For many years, immigrants arrived in New York looking for religious or political freedom and a better life. They wanted to live the “American dream”. Before they reached the Golden Door, they had tests in Ellis Island. They were treated like cattle. Today it is a museum. Many of them settled there, so the city is extremely cosmopolitan. That is why it is called the “Melting pot” of America.

New York is also called the “Big Apple”. It is divided into 5 boroughs ( Manhattan  -  Brooklyn  -  Bronx  -  Queens  -  Staten island )

The Statue of Liberty is on Liberty Island in New York Harbour. France gave it to America in 1886 as a sign of friendship. Frédéric Bartholdi and Gustave Eiffel created it. From 1892 to 1932, the statue was the first thing that European immigrants saw when they arrived in New York Harbor by boat. It is a universal symbol of freedom and democracy and it symbolizes the wish of the USA to be free from oppression.

Brooklyn is home to immigrants from all over the world. Today 93 different ethnic groups live there !

There are neighbourhoods with people of Chinese, Korean, Caribbean, Russian, Arabic, Polish, Latino, Jewish, or Italian origin. So there are many delicious restaurants. Nearly 2.5 million people live in Brooklyn. It has more people than New York’s four other boroughs. If Brooklyn was a city, it would be the 4th biggest city in the USA !

Manhattan is a mythical, magical city. It is the name of an Indian tribe who lived on the island. In 1626, Dutch immigrants bought the island from the Manhattan Indians. When the English arrived years later, they renamed the island “New York”.

Manhattan is not very big but a lot of people live there. It is famous for neighborhoods like Little Italy, Chinatown and Harlem, the center of Black American culture and business with famous jazz clubs and gospel choirs in the past it was a dangerous ghetto but today it is a nice place to live.

The Bronx is separated from Manhattan by the Harlem river. It is located north of Manhattan and Queens. Before, it was the poorest place in New York but now it is a wealthier place. Hip hop was born in the Bronx. If you are

fond of baseball, you can attend a match at theYankee Stadium where the New York Yankees exercise.

Staten Island is the most suburban of the five boroughs of new York City. Historically, the center of the island was dominated by dairy and poultry farms.

Queens was famous for its cinemas and movie stars before Hollywood became the place to be. In the 1940s, it was an important center of jazz. Today, many hip hop musicians live in Queens and sculptors too. There are two airports

 in Queens : JFK Airport and La Guardia Airport. If you’re a tennis fan, go to the Flushing Meadow tournament !!

When walking in the streets of New York you can’t help but notice the steam that rises out of the manhole covers. subterranean New York is home to the biggest steam distribution system in the world, heating and cooling 100,000 of the city’s buildings. The steam results when condensation or water leaks reach the 105 miles underground steam pipes.

Central Park is called the « lung » of New York. With lakes, ice-skating rinks and a zoo, it is a perfect place for New Yorkers to relax. It is popular with cyclists, joggers and roller-bladers. About 25 million people visit it every year…

Hot dog stands and their colourful umbrellas dominate the Manhattan landscape. They offer busy New Yorkers and tourists a cheap and quick bite to eat. If you can’t see a stand, no worries, you’ll quickly smell one. Ask for a “dog” like the locals do. Don’t forget : New York-style hot dogs are topped with mustard and either sauerkraut or sautéed onions. So don’t even think about asking for ketchup or mayonnaise !

The “Bagel” is to New York what the croissant is to Paris, an essential alimentary accessory. It is the typical breakfast food of a Sunday morning ritual. Eastern European Jewish immigrants brought it in the 20th century.

New York is the center of the country’s banking, finance and communications industries. It is also home of the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. It has museums, parks, pubs, restaurants, theatres and cinemas ! It’s a big city that never sleeps !

The New York City Marathon is one of the biggest marathons in the world. It is on the first Sunday of November. The first marathon was in 1970. It is watched by 315 million people around the world, and two million spectators wait on the streets of New York to cheer the runners !