New York City

Factfile

New York, founded by the Dutchmen in 17th century, is one of the largest cities in USA and the largest city in terms of size in the world. It is also regarded as the world's financial center. There are 8 million inhabitants in the city, living on 831 square kilometers. The entire metropolis has over 20 million inhabitants. New York is made up of 5 boroughs: Brooklyn (approx. 2.5 million inhabitants), Queens (approx. 2.2 million inhabitants), Bronx (approx. 1.3 million inhabitants), Manhattan (approx. 1.5 million inhabitants) and Staten Island (approx. 0.5 million inhabitants).

There are numerous universities and colleges across the city, with Columbia University (116th Street and Broadway-Amsterdam) and New York University (Washington Square Park, 4th Street) the biggest and most famous.

Tips for the newcomers (from www.ny.com)

• Avoid empty subway cars, stick with people or ride in the conductor's car (usually the middle car of the train).
• Never show large amounts of cash out in the open.
• Finding a Bathroom: If you have to go to the bathroom, try a Barnes & Nobles, or a Starbuck's Coffee. Both usually have reasonably clean bathrooms, but your mileage may vary. At Starbuck's you'll need to ask for a key, maybe even buy something.
• Don't keep your wallet in the back pocket of your pants or in a backpack. Moving the wallet to the front pocket of your pants will reduce your chance of having it stolen.
• In every other city in the USA you are allowed to make a right turn on a red light after a full stop. However, in New York City this is illegal, unless otherwise noted by a traffic sign.