New York City
New York City is located in the northeastern part of the United States of America. It is the 27th biggest state within the US, 1 New York is located on the Atlantic coastal plain, “at the mouth of the Hudson River.” 2.
In the 19th century – the time frame of “A Cup of cold Water” was set in – New York was America's largest city in addition to being a captivating metropolis. 3 The city had access to numerous waterways and therefore was the most important port of the nation. 4
Today, this metropolis is one of the world's greatest cities. It has about 7.3 million residents. 5 It is the city with the largest population within the US, also the most popular one, encompassing an area about 800 square kilometers.
Nevertheless, the beginnings of this metropolis were quite humble. Around four hundred years ago, this place was a forest land “inhabited by Algonquin and Iroquois Indians who called the central island Manhattan, which meant city of hills.” 6 It was the Dutch who in 1625, bought that island form the Native Americans with items worth $24. 7
New York is a city of many names. Lots of Americans use nicknames for their cities, in order to establish pride and unity among the residents. New York's top nickname amongst all is the Big Apple. The origin of this name remains unclear. Some say it is the result of an advertisement campaign launched in the 1970s to attract more visitors. Others say its history goes back to the 1920s, when author Fitzgerald overheard two men, working at a horse racetrack, using that term. 8
However, this is not New York's only nickname. There are almost 100 nicknames defining this particular city. “The best known are the Capital of the World, Empire City, Gotham, The City So Nice They Named It Twice and the City That Never Sleeps.” 9
New York consists of five boroughs: Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. It is a city made up of many diverse neighbourhoods, offering various and different
lifestyles to their inhabitants and tourists.
The population of New York is a diverse one, which underlines its manifoldness. In 1990, New York's population was composed of “63.9% white, 28.7% black, and 7% Asian/Pacific Islander.” 1 With diversity comes acceptance of different worlds religions, such as Catholics, Jews, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Muslims, Buddhists, Orthodox Christians and Hindus. 2
This city is known for being the main economic and financial center of the US. Every major financial institution has an office in New York City. Even 65 headquarters, which belong to the “Fortune Global 500 companies”, 3 are settled in this city.
Also, New York is home to major publishers, as well as to various film and television productions and the performing arts. 4
More foreign visitors are drawn to New York, than to any other city the U.S. Places like Wall Street, Cental Park, Times Square, Fifth Avenue, Madison Square, SoHo, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, etc have a magnetizing effect. 5 In 2018, 65.2 million tourists visited New York and broke the record with that number. 6