Manhattan

Geography

The Borough of Manhattan is located on Manhattan Island, which is bordered by New Jersey and the Hudson River on the west; Brooklyn, Queens, and the East River on the East, and the Harlem River on the north.  New York Harbor lies at Manhattan’s southern border.  The borough also includes several small islands in the east river and in New York Harbor.  The island is about 23 square miles in area, about 13 miles long, and about 2 miles wide at its widest point.

Streets

Manhattan’s streets are laid out in a strict grid, with avenues running north-south and numbered streets running east-west.  Fifth avenue runs down the center of Manhattan, and divides the island into the East Side and West Side.  Manhattan is divided into three, roughly equal sections, Downtown in the south, Midtown in the middle, and Uptown at the north end.  Exact boundaries for these sections are fuzzy, but 59th street and 14th street are commonly cited boundaries.  Many streets don’t strictly follow the grid pattern, the most famous of which is Broadway, which runs diagonally north from Bowling Green to the Bronx.

Neighborhoods

Manhattan has dozens of neighborhoods, including the Upper East and Upper West Sides, East Village, Harlem, SoHo, Chinatown, TriBeCa, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and Washington Heights.  In addition, Manhattan has two business districts,  the Financial District located at the southern tip, and Midtown Manhattan.

Demographics

Manhattan’s population was spread out with 16.8% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 38.3% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.

• 1,537,195 residents, or 66,940 people per square mile
• Only 17% of households have children, 25% are married couples.
• 17% of residents are under 18
• 10% are 18 to 24
• 38% are 25 to 44
• 23% are 45 to 64
• 12% are 65+
• The median age is 36.
• median income is $47,030 and per capita income is $42,922.
• 20% of the population lives below the poverty line
• 54% White
• 27% Hispanic of any race
• 17% Black

Manhattan ZIP code 10021 has one of the country’s largest concentrations of wealth, with over 100,000 people with a per capita income over $90,000

Culture

Since the 20s, Manhattan has been an important architectural center, and is home to dozens of important and famous skyscrapers such as Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the GE Building (originally called the RCA Building), and the Sears Tower.  Until September 11, 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center were among New York’s most famous structures.

Manhattan is at the epicenter of many cultural movements, from Art Deco architecture and the Harlem Renaissance to American Pop Art, Broadway Theatre , and the Metropolitan Opera.  The neighborhood of Chelsea alone has over 200 art galleries. Manhattan’s art museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Museum house some of the largest collections in the world.  The New York Knicks, Rangers, and Liberty all play at Madison Square Garden.  Manhattan is the only borough without a pro baseball franchise, although the Giants, Yankees, and Mets have all called Manhattan home at some time.  In Football, both the New York Giants and Jets have played in Manhattan.

Manhattan is also the home of numerous major media companies, including The New York Times, Daily News, and Post; the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Amsterdam News.  All four major television broadcast networks call Manhattan home, as do many cable channels.  Manhattan also has most of the country’s major publishing houses.

History

Manhattan was settled by the Dutch in 1614 and was originally named New Amsterdam. The area was conquered by the British in 1664 and New Amsterdam was renamed New York.  It was the center of British operations during the Revolutionary War, and the first capital of the United States afterward.  Throughout the 1800s, Manhattan became the primary point of arrival for millions of immigrants.  The 20s saw a tremendous influx of black residents as part of the Great Migration.

Beginning in the 60s, crime, race riots, and industrial decay began to destroy the city.  By the end of the 70s, New York in general, and Manhattan in particular, had become icons of Urban Dystopia.  Things began turning around in the 80s, as Wall Street once again became an important financial center.  Crime peaked in 1982, with a total of 102 police-recorded crimes per thousand residents.  Despite improvements, many crimes continued to rise, most notably homicides.  In 1990, the city saw 2,262 murders.  The early 90s were a major turning point, as the city dramatically increased its police force and improved its crime tracking, reporting, and monitoring system.  New York City now has the lowest crime rate among the ten largest cities in the U.S., at a rate comparable to that of Boise, Idaho.