Overview
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At over 8 million, New York is the most populous city in the nation. It's not just a leader for this country, it's a leader in the world in terms of business, international affairs with being the home of the United Nations, and the arts. It has 5 boroughs-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and the Bronx. The New York Metropolitan area has about 18 million, making it the most populous metro area in the world. The Lenape Native Americans lived here for 5000 years before Europeans arrived. Dutch settlers made it a fur trading colony and called it New Amsterdam in 1614. The English fought and won control from the Dutch and renamed it New York. It served as the nation's capitol for a while after the American Revolution. George Washington was inaugurated here. In the 19th century, the city changed with industrial development and immigrants. New arrivals came from Ireland, Italy, and Eastern Europe. It is still an immigrant city with people arriving from Mexico, China, and middle eastern countries as well as others. The city has long been a leader in social and cultural revolutions, and in the fine arts. The best music, art, dance, and theaters are found here. The film industry is also strong here along with literature. Business obviously thrives here with Stock Exchange and financial district on Wall Street. It has beautiful buildings and of course Central Park is quite lovely. The city has had its problems with crime and poverty. Things got really bad in the 1970's with unemployment and decay. However, the 1990's brought about big changes in economic development and a tough stand on crime.
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New York or the Big Apple is an awesome town. It's the center of intellectual life, culture, business, and the arts. The public transportation is reliable, convenient, and for the most part clean. The biggest problem is the expense. Housing prices are horrible here. You give up a lot for a New York address in terms of living space. So unless you plan to live here for a short time, or you can make high dollars, at least $70,000 annually, making New York permanent can be a real hardship. It's a struggle to move ahead financially particularly since the city is so much fun. The temptations to spend rather than save are greater than most places. It's much easier to sock away money in a mundane cultural wasteland like many towns across the country. But with NY, there's always something to do and something new to see whether it's the latest documentary film, or photography exhibit. One financial bonus here is the fact you don't need a car and can ditch the trappings of automobile ownership like insurance and repairs. But that's still just a drop in the bucket for the cash you need. Despite the shoebox living conditions, what strikes me most about NY is the pride of the residents. They love their city. And their pride is contagious. Sure, New Yorkers are known for being rude and blunt. They may curse uncontrollably at you for taking their cab. But I find them to be real and approachable. Their straight forward honesty can be refreshing depending on where you are from. All in all, this is a wonderful city. If you have the opportunity to move here, especially when you're young, do it. If you have a family, there's much more to consider. As the years go by, the crowds and grittiness could get to you. There's quite a struggle to survive here, and that relentless pressure gets old. However, if you really love it, you'll never leave.
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