New York City, New York

A walk through New York City can be overwhelming to the senses. The air is filled with the cacaphony of rumbling traffic, honking horns, shouting voices and the scent of roasting chestnuts, kebabs and honey roasted nuts wafting from street vendor carts. An endless parade of bright yellow cabs stream by, while vivid images on video billboards flash and fight one another for an onlooker’s attention.

New York City was founded in 1624 by the Dutch West India Company and was first known as New Amsterdam. In 1664, the Dutch lost New Amsterdam to the English, who renamed it New York. The colony flourished and by 1790, New York grew to be the largest city in the United States, which it remains so to this day.

New York City, today, is a bustling, diverse city made up of five boroughs — Long Island, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Staten Island. It is a city filled with tourist attractions and iconic images, including Wall Street, Central Park, Fifth Avenue, Broadway, and the World Trade Center memorial, just to name a very few.

Getting around the city is relatively easy, as New York boasts an extensive public transportation system that includes subways, buses, taxis and ferries. Driving a car in New York is not recommended. Many locals don’t even own one, as parking is extremely limited and traffic is usually terrible. One of the absolute best ways to get around the city is by walking.

Strolling through New York, a visitor can meander from one interesting neighborhood to another. For example, a typical walk could start in lower Manhattan in the financial district with a stop at the World Trade Center memorial. Moving northwards, a visitor could browse Chinatown’s Canal Street for imitation designer scarves and purses or hit the real designer stores in SoHo.

Another walking itinerary could include stops at the Empire State building, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square, where visitors can purchase same-day tickets to enjoy top Broadway plays. Central Park is just a quick walk away and is an enjoyable oasis of green in the middle of the city. In all of New York, an unbelievable selection of restaurants and bars beckon passers-by to sit and enjoy a meal or throw back a pint.

If walking isn’t your thing, then climb aboard one of the many tour buses that cruise the streets, and don’t forget to take a ferry trip to visit Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

New York’s weather is pretty stereotypical. It is generally hot and humid in the summer, and cold, with periods of snow, during the winter. Temperatures can swing wildly in the spring and fall, when Mother Nature is desperately trying to decide what she wants to do. Although the winters can be bitter, Christmas is one of the best times of the year to visit New York, as the streets are filled with people, the Rockettes are dancing at Radio City Music Hall, and the city’s famous Christmas tree shines brightly over Rockefeller Center.