The most popular tourist destination in the United States isn’t Disneyland or Washington, D.C., it’s New York City. Every year millions of visitors travel to the Big Apple to enjoy this melting pot of culture, language, and food. As a world leader in fashion, film, theater, art, television, and finance, New York has long been an influence and a blueprint for other global cities.
New York’s history stretches back to 1624 when it was a Dutch trading post. Throughout the centuries, it served as the original US capital and grew to be the largest city in America by 1790. As such, the city is full of historical landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Ellis Island Museum, and the Empire State Building. Some of the more historical architecture and engineering masterpieces of New York can be viewed in the city’s various boroughs and neighborhoods including Harlem, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.
Financial landmarks in New York include the New York Stock Exchange and Wall Street as well as the world headquarters of the all the major corporations. Manhattan was also the site of the World Trade Center and the site of those twin towers is still a popular destination. Diplomatic junkies will want to visit the headquarters of the United Nations while academics can tour the many prestigious universities located in the New York.
Long a leader of the arts, New York is full of some of the greatest museums in the world, including the Museum of Modern Art (affectionately known as MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and other performing arts venues offer world-class opera, ballet, orchestras, and modern dance. As the home of Broadway, New York’s theater scene is unparalleled with Off-Broadway, Shakespeare in the Park, and several world-reknown schools for actors, directors, and playwrights. In the twentieth century New York became a center for television and film, with the headquarters of all the major broadcast networks, a number of cable network studios, and several major film festivals.
And don’t forget that New York is the home of Times Square and Central Park. It’s also a city with incredible restaurants offering just about any cuisine from around the world and home to flagship eateries by the world’s top chefs. Visitors can choose from a variety of five star New York hotels and shop on the legendary 5th Avenue. And every night celebrities, locals, and tourists meet in the trendiest nightspots in North America.
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