The following passage is a brief introduction to the world- famous city New York. Among other things, it mentions almost all the well-known places in New York. Read on and tour the fascinating city with the author.

    NEW YORK — The Statue of Liberty, the skyscrapers, the beautiful shops on Fifth Avenue and the many theaters on Broadway.
     This is America’s cultural capital. It is also her biggest city, with a population of nearly 8 million. In the summer it is hot, hot, hot and in the winter it can be very cold. Still, there are hundreds of things to do and see all the year round.
     There are five “boroughs” or geographic areas in New York: Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Only one of them, the Bronx, is not on an island.
     Manhattan, the smallest island in New York, is the real center of the city. When people say “New York City,” they usually mean Manhattan. Most of the interesting shops, buildings and museums are here. In addition, Manhattan is the scene of New York’s busy night life.¹
     In 1605 the first Europeans came to Manhattan from Holland. They bought the island from the Native American for a few glass necklaces worth about $ 26 today.
     Only 1,500,000 people live in Manhattan. However, 5 million people work here every day. Many live in the suburbs and come to work by riding the subway.
     Wall Street in Manhattan is the financial heart of the USA. It is also the most important banking center of the world. It is a street of “skyscrapers”. These are those incredible, high buildings which Americans invented, and built faster and higher than anyone else.
     Like every big city, New York has its own traffic system. Traffic jams can be terrible. It’s usually quickest to go by subway. The New York subway is easy to use and quite cheap. The subway goes to almost every corner of Manhattan. But be careful. It’s better not to go by subway late at night. It’s not safe because in some places you could get robbed.
     You see more, of course, if you go by bus. New York buses are also easy to use. The “Shoppers’ Shuttle” (Monday to Friday) and the “Culture Loops” (Saturdays and Sundays) stop at some of the best known stores and tourist places. You can get on and off as many times as you like in one day with only one ticket.
     There are more than 30,000 taxis in New York. They are easy to see, because they are bright yellow and carry large TAXI signs. Taxis do not go outside the city. However, they will go to the airports. In addition to the taxi fare, people usually give the taxi driver a “tip” of 15 per cent of the fare’s value.
     If you really have to drive in New York, remember that nearly all the east-west streets and most of the north-south streets are one way only.² This can be difficult for the visitor who does not know his way.
     Central Park is a beautiful green oasis (retreat) in the middle of New York’s concrete desert.³ It is surprisingly big, with lakes and woods, as well as organized recreation areas.
     New Yorkers love Central Park, and they use it all the time. In the winter, they go ice-skating, and in the summer roller-skating.
     They play ball, ride horses and have picnics. They go bicycling and boating. There’s even a children’s zoo, with wild birds and animals.
     Families come here to enjoy the sun and fresh air. The children can play safely here, away from fast cars and busy streets. Musicians make music, and office workers bring their lunches here. In fine weather people give bits of bread to the water birds. Overweight New Yorkers, who have eaten too many hot dogs and hamburgers from Monday to Friday, spend Saturday and Sunday walking and running. They are trying to get slim again.
     Go to the northern corners of Central Park, walk round the lake and through the woods. You will understand a little of how Manhattan was in the days of the first New Yorkers early 400 years ago.
Along the east side of Central Park runs Fifth Avenue, once called “Millionaire’s Row.” In the 19th century, the richest men in America built their magnificent homes here. It is still the most fashionable street in the city, with famous department stores.
     New York is an international city, and its restaurants are international too. You can spend a fortune or a few dollars. You can eat food from Lebanon, Japan, Mexico and Sicily (the island off the southern tip of Italy) and many other places. New York is the place to try something new. It may be an experience you will never forget.
     Broadway, of course, is the street where you will find New York’s best-known theaters. But away from the bright lights and elegant clothes of Broadway are many smaller theaters. Their plays are called “off-Broadway” and are often more unusual than the Broadway shows.
     As well as many theaters, New York has a famous opera house. This is the Metropolitan, where international stars sing from September until April. Carnegie Hall is the city’s most popular concert hall.
     But night life in New York offers more than classical music and theater. There are hundreds of nightclubs where people go to eat and dance.
     Jazz, America’s great gift to the world of music, is still very popular in New York. There are many small jazz clubs. Some of the musicians are well-known, and many are not, but their music brings with it a very special atmosphere.
     For disco lovers, New York has everything. New discos open every week, and old ones close down. If you’re in New York, and you want to know where everyone is going, look in one of the weekly magazines, like “New York Talk” for information.

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