New York Statehood Day

New York City was the first capital of the United States after the Constitution was ratified in 1788. In 1789 George Washington took his oath as president on the balcony at Federal Hall. Hartsdale has a pet cemetery established in 1896 and containing 12,000 plots.

Today New York City is divided into five boroughs: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx, and the best-known of all, Manhattan. This is where you will find most of the city's top attractions, such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square, the Chrysler Building and more. And ferries to the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island depart from Lower Manhattan. And for the best views of Manhattan go to the Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Centre.

Fun City, Gotham, The Big Apple - whatever you want to call New York City, it's undoubtedly The City That Never Sleeps. When horse racing became popular in NYC, prizes were called "big apples" (1970s). Millions are familiar with Broadway, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, and Times Square. Yet, there's more to NYC than meets the eye.

New York City was the first capital of the United States after the Constitution was ratified in 1788.

In the 1880s, so many immigrants began rushing into the city that an estimated 40% of the current American population had at least one ancestor pass through the immigration station on Ellis Island.

Today, NYC is home to over 3 million immigrants speaking 800 languages!