task is to protect the natural nature of the island. It consists of seven city parks. The Alice Austen House Museum & Garden is also very popular. It is here that the largest Italian community. Many residents are members of the Catholic church, and he has a strong influence in this borough.

I would also like to point out that New York plays an important role in the American film industry. New York becomes visible in the number of films that is hard to remember. It is the only city in the world so well known to people who have never been there. And all thanks to movies. Over 250 films are recorded in this city every year. In many films, the city becomes an independent hero and a very important element. New York is one of the most frequently filmed cities in the world. You can find here a remarkable variety of landscapes and cultures. It has an extraordinary and unique atmosphere. The films and series show the diversity I mentioned in the essay's title. Poorer, richer, populated, less populated, everything can be seen on large screens. That's why I wanted to describe this beautiful and amazing city, New York.

Final Thoughts

I hope that I managed to show that New York is a city of dreams and that it is considered an influential cultural center of the world. This wonderful city is one of the best known in the world. I think it is a real epic center of culture and art, thanks to which travelers have endless possibilities of spending time. New York significantly impacts global business, fashion, technology, education, and entertainment. I think this city is noteworthy. There is no other city that could replace New York. Thanks to this work, I have expanded my knowledge about this amazing and at the same time interesting city.