New York is Where the Pace Never Slows and the Day Never Ends
There is an excitement about just the name “New York.” This is the city called the “Big Apple.” It is one of the best-known cities in the world. New York is where the pace never slows and the day never ends. It is a pulsating, dynamic city. That is how the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau sees the city. The bureau also says it is a “city that changes its face almost daily.” There is a vitality in this city. The city’s life doesn’t halt with darkness, even though thousands of people leave Manhattan each workday afternoon. At night they return to their homes. Some live in one of New York City’s other boroughs (counties). Others live on Long Island. Some have homes in Connecticut or New Jersey.
You might live in a small town or a good-sized city. No matter how many people live where you do, the number can’t compare with the number of people who live in New York City. The city is the largest in the United States. With an estimated population of 19,490,297 (as of July 1, 2008) people of all colors and creeds live here.
New York City is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the far southeastern corner of New York state. Lying at the mouth of the Hudson River, it is one of the best natural harbors in the world. Tourism is a big business in New York City. As a visitor, you will be one of many thousands of out-of-towners. The city has more than 17 million overnight visitors a year. New York’s biggest attractions include the world’s most famous statue, the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State Building, the most famous skyscraper in the world. The United Nations Headquarters, Central Park, and Fifth Avenue are also high on most tourist lists.
Two things will probably be true about your visit to New York City. One will be that you didn’t have enough time to see everything you wanted to see. The second will be that you will want to come back. You will be drawn back by your desire to absorb all that Manhattan has to offer the history, the parks, the shopping, the museums, music, plays, and sporting events. You will also be drawn back by your desire to see again the towering buildings, to walk the famous streets, and to mingle with the crowds and watch the people.
You will want to make some time for a visit to the United Nations. Here the world comes to New York. The United Nations was founded shortly after World War II. Fifty nations signed the United Nations charter. They did this in San Francisco in 1945. The United Nations moved into its Manhattan quarters in 1952. Now more than 150 nations are members. The membership ranges from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and includes the United States and other major nations. The members of the United Nations discuss problems among nations. Its founders hoped it could be a major force for peace in the world. The United Nations has solved disputes between nations and has helped to halt armed conflicts. Most of the United Nations’s work takes place on 18 acres overlooking the East River.
The visitors’ entrance to the United Nations Headquarters, a marble and limestone building, is at the north end of the General Assembly Building. Try to attend a session at the United Nations. Visitors are welcome at most of them. A limited number of tickets are issued to attend official meetings. There is no charge. However, there are no advance schedules of meetings. So sometimes there are last-minute changes. Therefore, most tickets to visitors are issued only a few minutes before meetings are to begin. And they are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. You can get tickets for meetings in the lobby of the headquarters building.
Delegates from the member nations, of course, speak many languages. It is interesting how the United Nations deals with this fact. It has five official languages. They are Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. At most meetings there are interpreters. They interpret speeches in each of the five languages. When you attend a meeting, you will see earphones at the visitors seats. Use them to listen to what is being said. You can dial into the language you want to hear. There are tours of the headquarters building each day. Other major buildings in the United Nations complex include the Conference and the Secretariat buildings. There is also the Hammarskjold Library off 42nd Street.
From the gardens on the United Nations grounds, you can look out over the East River. The long island that extends to the north is Roosevelt Island. It was once a prison. Now the island is home to hospitals and housing units.
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