Manhattan – The Most Popular Borough In NY
One of the incredible places to visit in NY, Manhattan is synonymous with New York City. There are several areas and attractions to explore and fun things to do and see. After all, it is NY’s most visited borough for a reason. The city is a long island bounded by the East River to the east, the Hudson River to the west, and Harlem to the north.
Brief Overview of Manhattan
Regionally known as The City, Manhattan is a densely populated yet geographically small borough of New York City. It forms the urban core of the New York metropolitan area and one of the original counties of New York.
The borough is home to Marble Hill, a small neighborhood on the US mainland that is separated from the rest of Manhattan by the Harlem Ship Canal and connected to The Bronx using a landfill.
Both public and private housing options are plenty in Manhattan. The borough’s real estate market has some of the most luxurious high-end properties in the world, including dozens of new development condos that are the epitome of luxury. Some of the most popular neighborhoods worth checking out include Chelsea, Tribeca, and Upper West Side.
Chelsea is a haven for artists because of the old buildings with high ceilings and large freight elevators. More than 300 art galleries exist in the area, alongside restaurants, bars, shops, and other cultural activities, including the Chelsea Market, High Line Park, the Empire State Building, and Madison Square Garden.
Tribeca is one of the liveliest neighborhoods in Manhattan. Acronym for Triangle Below Canal, it is a grid of factories and warehouse buildings. The streets are small and full of dead ends, but the cobblestone streets are a sight worth living here.
Upper West Side is a great place to live, considering the easy access to offers to various amenities. It lies near Central Park and Riverside Park and is also pet-friendly. You can find tons of restaurants here that offer diverse food options. UWS is ideal for families that prefer living in a quiet atmosphere.
There is a shed load of things to explore in Manhattan that you will be rushed off your feet when going around exploring all the vibrant areas and neighborhoods. So, when living in this borough, you can be sure you will never run out of options to spend your weekends. Some of the best things to do and see in the city include:
- Visiting the Vessel
- Exploring the different areas of Manhattan
- Seeing Grand Central Station
- Walking Brooklyn Bridge
- Strolling through the Times Square
- Visiting Smith & Wollensky and Wolgang’s – two of the best steak houses in NYC.
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Education in Manhattan
Education in Manhattan is offered by a wide array of public and private institutions. Public schools are operated by the New York City Department of Education, which is the most extensive public school system in the US. A few notable New York City public schools located in Manhattan include:
- Beacon High School
- Eleanor Roosevelt High School
- Hunter College High School
- Stuyvesant High School
- High School of Fashion Industries
- NYC Lab School
- Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics
Manhattan is also home to various colleges and universities, including Columbia University, New York Institute of Technology, Cooper Union, Berkeley College, and Marymount Manhattan College.
The borough is a hub for training and education in medicine and life sciences. The city as a whole is also the receiver of the second-highest annual funding from the National Institutes of Health among all the US cities. A significant part of the funding goes to Manhattan’s research institutions, including Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York University School of Medicine, Rockefeller University, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Climate in Manhattan
Located in the northernmost corner of the North American continent, Manhattan features a humid subtropical climate. The borough receives 234 days of sunshine. The winters are generally cold and damp.
The mean temperature in January is 32.6 F, which drops to 10 F in winters, and reaches 76.5 F in July. Precipitation is evenly spread throughout the year, and the average snowfall in winter ranges around 25.8 inches.
Public Transportation in Manhattan
Manhattan residents are known for their intense use of public transportation and lack of private car ownership. Mass transit is the most prevalent form of travel in Manhattan, with 72 percent of the residents using public transit to get to work.
The New York City Subway, the most extensive subway system in the world based on the number of stations (472), sees thousands of commuters every day. The subway links through every borough except Staten Island, and of the 472 subway stations, 151 are located in Manhattan.
Another subway operated in Manhattan in the PATH system connects six stations in the borough to northern New Jersey. Passengers use pay-per-ride MetroCards to pay fares on all city buses, subways, and PATH trains. One can get a 7-day or 30-day MetroCard to enjoy unlimited trips on all subways (except PATH) and MTA bus routes (except express buses).
The commuter rail services that connect Manhattan to Long Island, Metro-North Railroad, and other boroughs are the Long Island Railroad and the NJ Transit trains. In addition, several local buses operated by the MTA New York City Transit help people travel citywide.
Conclusion
Manhattan, wrapped in a grid network and bordered by the Hudson River and Harlem River, is one of the world’s best-known cities. It is indeed a hub for arts, culture, business, finance, media, tourism, and trade. With its towering skyscrapers and busy streets teeming with people from all walks of life, this popular borough promises everything from excitement to relaxation to fun.
For more information about living in Manhattan, reach out to your local professional real estate agent today.
