New York (Manhattan)

New York (Manhattan)
Name	Manhattan
Settlement type	Borough and County
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	New York
Subdivision type2	City
Subdivision name2	New York City
Established title	Dutch settlement
Established date	1624
Area total sq mi	22.82
Population total	1,694,251
Population as of	2020
Timezone	Eastern Time

New York (Manhattan) Manhattan is a densely populated borough of New York City located on an island bounded by the Hudson River, East River, and Harlem River. It is the historic core of New Amsterdam and a global center for finance, media, culture, and education, hosting major institutions such as Wall Street, Broadway (theatre), Columbia University, and Times Square. Manhattan's skyline includes iconic structures like the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, and One World Trade Center, and its neighborhoods range from the commercial corridors of Midtown Manhattan to the residential blocks of Upper East Side and Harlem.

History

Manhattan's precolonial period included settlement by the Lenape and interactions with regional peoples such as the Pequot, Iroquois Confederacy, and Algonquian peoples. The Dutch established New Amsterdam at the southern tip of the island in 1624 under the auspices of the Dutch West India Company, with Peter Minuit involved in early transactions with Lenape leaders. In 1664 the island was seized by the English and incorporated into the Province of New York, with figures like Duke of York (later James II of England) central to the transfer. Manhattan played roles in imperial conflicts, including the American Revolutionary War and events such as the Battle of Long Island and the Siege of Fort Washington, with leaders like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton connected to its Revolutionary-era institutions. During the 19th century, Manhattan experienced rapid growth tied to the Erie Canal, the construction of Grand Central Terminal, and mass immigration through Castle Garden and later Ellis Island, attracting arrivals from Ireland, Italy, and Germany. The 20th century brought cultural movements centered on Manhattan, including the Harlem Renaissance, the Beat Generation in Greenwich Village, and the rise of Wall Street as a financial hub, culminating in events such as the September 11 attacks at World Trade Center and subsequent reconstruction led by entities like the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.

Geography and neighborhoods

Manhattan's 22.7-square-mile island sits between the Hudson River and East River, with terrain shaped by glacial deposits and features like Inwood Hill Park and the Palisades across the Hudson. Manhattan is subdivided into widely recognized neighborhoods and business districts including Financial District, Battery Park City, Tribeca, SoHo, Chinatown, Little Italy, East Village, West Village, Chelsea, Meatpacking District, Flatiron District, Gramercy Park, Murray Hill, Midtown Manhattan, Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Spanish Harlem, and Washington Heights. Major public spaces include Central Park, Battery Park, Bryant Park, and the High Line, while waterways and crossings connect Manhattan to neighboring boroughs and states via structures such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, George Washington Bridge, Holland Tunnel, and Lincoln Tunnel.

Demographics

Manhattan's population includes diverse communities with ancestries from Ireland, Italy, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, China, Haiti, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Mexico, Russia, Poland, India, Bangladesh, and Ecuador. Manhattan hosts significant communities associated with institutions like Chabad-Lubavitch and religious centers including St. Patrick's Cathedral, Temple Emanu-El, and Islamic Cultural Center. Demographic shifts reflect patterns linked to events and policies such as the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, urban renewal projects advocated by figures like Robert Moses, and gentrification trends in neighborhoods like Harlem and Lower East Side. The borough's socioeconomic profile spans high-income enclaves including Upper East Side and Tribeca alongside lower-income neighborhoods influenced by New Deal and Great Society era housing initiatives like NYCHA developments.

Economy and business

Manhattan is a global financial center centered on Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange, and NASDAQ, with major banking institutions such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America maintaining a strong presence. The borough's media and entertainment industries are anchored by companies like The New York Times Company, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global, Disney–ABC Television Group, Bloomberg L.P., and music and theater firms on Broadway (theatre). Key real estate and investment firms include Vornado Realty Trust, Related Companies, Brookfield Properties, and Tishman Speyer, while major retailers and luxury brands cluster along Fifth Avenue and neighborhoods such as SoHo. Manhattan's visitor economy is supported by attractions including Times Square, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and sports venues like Yankee Stadium (in Bronx) and Madison Square Garden, with sectors such as tourism, hospitality, technology in Silicon Alley, and nonprofit organizations including The Rockefeller Foundation contributing to economic diversity.

Culture and landmarks

Manhattan's cultural institutions encompass museums and performance venues such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum, American Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and The Public Theater. Literary and artistic movements involved figures like Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Langston Hughes, and Bob Dylan, with historic sites including Federal Hall National Memorial, Trinity Church, Stonewall Inn, and Ellis Island linked to broader narratives of immigration and civil rights movements such as the Stonewall riots. Manhattan's culinary scene ranges from institutions like Katz's Delicatessen to Michelin-starred restaurants run by chefs including Daniel Boulud and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and annual cultural events such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and New York Fashion Week are major draws.

Government and infrastructure

Manhattan is coterminous with New York County and forms one of the five boroughs of New York City, represented in municipal institutions such as the New York City Council and overseen at the state level by representatives to the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate. City services in Manhattan involve agencies like the NYPD, FDNY, DSNY, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority for regional coordination. Infrastructure projects and planning efforts have involved entities including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, MTA New York City Transit, New York State Department of Transportation, redevelopment efforts by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and public–private partnerships with firms such as Related Companies and Silverstein Properties.

Transportation

Manhattan's transportation network includes an extensive New York City Subway system with major hubs like Pennsylvania Station, Grand Central Terminal, and stations serving lines operated by the MTA, along with commuter rail connections via Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and intercity service at Penn Station. Surface transportation is supported by the MTA Regional Bus Operations, taxi services regulated by the TLC, bicycle infrastructure promoted by Citi Bike, and ferries operated by entities including NYC Ferry and the Staten Island Ferry network. Road crossings linking Manhattan include the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, Queensboro Bridge, George Washington Bridge, Holland Tunnel, and Lincoln Tunnel, while airports serving the region include John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport.

Education and research

Manhattan hosts major higher education and research institutions such as Columbia University, New York University, The City College of New York, Fordham University (Lincoln Center), The Juilliard School, The New School, Barnard College, and specialized centers like Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Research collaborations occur with municipal and federal labs, hospitals, and cultural institutions including Rockefeller University, Mount Sinai Health System, American Museum of Natural History, and the New York Public Library, while philanthropic organizations like Carnegie Corporation of New York and Guggenheim support scholarly work. Manhattan's primary and secondary education is served by the New York City Department of Education and independent schools such as Trinity School (New York City), Dalton School, and Stuyvesant High School, contributing to the borough's role as a center for academic and professional training.

Category:Manhattan