New York, New York

New York, a city of staggering contrasts, diversity and culture, ranks among history's great trade and cultural centers. From Wall Street to the United Nations, the world's most powerful and influential men and women prize success in New York above all other places. Its population hails from every country on the globe, bringing a variety of culture and viewpoints. However, above all else New York has always been about money and ambition.

Europe's first contact with this area occurred in 1524, when Italian explorer Giovanni de Verrazano viewed New York from the base of Manhattan. The following year, a Portuguese explorer named Esteban Gomez reached the Hudson River. Despite these early encounters, the Dutch settled in New York first, after explorer Henry Hudson lent his name to the world's largest tidal river. In 1625, six farms called "bouweries" were started in Manhattan.

The next year, Governor Peter Minuet purchased Manhattan from the Native Americans for USD24 worth of trinkets. By 1640, the predominately Dutch New Amsterdam (as it was then called) was teeming with the diversity of the New World, as the tolerant Dutch welcomed all.

Rapid expansion soon pitted early Dutch Manhattanites against English Puritans who had moved to the colony. Less than tolerant, the Puritans had banned bowling and even the celebration of Christmas. While initially seen as outsiders, the prosperous and hardworking Puritans soon had the political upper hand. After an invasion by British troops in 1664, an Anglo-Dutch treaty handed the city over to the English.

Under British rule, the renamed New York City saw its population grow from 6,000 to 20,000 by the end of the 17th Century. Events in Europe also brought turmoil to the city. Wars between England and France gave birth to privateering, or legalized piracy, that allowed the likes of Wall Street resident William Kidd to capture enemy ships off the coast of New York. During this time, New York City tolerated (and in some circles encouraged) the slave trade, and a large and prosperous slave market was located on Wall Street.

As the 18th Century wore on, England's passage of restrictive acts of trade and imposition of tariffs on the American colonies brought about protest and ultimately revolution. New York City was strategically vital during the American Revolutionary War. Early on, from Brooklyn to Harlem, General George Washington's army suffered a series of defeats and barely escaped capture. The British took the city and stationed troops there. At the end of the war, Washington was sworn in as the first president on the steps of New York's Federal Hall.

New York's stint as the United States capital was short-lived. Political wrangling dictated the newly created District of Columbia would be the new nation's capital. However, the 1792 founding of the New York Stock Exchange launched the city as a financial center.

Explosive expansion and revolutionary inventions in the 19th Century forever transformed New York City. The Erie Canal, in its day the world's greatest engineering feat, had New York's ports at its terminus and strengthened the city's position as a national trade center. Later, the city commissioned Central Park, designed and planned to save breathing space as the population boom moved uptown.

The American Civil War brought much sorrow and misery to New York, but also great prosperity as war profits soared. Yet, New York's status as a Union stronghold became threatened with the passage of the nation's first conscription act. Poor immigrants, angered that the wealthy could buy their way out of the draft, rioted violently.

As the century passed, New York displayed more technological marvels. A workforce thousands strong constructed the Brooklyn Bridge—then the tallest and longest in the world. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, and soon electric streetlights illuminated lower Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, was erected near the Battery. The present St. Patrick's Cathedral was also built. At the end of the 19th Century, a string of palatial mansions rose along New York's Fifth Avenue.

At the same time, economic conditions in Europe brought massive immigration to New York City, primarily consisting of Irish, German, Italian and Eastern Europeans. Immigrants worked long hours under harsh conditions and lived in unhealthy tenements. Reformers, galvanized by the success of the abolitionist movement as well as the gaining momentum of the suffragist and temperance movements, actively joined the fight to assist the immigrant poor.

By the 1920s, all of Manhattan was populated. Harlem, which had started as a Dutch farm, now attracted New York African-Americans as well as those migrating from the South. Jazz and blues and Prohibition-era speakeasies made the neighborhood an entertainment mecca for all races. African-American musicians, artists and writers together formed a movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. On Broadway, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein along with George and Ira Gershwin led the popular music industry. The hedonistic decade ended however with a crash on Wall Street, leading to the Great Depression.

A backlash against corrupt politics ushered Fiorella LaGuardia into the mayor's office, and the city began to work its way out of the Depression. Robert Moses built parks and the Rockefellers erected Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center.

New York emerged from the Depression and World War II with a new fervor for industry and construction. The United Nations complex started the post-war boom and was completed in the 1950s.

In 1972, a major change to the lower Manhattan skyline occurred with the completion of the World Trade Center, the 110-story structures commonly known as the "Twin Towers." On September 11, 2001 these towers fell—the result of a terrorist attack.

Since then, plans are well along for the construction of several new World Trade Center buildings on the site, as well as a September 11 museum and memorial. New Yorkers are uniting to build a better city than ever before. Fifth Avenue is still a bastion of the wealthy, and numerous other neighborhoods are home to yet another wave of immigration from Latin America, the Far East and Eastern Europe. New York still attracts hordes of ambitious people. Historian Peter Quinn, commenting on New York's nature, said the city that started with Peter Minuet's 24-dollar purchase is still the same, and if possible, even more so: "Donald Trump would have tried to pay 22 dollars.”

To learn more about the city, here are just some of the places you may wish to look:

Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden

Ellis Island Immigration Museum

National Museum of the American Indian

New York Historical Society

Despite all its diversity, New York City social life revolves around a single ritual—dining out. Whether it be a power broker paying hundreds for a meal at Asia de Cuba or a slacker scraping together some money for a pizza at Lombardi's, each experiences the city's unique culinary fusion. Add lively conversation with friends, and voilá!—you've found the real New York City. With the sheer number of ethnic influences, talented chefs making a name for themselves, hot spots, hidden gems, delis and diners—New York offers something for everyone's palate.

Diners enjoy gastronomic delights across the five boroughs, but the following districts are particularly noteworthy:

Midtown

Old money dines at prestigious and elegant classics like 21 Club. Meanwhile, cell phones ring and young turks wheel and deal at hip locales like the China Grill. Superstar Jean-Georges Vongerichten reinvents fine dining at his eponymous Jean-Georges. For something completely different (but quintessentially Big Apple), true New Yorkers stop by the famous Carnegie Deli for a massive sandwich.

Hell's Kitchen

A few steps west of the Times Square tourist trap lies this former slum now transformed into an enclave of eclectic eateries, many ideal for pre- and post-theater dining. From the spicy and romantic Puttanesca to the family-run Chez Napoleon, there's something for everyone. You can also grab a bite at Five Napkin Burger. After, or even instead of the meal, the Cupcake Cafe supplies some of the best desserts in town.

Gramercy & Union Square

This notable area of fine dining boasts top-rated, understated establishments like the Gramercy Tavern and Union Square Cafe. A neighborhood rich in history, the landmark Pete's Tavern still draws a relaxing pint and serves up old-fashioned pub grub after over a century in the business.

West Village

World-class restaurants like the favorite Gotham Bar & Grill and the stunningly romantic One if by Land, Two if by Sea work their magic in the brownstones of this historic neighborhood. If you're craving delicious Italian food, try famous chef Mario Batali's restaurant and enoteca, Babbo. Other options in this neighborhood include some of the city's best falafel at Taim, and great brunch and coffee at the small French cafe, Tartine. 

East Village

Funky, inexpensive ethnic restaurants and hip bars draw people here from all over the city. Well-known bargains like the Life Cafe are usually filled with local hipsters and students as well as visitors. Meanwhile, traces of old New York can still be found at the Lanza Restaurant.

Soho

Where the art world congregates, trendy dining establishments follow. The Mercer Kitchen serves some of the city's most innovative cuisine as the world's most fabulous people vie for tables there (not to mention a couple of blocks over at Balthazar). Elsewhere amongst the galleries and posh shops, black-clad sophisticates socialize at oh-so-very-Soho classics, Raoul's and Boom.

Tribeca

Among Tribeca's spectacular loft spaces, masterful restaurateur Drew Nieporant has created a mini-kingdom for himself, along with friend and investor Robert DeNiro. Nieporant offers diners amazing Japanese food at Nobu and New American cuisine at Tribeca Grill. For something outside Nieporant's empire, try the flashy Odeon or just sip champagne at the Bubble Lounge.

Little Italy

That's amore! Along bustling Mulberry Street, old-country restaurants blare Frank Sinatra into the street while barkers summon the crowds. For those who love red sauces with their pasta or veal, choices abound. From Pellegrino's to Casa Bella, it's difficult to go wrong. For pizza, Lombardi's serves some of the best pies in the city.

Chinatown

Like a trip to Asia but without leaving Manhattan, the scores of restaurants on Chinatown's dynamic streets offer every variety of Asian cuisine (often at bargain prices). For those in search of quality dumplings, Joe's Shanghai Restaurant is the place. Seeking Chinese-style barbecue? Big Wong King fits the bill; and if one craves noodles at three in the morning, New York Noodle Town always hits the mark.

Elsewhere

What? Where's my Peter Luger, you say? Or what about the River Cafe with its glorious views? New York City's selection of amazing places to feast and imbibe is ever growing, ever changing and always exciting.