New York City dedication

New York has so so much to offer. It is one of the biggest cities in the world and is classified as a major metropolis. In fact it even has two major airports. It is a major port for boats and ships and it is a melting pot for all nationalities and cultures. It has been the most populous city in the United States since 1790

New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under British control. As one of the original thirteen (13) colonies, New York actually served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. The city of New York consists of five (5) boroughs. They are Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. The Bronx is the only borough which is connected to the mainland of the state and Staten Island is the only borough which is an island unto itself and is closest to the state of New Jersey. As of March 20, 2008 it is recorded that the population in New York has reached 8,274,527 which is an increase of 0.3% over 2006. This is in an area of just under 305 square miles. Bronx is 42 square miles and a population of 1,391,903. Brooklyn is 71 square miles and a population of 2,465,326. If Brooklyn were a separate city it would be the 4th largest city in the United States. Manhattan is 23 square miles with a population of 1,634,795. It is the most densely populated borough and is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States. Queens is 109 square miles with a population of 2,293,007. Queens is the home of both New York City airports. Staten Island is 58.5 square miles and has a population of 487,407 which is the least populated of all five boroughs.

New York City is nicknamed 'The BIG Apple' and has carried that nickname since the year 1920 given by sportswriter John J. Fitzgerald. It is notable among American cities for its high use and 24 hour availability of mass transit. This may be one of the reasons why New York City is also known as 'the city that never sleeps'. New York is also a melting pot for foreign citizens. In 2005 nearly 170 languages were spoken in the city and 36% of its population was born outside of the United States. New York is the birthplace of many cultural movements. The most notable one is the Harlem Renaissance which took place in the 1920's and the 1930's. Also known as the Black Literary Renaissance and the New Negro Movement, it refers to the flowing of African American cultural and intellectual life. The Harlem Renaissance was centered in the Harlem neighborhood section of New York City and the movement impacted urban centers throughout the United States. One of the more famous participants of the Harlem Renaissance was James Weldon Johnson who was the lyrical writer as well as the musical composer of the Black National Anthem: Lift Every Voice and Sing. Others were Langston Hughes, Malcolm X, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Leontyne Price, Marian Anderson, etc.

New York City is also very well known for so many well known buildings and tourist attractions. Just to name a few, some of them are the world famous Apollo Theater, The United Nations, Times Square, Broadway, The Brooklyn Bridge, Ground Zero [the former site of the World Trade Center], Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, The New York Stock Exchange [on Wall Street], The African American Museum, The Hayden Planetarium, The Guggenheim Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, The Museum of Natural History, Yankee Stadium and many many more. Up until 2001 the tallest building structure in New York City was the World Trade Center. Today the tallest building structure in New York City is the Empire State Building.

New York City is also home to the famous structure called The Statue Of Liberty which is located in the east river between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island. With an ever growing population and millions of citizens from all over the world looking to journey and even settle in New York, it will now and forever be one of the most famous and busiests metropolises in the United States. That is why there is a line in a song which has been turned into a phrase. It goes: "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere. Its up to you New York, New York". Absolutely no place like it.