New York
Facts
The City of New York consists of five districts: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx,
Queens and Staten Island. Together it has got a population of 7,32 million
residents and is the biggest city of the USA. In the Standard Consolidated Area
are over 111 villages and towns with over 10000 residents. Among others there
are Garden City, Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark and Yonkers. The people of New
York can fall back on circa 12000 cabs, 16 regular underground services with an
overall length of 379,2 km and to three international airports (JFK, Newark and
La Guardia). New York has the fourteenth biggest area with 826,7 square
kilometres and with 8858 peoples per square kilometres the highest population
density of all city's in the US. Economically seen, New York has got
liabilities of 24,9 billion $ (3401$ per resident). The unemployment amount to
8,9%. The other are mainly employed in services enterprises and in commercial
companies; (87,4%). In industrial companies work circa 12,6 % of New York's
residents. The city lies on an average high of 1,7 m over the ocean.
Geographic Setting
New York lies on the east coast of the United States at a west length of 74°00
and 40°45 north latitude. The average temperature is 11,2°C. New York is
divided into five main districts. The borough Manhattan is separated from
Brooklyn (south) and Queens (east) by the East River, in the north it's
seperated from the Bronx by the Harlem River and the Spuyten Duyvil Creek.
Manhattan is circa 21 kilometres long and has got a width of 3 kilometres.
Liberty Island, with the Statue of Liberty, is located in the Upper New York
Bay, south of Manhattan. Between the Upper and the Lower Bay contracts the
Narrows to the ends of Staten Island. The Bronx is the only one of the five boroughs
which lies on the mainland of New York State. The other lie on islands, which
are connected with many bridges, tunnels and some ferry services. Only in the
south of Manhattan up to the City Hall are the avenues and the streets
constructed in an irregular way. The Civic Center with the buildings of the
communal administrative authority is already in the other part of Manhattan
with its regular constructed streets and avenues. The "streets" are adjusted in
East-West direction and the avenues are adjusted in North-South direction.
Famous Buildings
In 1764 famous buildings were started to be build. Two years later St. Paul's
Chapel was finished. It is the oldest remaining sacral building in Manhattan.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century the City Hall was completed (1811),
nowadays it is still the city hall and the place of residence of the mayor. In
1858, Central Park was opened. It has got a width of 350 ha and was designed by
F.L. Olmsted. St. Patricks Cathedral, built in Neo Gothic style was completed
in 1888 and consecrated in 1910. Since 1883 the Brooklyn Bridge connects
Manhattan with Brooklyn. In 1886 the Statue of Liberty was set up. The Statue
itself is 46m high and the pedestal is 47m high. The Chrysler Building was
completely erected in 1930 and has got 77 floors (306 metres). The spire of
that tower is made of stainless steel. Near the Broadway, in the 33rd street
stand the famous Empire State Building with it's 102 floors. It was built in
1933 and was the highest building of the world with its 449m. In 1946 the
United Nations have chose New York as its permanent Headquarter. So the work
for their building began in the same year. In 1973, finally, the Twin Towers of
the World Trade Center were finished. They are 415m and 417m high and were the
highest skyscrapers of the world when they were completed.
