Centrally Parked In New York City

As the major port of entry into the United States, New York City is the American capital of finance, shipping and transportation. All major international corporations have offices there, and more than 30 million people visit the city every year. With an annual $42 billion budget, New York is practically a city-state. Comprised of five ‘boroughs’ - the island of Manhattan, surrounded by Brooklyn and Queens to the east, the Bronx to its north and Staten Island to its south - the New York metropolitan area has an approximate combined population touching 20 million.

Actual Manhattan is divided into a number of areas, and consists of avenues and streets. Avenues run north-south, while streets run east-west. The subway system runs 24 hours a day, affirming the idea of the ‘city that doesn’t sleep.’ 468 stations connect all areas of Manhattan, and as parking is a nightmare, the subway is the best mode of transportation.

The diversity of New York City’s landscape is reflected in its cultural makeup. Approximately 30 per cent of its residents are foreign-born, and the 2000 census found 35 per cent of New Yorkers were ‘white’ (of European heritage), 24.5 per cent African-Americans, 27 per cent Latino, and 9.8 per cent were of Asian heritage. Italians and Asians populate the areas of Little Italy and Chinatown in downtown Manhattan, while Hispanics live in the East Village and Harlem, as do African-Americans. Other ethnic groups like the Jewish community have moved to the outer areas of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, and you will find those of Indian origin scattered in various areas, including Jackson Heights in Queens, and in New Jersey. New York’s Hispanic population is the most noticeable feature of its ethnic diversity, compared to other world cities. If you’re a fair-skinned Indian, you may find yourself becoming part of a conversation with a Latino without even knowing Spanish. As a business traveller in the Big Apple, you don’t have to live in a cramped, overpriced Manhattan apartment as is the norm with people who come to ‘make it big’ in the city.

Getting There

Three airports - John F Kennedy International, La Guardia, and Newark International Airport - serve New York City. Air-India has a daily service from Mumbai to John F Kennedy International Airport, as well as to La Guardia.