STATEN ISLAND

 Staten Island, island and borough, New York City, southeastern New York state. The island lies in New York Harbor south of Manhattan and between New Jersey and Brooklyn. Roughly triangular, the island has about 35 miles (56 km) of waterfront and an area of almost 60 square miles (155 square km). It is connected with Manhattan by the Staten Island Ferry - the most budget-friendly and certainly the most scenic way to reach Staten Island. 

View from 8,000 feet above sea level toward Manhattan Island in the north.

Like the rest of NYC, the first Western settlers on Staten Island were Dutch. When they first purchased the island from the Munsee tribe in 1630, they named it after the Staten-Generaal. Staten Island is an island of adventure, curiosities, great food, cultural attractions, world-class shopping and natural spaces. It's renowned for its museums, historic landmarks, beaches and parkland.

NEW YORK

New York is often called 'The Big Apple' to describe something which is ultimate in size, excitement and achievement. With over seven million inhabitants it is the largest city in the USA and the sixth largest in the world. This population is concentrated in an area of 800 sq km, and makes enormous demand on the city's services.

Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, Upper New York Harbor, with the Manhattan Island skyline. Dedicated in 1886, this 305-feet high monument was a gift from France commemorating the 100th anniversary of American independence.

There are over a hundred hospitals and medical centers,  over 2 thousand primary and secondary schools, and 91 colleges, universities and technical schools.

The roads get extremely congested, but there is an extensive subway system which carries one and a half billion passengers annually. Entertainment is provided by 15 TV stations, 39 radio stations, theaters, cinemas, ballet and concert halls. There are 65 museums, 5 zoos, an aquarium and a planetarium.

 

The Prometheus Fountain in the Lower Plaza of Rockefeller Center is one of the most impressive sights in New York City.

'Greater New York' is made up of five boroughs - Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island - but when most people talk of New York they mean Manhattan, the island between the Hudson and East river. Manhattan is the business and entertainment center of the city. It is not very large, so it has to grow upwards, with many skyscrapers. If you are fit you can easily walk across it.