Five boroughs of skyline, Broadway theatres, parks and neighbourhood food from every corner of the world
New York City is made up of five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Manhattan is the most visited, home to Times Square, the Broadway theatres, Midtown, Harlem and Central Park, and to a skyline that is recognised the world over. The 2020 census counted 8,804,190 residents, the highest figure the city has ever recorded, and an estimated 800 languages are spoken here.
Much of the pleasure of a visit lies beyond the headline sights. Brooklyn is known for its brownstone streets, nightlife and inventive restaurants; Queens for food from around the globe and its beaches; the Bronx as the birthplace of hip-hop and the home of a traditional Little Italy; and Staten Island, reached by the free ferry, for its historic villages and harbour views. The subway runs around the clock, so it is easy to move between them.
A Dutch fur-trading post was founded on Governors Island in 1624 and the settlement took the name New Amsterdam in 1626, receiving a city charter in 1653. The English seized it in 1664 and renamed it after the Duke of York, a name fixed permanently in 1674.
After independence New York served as the national capital from 1785 to 1790, and George Washington took his first oath of office at Federal Hall. Central Park opened in 1858, and the city kept growing until the 2020 census recorded its highest population yet.
New York is a city of immigrant neighbourhoods. Flushing is the Chinatown of Queens, with herbal shops, Asian bakeries and restaurants; Jackson Heights is known for South Asian cooking; Brighton Beach in Brooklyn carries Russian food and nightlife; and Tompkinsville on Staten Island has one of the largest Sri Lankan communities in America. The Bronx celebrates its role in the birth of hip-hop, while Flatbush in Brooklyn is known for its food, music and carnival culture. Free entertainment is easy to find, from television tapings to festivals and city parks.
Most visitors divide their time between Manhattan's landmarks and the outer boroughs. A typical stay might include a Broadway show, museums on the Upper East Side, a walk through Greenwich Village and the cobbled streets of the West Village, and a day in Central Park. Ferries reach the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island from The Battery, and the Staten Island Ferry crosses the harbour for free at any hour. In Brooklyn people browse the brownstone streets of Cobble Hill and Fort Greene, and in Queens they eat their way through Flushing and Jackson Heights. The calendar is full too, from the five-borough New York City Marathon in November to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The city has a humid subtropical climate: winters are chilly and damp, spring and autumn are usually mild, and summers are hot and humid. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable for walking, and November brings the marathon and the Thanksgiving parade at the start of the holiday season.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
Within the city, ferries from The Battery run to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and Central Park stretches through the heart of Manhattan. Hoboken, across the Hudson in New Jersey, has classic views back to the skyline. Washington, D.C. and Boston lie further along the East Coast, and Niagara Falls is at the far western end of New York State.
The open park at the heart of the US capital, running about three kilometres from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and lined with more than 100 monuments and memorials and eleven free Smithsonian museums. The National Park Service calls it America's Front Yard.
ExploreThe capital of Massachusetts, founded by Puritan settlers in 1630 and a centre of the events that led to the American Revolution. The Freedom Trail links 16 historic sites over about 2.5 miles, from Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.
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United States · 9 nights4★ HotelUnited States · 8 nights3★ LodgeThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
