New York, Washington, D.C.

and other important North American cities

NEW YORK
- East coast, state of New York (but the capital is Albany)
- rivers: the Hudson (on the west), the East River, the Harlem (on the north)
- most densely populated metropolis – two times smaller than London, but similar population - over 8
million inhabitants
- no official language, but important documents must be translated into 10 designated languages
(Spanish, Chinese, Arabic….)
- divided into 5 parts (=boroughs)
Manhattan – most popular attractions
Brooklyn – most populous, Brooklyn Bridge (connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan)
Queens – largest, ethnically and culturally diverse, Flushing Meadows – large park, JFK and LaGuardia
The Bronx – half of inhabitants are Hispanic
Staten Island – nothing important (compared to others)
- skyscarapers – over 150m tall , because there was not enough space, so they had to build upwards
- religion: majority are Christian, surprising amount of Jewish religion (immigration wave in 19 th century)

MANHATTAN
- smallest, highest population density
- an island surrounded by the Hudson, the East River and the Harlem
- the grid system: streets (east and west), avenues (north and south)
- financial district – Wall Street is now a term used to describe all the public financial markets,
historically it has been the location of some of the largest U.S. brokerages (financial institutions)
- name refers to a wall that was built in the 17th century by Dutch
settlers for keeping out the British and pirate
- Broadway – a road over 53 km long, theatrical and commercial centre, also several universities, begins at
Times Square - never sleeping heart of Manhattan, typical bright billboards, annual New
Year’s Eve ball drop, extremely busy pedestrian site and tourist attraction
Columbia University – one of the oldest in the US (18th cent. before Independence), one of the most
prestigious universities in the world
- 5th Avenue – long, luxurious shopping street
Central Park – one of the largest Parks, 5th Ave is its border
Flatiron Building – skyscraper, resembles an old-fashioned clothes iron, office building
Rockefeller Centre – skyscraper, complex of commercial buildings built during the Great
Depression by one of the wealthiest bussiness magnate John D. Rockefeller,
style - Art Deco
St. Patrick’s Cathedral – 19th century, neo-gothic, catholic, built due to huge influx of Catholic
immigrants
Empire State Building – skyscraper. Art Deco, used to be the highest building of the world, until
World Trade Centre buildings were built (then destroyed in 11th of September 2001 as a target of
terrorist attacks), also called the Twins, now replaced by one tower

- other skyscrapers: Woolworth Building, Chrysler Building, The United Nations Building, at some
point the tallest in the world
- neigbourhoods = further division of Manhattan
- Harlem – rich cultural history (the Dutch, English, Jewish, Afroamericans), high poverty and crime rate
- East Village – rich on students, artist and hippies
 - Little Italy – large Italian population
- Chinatown – famous for the best Asian restaurants

ISLANDS
Ellis Island – largest immigration station
Liberty Island