New York 101 For Students

Welcome to New York! No matter where you're studying, there's a lot to learn about the city around you. Let's start with the basics.

Originally settled by the Dutch as a trading outpost in 1624 (then known as New Amsterdam), New York as we know it today came about in 1898 when all five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx—were consolidated into New York City. The only hesitant party to the unification was Brooklyn, which at the time was the country's second-largest city and felt slightest by being mashed in with the country's largest city. The city serves as one of the world's main financial centers, based around the New York Stock Exchange in the Financial District, as well as a broadcasting and fashion Mecca with global influence. New York's primacy in the world is mirrored in the number of skyscrapers that fill the Manhattan skyline where many of the world's largest companies have headquarters. The Empire State and Chrysler Buildings the two of the tallest skyscrapers in the city and easily the most recognizable, but New York isn't all concrete and steel: the Parks & Recreation Department commands almost thirty thousand acres of parks and beaches across all five boroughs, including the well-known Central Park.

New York City's history as a entry-point for immigrants during most of the late 19th and 20th centuries led to the city becoming one of the nation's most ethnically diverse areas (Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx all rank in the top twenty most diverse counties). New York City today has over eight million inhabitants, with a metropolitan area (which includes parts of New Jersey and Long Island) that boasts a population of over thirty-five million residents. The most recent U.S. Census data estimates a demographic breakdown along these lines: 35% Caucasian, 27% Hispanic, 24% African American, 12% Asian, 18% other races, and 2% multiracial. And while Manhattan can claim its place as the most densely-populated county in the country, Brooklyn boasts the largest population in the country (known, of course, as Kings County; Queens is starting to make more sense as a name now, right?).

The Boroughs

Manhattan is a small, long island where the bulk of New York's businesses are centered, as well as untold-of attractions, museums, buildings, and cultural institutions. It is separated into three large sections—Lower, Upper, and Midtown Manhattan—which are segmented further into the more recognizable neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, Tribeca, and SoHo (more information on each Manhattan neighborhood can be found in our New York Neighborhood Guides).

Brooklyn, the southeastern tip of Long Island, is New York's most populous borough and the likely contender to become the next Manhattan as rising rents push more and more New Yorkers into the outer boroughs. In recent years, Brooklyn has seen a renaissance in restaurants, bars, museums and attractions, turning it more and more into the place Manhattan used to be. Ever-popular neighborhoods like the notoriously hip Williamsburg and the upscale Park Slope and Cobble Hill neighborhoods have helped Brooklyn's rise.

Queens, the most diverse county in the United States, is also the main entry-point to New York thanks to LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy Airports. The borough's diversity has served it well in the restaurant industry, giving it an authentic edge in some areas over Manhattan and Brooklyn. By far the largest of the boroughs, Queens is also home to the massive Flushing Meadows Park, the new Citi Field home of the Mets, and the Queens Botanical Gardens.

The Bronx, New York City's only mainland borough, has a surprising amount of open space for such a densely-populated county (third most-dense in the country). No surprise, then, that the Bronx is home of the new Yankee Stadium, the famous Bronx Zoo, and the breathtaking New York Botanical Garden.

Staten Island, a largely suburban borough, is the only part of New York City with no connecting subway service to the four other boroughs. Best known for being the home of hip hop visionaries The Wu-Tang Clan (though not, necessarily, the home of each member), Staten Island boasts some of the best parks in the city, including the ongoing Fresh Kills Park Project, which is pioneering urban wetland reclaimation in the heart of Staten Island.

Transportation

Subway There's still no better way to get around in New York City than the amalgamated subway system, a former multi-operator transit system now run together under the auspicies of the Metropolitan Transit Authority. A simple $2.25 lets you travel over thirty miles of track on the A train alone; there are twenty-three other train lines to chose from, not including projects in progress like the long-awaited Second Avenue subway (which will finally add a T train to the roster). Metrocards—the only type of subway ticket there is (tokens were phased out in 2003)—allow riders to maintain a cash balance or buy various types of unlimited-ride cards, from the One-Day Fun Pass to the Unlimited 30-Day. In the wake of 2009's "Doomsday Scenario," the MTA upped the fares for everything, raising single rides from $2.00 to $2.25, and the 30-Day Unlimited Metrocard to a brisk $89.00.

Bus While the MTA's subway lines may seem to run all over creation, there are plenty of instances where a bus is a better idea, especially when traveling from outer borough to outer borough. Roughly 250 routes are in operation around the city, with the same fare as a subway ride, excepting express buses, for which there is an extra charge. For those without a Metrocard (no New Yorker should be without a Metrocard, really), MTA buses only accept change. No paper money is accepted.

Cabs There are a few very important things to know about cabs in New York City. First, there are two types: New York taxis and livery cabs. New York Taxis are the yellow cabs that are the lifeblood of the city are stringently regulated by the New York Taxi & Limousine Commission. The base fare is $2.50, and most taxis are now equipped with credit/debit systems, GPS map displays, and the ubiquitous Rider's Bill Of Rights. Flagging down a New York Taxi can be difficult when you first come to New York, simply because no one hands new arrivals a pamphlet on the meanings of the taxi lights. When the middle section of a taxi's roof-display is illuminated by itself (the taxi's call sign is in the center of the display), the cab is available to pick up fares. When the light is off, the cab has a fare and will not stop for another. When the whole display is lit up—you'll quickly learn to tell the difference from blocks away—the cab is off-duty, and will not pick up any fares. New York Taxis are not available for call-in pickups.

For livery cabs, however, the call-in is their bread and butter. Various livery cab companies operate around the city, with central dispatch offices that route their cars around to pick up people in need of rides, generally in the areas where yellow cabs are harder to come by. It's anyone's guess what formula these companies use for fares, since they do not have meters, and the same ride may cost a few dollars less or more on a different day. These are generally the drivers travelers see in Penn Station and LaGuardia, trolling for rides (which, we should point out, is illegal for them to do). Livery cabs should always be a last resort, as they are by far the most expensive mode of transportation in New York City.

Bikes If there's one mode of travel New Yorkers love more than walking, it's biking! It's healthy, fun, and cheap, and the city has gone out of its way to accomodate the cycling population with extensive bike trails, bike lanes, and plenty of racks to lock up your bike whenever you get where you're going. The city also offers an amazing collection of downloadable cycling maps that lay out in great detail the two-wheel paths around the five boroughs. There are also a ton of bike-related activities throughout the city, including the Five Borough Bike Tour!

Walking Aside from the health benefits and the low cost, there is no better way to experience New York than as a pedestrian. You will get the unique chance to experience the city as New Yorkers experience it. You’ll also see how entertaining we can be. Whether it is the bike messenger yelling: "No brakes, no brakes!" or the executive screaming into his cell phone, the streets are more theater than anything else.The crowded streets here in New York City make obvious what you may not have already known: New Yorkers love to walk. They also love walking fast and with a purpose! And though this may seem intimidating at first, don’t worry; you will soon find yourself moving along at a New York pace. In Manhattan, where most of the streets were planned on the grid system, it’s hard to lose your way. The grid's consistency also means you can easily tell how far you’ve walked. Just use this simple formula: one mile equals 10 crosstown blocks or 20 uptown/downtown blocks. The best part of our a pied city is the wealth of walking tours available, some of which you can find in our Vistor Guide as well as our Guided Tours section!