New York

Customs / Culture
New York is the most populated city in the United States and as the country’s traditional immigration gateway it has a vast mix of nationalities. At one time the land was occupied by Native Americans wrongly called by the British, “Indians”; the Native Americans were driven out by Dutch settlers, who called their new home, New Amsterdam. Later, British pilgrims formed a much larger colony and following the War of Independence confirmed the settlement’s name as New York. Today, the city enjoys a rich diverse culture that is, principally, European.

Traditions
New York Traditions are plentiful including spending New Year’s Eve in Times Square and leaving the City for Long Island in the hot steamy month of August. New York is a vibrant 24-hour city that is renowned for its hotdog stands, its coffee shops, its Italian restaurants, its museums, its theatres and its department stores.

Religion
Roman Catholicism and Protestantism rub shoulders with other religions including Greek Orthodoxy and those of the Jewish and Islamic faiths.

Culinary Specialities
New York has a mix of inexpensive coffee shops and restaurants and some of the finest restaurants in the world where getting a table requires booking weeks in advance. The food in the chic restaurants is often a mix of French and Italian or classic Chinese and Japanese.

Lifestyle
New York is a city on the go. 9/11 was a massive blow but the city simply picked itself up and dusted itself down and got on with making money. It is one of America’s income-earning powerhouses and as much as the banking sector was responsible for the subprime loans debacle the same sector is responsible for stimulating America’s global growth. In the 1970s, New York went bust as a city but, today, the streets may not be paved with gold but they are paved with numerous opportunities for visitors to have the very best vacation.

Sights
The Statue of Liberty, given to New York by the French to celebrate 100 years of the USA being a republic, has to be the most iconic symbol of Freedom in the world. New York is also famed for its skyscrapers, it streets and avenues, for Broadway, home of musical theatre and ticker-tape parades, and for Central Park, the city’s vast green lung.