New York is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2016 population of 8,537,673distributed over a land area of about 302.6 square miles (784 km2), New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the United States, located at the southern tip of the state of New York. Many districts and landmarks in New York City are well known, and the city received a record 61 million tourists in 2016, hosting three of the world's ten most visited tourist attractions in 2013.Several sources have ranked New York the most photographed city in the world.
Times Square, iconic as the world's "heart" and its "Crossroads", is the brightly illuminated hub of Broadway. Central Park, an 843-acre (3.41 km2) park in middle-upper Manhattan, is the most visited urban park in the United States and one of the most filmed locations in the world, with 40 million visitors in 2013.The park contains a wide range of attractions; there are several lakes and ponds, two ice-skating rinks, the Central Park Zoo, the Central Park Conservatory Garden, and the 106-acre (0.43 km2) Jackie Onassis Reservoir. Indoor attractions include Belvedere Castle with its nature center, the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, and the historic Carousel. On October 23, 2012, hedge fund manager John A. Paulson announced a $100 million gift to the Central Park Conservancy, the largest ever monetary donation to New York City's park system. Manhattan is the central part of New York. It is the smallest district with an area of only 60 square kilometers. All of the city’s major banks and the stock exchanges can be found here. It is the seat of the city’s government and the home of cultural institutions.
Brooklyn is a major seaport and the center of industry. It has the most residents of all boroughs and is known as the district of churches and homes.
Queens is the largest of New York’s boroughs. It consists of rows of single-family houses and is often referred to as the city’s biggest suburb. Whites, Hispanics and Blacks live together in Queens.
The Bronx, a residential district with many apartment buildings, is the only borough situated on the mainland.
For many years Staten Island could only be reached by ferry. Today, the borough is connected with Brooklyn through the Verrazano – Narrows Bridge. The opening of this bridge in 1964 led many New Yorkers to move to Staten Island.
