Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that New York City is impressive. Often referred to as the “Big Apple,” the “City That Never Sleeps” or the “Capital of the World,” New York is one of the most vibrant urban centers on the planet, and also one of the largest.
When people talk about New York, they typically mean Manhattan, which is but one of five boroughs that make up the city proper, the others being Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. The full metropolitan area, which includes nearby Long Island, Westchester County, and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, has a population upwards of 18 million.
New York draws tourists from around the globe, not only for its rich cultural and historical attractions, but also because it is a major center for media, theater, food, fashion, art, research, finance, trade and nightlife. It also has one of the most famous skylines on earth, dominated by the iconic Empire State Building.