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The five boroughs of New York City
(Photo retrieved from commons.wikimedia.org)
GEOGRAPHY: New York City, located in the state of New York, is the largest city in the United States. It is located at the mouth of the Hudson River on the Atlantic Ocean, in the south-eastern part of the state. New York City is composed offive boroughs: Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. While Manhattan and Staten Island are islands, Brooklyn and Queens are geographically part of Long Island, and the Bronx is attached to the US mainland. Bridges, tunnels and ferries link the islands.
The flight time from Sydney, Australia to New York, USA would be around 20 hours.
HISTORY: The first person to travel to New York City was Giovanni da Verrazano who discovered the area in 1524, when he sailed into the area and landed there. New York City became an important city during the Revolutionary War period. For a brief time period, it was the capital of the new United States after the colonies declared their independence. In the 1800's,New York became one of the most important seaports on the Atlantic Ocean, and became a centre of trade. This lead to a substantial population growth in New York City. New York City also became a destination for immigrants coming in to the country to begin a new life. In the early 1900's, millions of people came though Ellis Island seeking citizenship in the United States. A vast majority of these immigrants settled in New York City, which today is still one of the most diverse populations in the world.
ECONOMY: New York City is a major world centre of trade, manufacturing, transportation, finance, communications, and culture, and it is the headquarters of the United Nations. The economy of New York City is the largest regional economy in the United States. Anchored by Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City has been characterised as the world's leading financial centre and is home to the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ, the world’s largest stock exchanges by market capitalization and trading activity. The currency is US Dollar.
STEREOTYPES: No, not everyone pronounces ‘’New York’’ in a thick Italian mafia accent as “New Yawk.” Although the accent does in fact exist, it does not apply to everyone.In New York City, life moves pretty fast.Everything is fast paced. Slow walkers in the city are frowned upon. There seems to be a stereotype that ‘’New York is not a Safe Place to Live’’, this is false. New York City is one of the safest cities in the country. In 2007, New York City was rated the safest of the 10 largest cities in the United States. New Yorkers have a long-standing reputation of being rude. But they’re not. They’re just extremely opinionated. However, think about it, there are 8 million people crammed into a tiny island, taking them an hour to drive into work. They also have to occasionally navigate lost tourists. You’re bound to come across a cranky New Yorker.
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS: There are many opportunities to make friends and meet new people in New York City. By attending a variety of classes, hobby groups, cultural groups, sports leagues and volunteer groups, there’s a likely chance that you’ll meet people who share similar interests and mindsets. The first step to creating a social circle is to put yourself in a position to meet new people. Some common ways to do this are: •Going to bars, restaurants and nightclubs •Joining a social sports league •Signing up for classes •Volunteering in different organisations
Another way to socialise and make friends is to occasionally dine at restaurants and cafes. Chances are that if you are a regular customer, you’ll become acquaintances with someone. Flea markets are also a great way to meet new and interesting people. One of the most well known flea markets in New York City is Artists & Fleas, which is held at 88 Tenth Avenue, Manhattan, and 70 Seventh Street, Brooklyn on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 7pm.
CULTURE: The extraordinary mixture of different cultures in New York City is what makes it so unique. It is difficult to pinpoint a predominant culture shared by all of its citizens. Walking through the city’s multilingual and multi-ethnic population will expose you to a wide variety of cultures, accents and speech patterns. New Yorkers are very communicative people; good manners and patience will benefit you. Similar to Australian culture, the basics of etiquette, like opening doors for people, saying please and thank you when the opportunity presents itself, and generally being helpful towards others is always appreciated.
SOCIALISING: Be direct. When talking to someone, (depending on the context) you should not sound apologetic. You appear weak and a sympathetic target for a smooth hustle.
Be polite. New Yorkers appreciate politeness. If you forget to use such common phrases as "Excuse me" and "Please," you will be considered rude yourself and will be responded to in the same manner. When moving through a crowd or if someone is in your way, it is perfectly polite to say a firm "Excuse me." If you do not utter this phrase, the body blocking you will most likely not move. If you attempt to sneak by a person who is blocking your way, pushing them in the process, they will consider you rude or weak for not having said anything to warn them. When someone does move aside for you, thank them.
Don't be afraid to make conversation with strangers, but if someone ignores your advances, don't push it further. Many New Yorkers in general enjoy talking. They enjoy hearing their own voices, and they enjoy responding to things that people say. Other New Yorkers prefer to be left alone. The rule of thumb is to be sociable but don't just talk forever at someone who is not responding.
Smile. New Yorkers are not a bunch of mean and cynical people. As a bunch, they are pretty happy. They love a good joke, they enjoy engaging in discussion and they tend to emote and feel very deeply. Their sense of sympathy and empathy is quite engaged, even if they don't always want to indulge everything.
Kissing in public for a long period of time may be a problem. Not only are some people disturbed by public displays of affection but kissing longer than usual in public may also result in people stealing your personal belongings. Be aware.
Speaking emotively is fairly common in New York City; however, you should never talk to anyone in a derogatory way. You should respect both authoritative figures and also those in customer service industries, such as hotel workers, cleaners, shop assistants and bar staff. As New York is a multicultural city, meeting people of many different ethnic backgrounds is very common. They speak a number of languages and may originally come from countries with many different cultures and traditions. These differences should be respected. The one universal rule of etiquette in New York is to never use offensive language, such as racist or sexist remarks. This sort of conduct can be taken very seriously, and may have some serious consequences. In New York City, men and women are very much equal and ethnicity has no bearing on someone’s social and economic advantage.
MEETING AND GREETING: New Yorkers tend to meet and greet in much the same manner as other Americans and even Australians. Handshakes between men and women are common greetings, and informalities can be established relatively quickly. Some New Yorkers may introduce themselves using their first name, and will immediately begin to use your given name after greeting. This should not be seen as disrespectful or bad etiquette, as it is just a means to communicate friendliness and trust. In less formal circumstances, men will greet by grasping hands and sometimes a mutual pat on the back or shoulder is then initiated. Women are often kissed on the cheek and hugged. However, if you prefer to stick to handshakes for a greeting, this will be respected and no offence will be taken.
BODY LANGUAGE AND SPACE: Although the city can seem very crowded, you should always respect other people’s personal space. When queuing, do not push, shove, or stand looking over someone’s shoulder. Etiquette demands that men especially should give women personal space, especially when queuing or walking behind them.
DINING: Dining etiquette's in New York City, just like in Australia, are very important and respected. Simple table manners are expected, especially when dining in a restaurant. Simple table manners:
Food is passed from the left to the right. Do not stretch across the table, crossing other guests, to reach food or condiments.
When asked for the salt or pepper, pass both together, even if a tablemate asks for only one of them.
Directly set any passed item on the table instead of passing hand-to-hand.
Never intercept a pass. Taking a roll out of the breadbasket or taking a shake of salt when it is en route to someone else is not acceptable.
Always use serving utensils to serve yourself, not your personal silverware.
In a restaurant:
As soon as you are seated, remove the napkin from your place setting, unfold it, and put it on your lap. Do not shake it open.
The napkin rests on the lap till the end of the meal. Don't clean the cutlery or wipe your face with the napkin.
If you excuse yourself from the table, loosely fold the napkin and place it to the left or right of your plate. Do not refold your napkin or crumple it up on the table either. Never place your napkin on your chair.
At the end of the meal, leave the napkin semi-folded at the left side of the place setting. It should not be crumpled and twisted; nor should it be folded. The napkin must also not be left on the chair.
In order to completely enjoy your time within this city, you need to be open-minded and aware of your surroundings. Chances are that you’ll come across something that might disturb you, excite you or even confuse you; the possibilities are endless. Despite your feelings towards the city, you need to embrace it and enjoy your time there. There’s no place else like New York City.
GIFT GIVING: In New York City presenting a gift is a thoughtful gesture, but it is not expected. When you visit a home, it is not necessary to take a gift, although it is always appreciated. Flowers, a potted plant, or a bottle of wine are good gift choices. A popular gift in New York City is taking someone out for a meal or other entertainment. Stay clear of gifting women perfume or clothing as it is usually seen as inappropriate and too personal. Gifts for children are often a thoughtful and appreciated gesture, but take into account the values of the parents. Many parents would object to your giving a toy gun or a violent video game to their child.
DRESS: New York is famous for being one of the trendy capitals of the world. Fashion and dressing well is important to many New Yorkers, and as a tourist you should consider this. It is particularly important that you are aware that some places such as restaurants have dress codes that should be followed. In most cases, when attending a special occasion such as a theatre outing, shorts, t-shirts, sport shoes and other sports-related clothing are definitely not acceptable attire.
You should also be aware that there are many religions practised in New York. If you intend to visit a church or synagogue, etiquette requires that you should always dress modestly. It is considered good etiquette to remove a hat when entering a building, and this is also relevant where churches are concerned.
PLACES TO VISIT: New York City's five boroughs are home to some of the world's most recognisable, cherished landmarks and attractions. From Times Square and Central Park to the Empire State Building and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the island of Manhattan contains more famous icons into one compact area than any other place on earth. The City's four other boroughs—The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island —each contains its own list of must-see destinations. With so much to see and do, a trip to NYC may seem a little overwhelming.
NYC Skyline New York City's skyline is truly astounding. The skyscrapers, bridges, waterways, islands and monuments create a breathtaking panorama that is instantly familiar worldwide. While you can feel the vastness of these surroundings from anywhere in the City, the grandness of the cityscape is best viewed from above. Take an elevator ride up to the 86th-floor observation deck of the Empire State Building, New York City's second-tallest structure. This soaring art deco masterpiece offers a complete 360-degree view of the city below.
Times Square With the vibrant colours of the massive digital billboards, the bright lights make midnight look like mid-afternoon; it can be hard to decide where to look when walking through the world famous Times Square. The energy and hyped feeling is definitely worth experiencing.
Central Park Spanning 843 acres in the heart of Manhattan, Central Park is one of the world's greatest urban retreats, covering a diverse landscape of rolling fields, walking trails and serene bodies of water, all man made. Central Park is the centrepiece of the City's public parks system.
9/11 Memorial & Museum The memorial portion of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center is dedicated on September 11, 2011. Admission to the memorial is free, and visitor passes are not required. Waterfalls flow into two large reflecting pools, in the towers' footprints, and the names of the men, women and children who lost their lives are inscribed in bronze walls that surround the pools. This site is important to experience as it has drastically shaped the culture of New York City. Other significant places to see are The Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Up for the challenge? Travelling to New York City comes with culturally challenging and rewarding aspects. Depending on the person, the challenging aspects may be difficult to overcome, as New York City can be very intimidating and scary. In this small, crowded city, live a variety of people with all sorts of weird and wonderful personalities. Whilst others may like the diversity of cultures, ethnic backgrounds and religions, you may not. It can be quite difficult to grasp the concepts and the fast paced lifestyle the city offers. However, there is a rewarding side to travelling to New York City. With the diversity comes an endless chance to experience new and wonderful things you may not be able to within the borders of Australia. Travelling to New York City will provide you with an experience of a lifetime.