New York City's population is the highest in the county at 22 million.

The first European explorer to enter New York Harbour in 1524 was Giovanni da Verrazzano and in 1626 Peter Minuit purchased the island from Native Americans for trade goods. The city is composed of loosely defined districts and neighborhoods. World-class museums, stores and cultural institutions fill the city. The subway system is clean and safer than ever.

Remember, The Bronx is up and the Battery's down when planning your subway trip. Numbered streets run east and west and avenues run north and south. In the 1960s, the city suffered a decline in manufacturing, rising crime rates, race riots and white flight. In the 1980s, a resurgence in the financial industry improved the city's fiscal health and racial tensions calmed while crime rates dropped. Free bathrooms can be found at Grand Central Station and the Public Library.