To round out* the previous two posts I have written this week about New York City I thought today I would introduce you to the five neighborhoods, called boroughs, that make up New York City. Each of these neighborhoods has it’s own flavor and character. Often New Yorkers are very proud of which borough they are from, and they wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Sometimes people can become territorial** about their boroughs even, but mostly in a light-hearted*** way. If you are visiting New York City you might want to check out each borough to see which flavor of New York City you like best.
The Five Boroughs:
Manhattan: Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely**** populated of the five boroughs of New York City. It is located primarily on the island of Manhattan, but this borough also includes some smaller near by islands, like: Roosevelt Island, Governors Island, Liberty Island, and part of Ellis Island. Manhattan is a major commercial, financial, and cultural center that is filled with large buildings and skyscrapers. Manhattan has many famous landmarks and tourist attractions and it is also home to the United Nations Headquarters.
The Bronx: The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The Bronx is home to a great deal of manufacturing and is very densely populated. The Bronx is also home to a large number of parks and open spaces as well. The Bronx is the home of the famous Yankee Stadium where the New York Yankee’s baseball team plays.
Brooklyn: Brooklyn is the most populated of the five New York City boroughs. There are approximately 2.5 million people who live in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is home to many neighborhoods where diverse ethnic groups predominate. Brooklyn is also home to beautiful old “row houses” (row houses = a series of houses with similar design that are side-by-side and joined by common walls) on tree-lined streets that are often seen in movies and famously featured in the children’s TV series Sesame Street.
Queens: Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is considered the most diverse place in the world, because approximately 138 different languages spoken here and 46% of the the people who live here were born outside of the United States. Queens is home to two of the three major New York City area airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. These airports are among the busiest in the world, making the airspace above Queens very congested.
Staten Island: Staten Island is the most southwestern borough of New York City. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey and New York by water and is in fact an island. Staten Island is the least populated of the five boroughs, but it is only the third largest in area. It is the most suburban of the five boroughs with many residential homes. Staten Island is accessible to Brooklyn and New Jersey by bridges, but the free Staten Island Ferry that connects this borough to Manhattan may be the most popular way for tourists to get to the Island. From the Staten Island Ferry you can see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Manhattan skyline.
* to round out = an expression that means “to bring to an end or to finish”
** territorial = having pride relating to a specific geographic area
*** light-hearted = cheerful or carefree in mood
**** densely = population that is crowded and close together
