Main information
Population
Metropolitan area: 8,643,437
City Center population: 7,420,166
Visitors
33 million annually
Elevation
131 Feet
Area
New York City ( Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Richmond) 301 square miles
Area of Manhattan: 22.7 square miles
Languages
English, but in many areas of the City languages other than English predominate
Time Zone
Eastern Time (GMT -4 hours) Daylight saving time is observed from April-October.
Average Temperatures
| Month | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| January | 37F | 24F |
| February | 38F | 24F |
| March | 45F | 30F |
| April | 57F | 42F |
| May | 68F | 53F |
| June | 77F | 60F |
| July | 82F | 66F |
| August | 80F | 66F |
| September | 79F | 60F |
| October | 69F | 49F |
| November | 51F | 37F |
| December | 41F | 29F |
Telephone Area Code
Manhattan: 212 Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, & Staten Island: 718
Emergency
Ambulance/Fire/Police 911
Tips and Taxes
Tips 15%, sales tax 7%
National Holidays
Jan 1 New Year’s Day
3rd Monday in January Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Feb 22 Presidents’ Day
March or April Good Friday
March or April Easter
May 30 Memorial Day
July 4 Independence Day
1st Monday in September. Labor Day
Oct 12 Columbus Day
Nov 11 Veterans Day
November 25 Thanksgiving Day
Dec 25 Christmas Day
How to get around
Driving
The best advice is don’t drive in New York City. Traffic is often gridlocked.
Taxis
New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission 212/676-1000 http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/tlc
Flat fare from JFK International to any point in Manhattan is approximately $30 plus tolls & tip
Ferry
Staten Island Ferry. (Free) Travels Manhattan and Staten Island. Each way takes 25 minutes.
Airports
Three Airports service New York City:
John F. Kennedy Int’l (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Newark Int’l. (EWR)
Subway
The easiest way to get around Manhattan is by subway. Subways and City buses run 24 hours a day. Trains 1,2,3,9, A and C go up and down Manhattan’s west side. The 1, 9 and C are locals and stop at all stations. The 2,3 and A trains are express and stop only at major stations. Trains 4,5, and 6 head up and down the east side. The 6 is local; the 4 and 5 are express.
Trains F,N and R travel between the east and west sides of Midtown and Downtown. The E train follows almost the same route, but terminates at the World Trade Center.
Subway is accessed with a Metro card. Purchase these at subway stations and at many hotels and shops. The fare includes free transfers to city buses within 2 hours. Weekly passes are more economical.
The one day Fun Pass is sold at hotels and shops and in machines at certain subway stations.
The Bus
Buses are slower than subways, but are helpful for traveling cross town. Cross town buses operate between the East and West sides on Houston, 14th, 23rd, 42nd, 57th, 66th, 72nd, 86th and 96th streets.
Buses head north up 1st, 3rd, Madison, 6th and 8th Avenues.
Buses head south down Broadway and 2nd, Lexington, 5th, 7th, and 9th Avenues.
Railway
Pennsylvania Station is located between 31st and 33rd Streets on 7th Avenue. (212) 630-6400. Amtrak, Long Island Railroad, and New Jersey Transit trains stop at Penn Station. Connect there with the subway or taxis.
Grand Central Terminal (212) 532-4900 on the East side. Commuter trains from Connecticut and suburban New York City arrive and depart there.
Intercity Bus
Port Authority Bus Terminal is located on 8th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets. Local buses from New Jersey and intercity buses from the United States and Canada serve the terminal which is also on several bus lines. (212) 564-8484
Events
January
Chinese New Year – traditional Lunar New Year celebration from New York City’s Chinatown annually. The date varies from mid January to mid February.
February
Black History month is celebrated throughout the city with exhibits, concerts, films and lectures
Westminster Kennel Club Dog show in mid February at Madison Square Garden
National Antiques Show at Madison Square Garden
March
International Cat Show
St. Patrick’s Day Parade – one of the city’s most exuberant annual celebrations
Greek Independence Day (March 25)
New York Flower Show (end of the month)
Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden
New Directors; New Films at the Museum of Modern Art
April
Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue
Cherry Blossom Festival
May
Ukranian Festival in the East Village
Ninth Avenue Food Festival
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade – honors Dr. King and the civil rights movement
Norwegian Day Parade
India Festival
Czechoslovak Festival
Salute to Israel Parade
Washington Square Outdoor Art Festival
June
Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic summer series
SummerStage series at the bandstand in Central Park
Lincoln Center Out of Doors performing Arts Festival
Shakespeare in the Park Festival at the Delacorte Theater
Museum Mile Festival
Mermaid Parade
Festival of St. Anthony
Rose Day Weekend at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx
Puerto Rican Day Parade
JVC Jazz Festival
Lesbian and Gay Pride Day Parade on Fifth Avenue
July
4th of July fireworks over the Hudson or the East River
Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center
Serious Fun Festival at Lincoln Center to celebrate the avant garde performing arts
Summergarden Concerts featuring Julliard School musicians
African Street Festival
Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Feast of the Gigolo in Brooklyn. A huge tower is carried on a platform by 250 men as they dance through the streets
O-Bon Festival at Riverside Park
August
Harlem Week features films, food, fashion shows, concerts, and sports competitions
Ecudorian Festival in Flushing. Queens
India Day Parade
US Open Tennis Tournment
September
West Indian American Day Carnival
Wigstock in Tompkins Square Park
Brazillian Carnival
Feast of San Gennaro
Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit
New York is Book Cřuntry
Von Steuben Day Parade on Fifth Avenue
African American Day Parade in Harlem featuring hundreds of bands
Korean Harvest and Folklore Festival
October
Pulaski Parade
Hispanic Day Parade
Blessing of the Animals
Columbus Day Parade
Greenwich Village Halloween Parade
November
Veterans’ Day Parade
Native American Film and Video Festival. It features 100 works by more than 60 filmmakers
Chocolate Show The ultimate event for chocoholics
Thanksgiving Day Parade
Begins at Central Park West at 77th St., then down Broadway to Macy’s, Herald Square (34th St.), finishing at Seventh Ave. (212) 494-4495
December
Tree lighting ceremony
Lighting of the Hanukkah menorah
Kwanzaa Holiday expo
Radio City Christmas Spectacular.at Radio City Music Hall
Christmas in New York City Displays: Special decorations are displayed at various places, including Rockefeller Center and in major department store windows
New Year’s Eve in New York City – Times Square
New Year’s Eve dropping of the Big Apple ball from the top of Times Tower
New Year’s Eve First Night New York – family-oriented visual and performing arts celebration