Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest, smallest and most densely-populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York Country, an original country of the state of New York. Manhattan is a major commercial, financial, and culture center of both the United States and world Anchored by Wall street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City vies with the City of London as the financial capital of the world.

Manhattan's many neighborhoods are not named according to any particular convention. Some are geographical, or ethnically descriptive(Little Italy). Others are acronyms, such as TRIBECA or SOHO, or the far more recent vintages NOLITA and NOMAD. Some neighborhoods, such as SOHO, are commercial and known for upscale shopping.

The skyscraper, which has shaped Manhattan's distinctive skyline, has been closely associated with New York City's identity since the end of the 19th century. From 1890-1973, the wold's tallest building was in Manhattan, with nine different buildings holding the title. The New York World Building on Park Row, was the first to take the title, standing 309 feet untile 1955, when it was demolished to construct a new ramp to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Also, the former Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were located in Lower Manhattan. This World Trade Center, a replacement for the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, is currently under construction and is slated to be ready for occupancy in 2013.

The Empire State Building was the world's tallest building from 1931 to 1972, and is currently the tallest building in the city.

Manhattan is famouse for cultures too. A popular haven for art, the downtown neighborhood of Chelsea is widely known for its galleries and cultural events, with more than 200 art galleries that are home to modern art from both upcoming and established artists.

Broadway theatre is often considered the highest professional form of theatre in the United States. Plays and musicals are staged in one of the 39 larger professional theatres with at least 500 seats, almost all in and around Times Square. Off- Broadway theatres feature productions in venues with 100-500 seats.

A little more than a mile from Times Square is the Lincoln Center, home to noe of the world's most prestigious opera houses, that of the Metropolitan Opera. Manhattan is also home to some of the most extensive art collections, both contemporary and historical, in the world including the Metropilitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Frick Collection, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Frank Lloyd Wright- designed Guggenheim Museum.

I love New York!