Manhattan

From downtown to midtown to all the way uptown, Manhattan puts the City in New York City.  NYC is divided into five distinct boroughs (which are also independent counties): Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.  Manhattan is the oldest, smallest, and most densely populated borough in the city, springing from its earliest days as a Dutch settlement called New Amsterdam.  With its wide variety of ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse neighborhoods, Manhattan is difficult to classify exclusively.  It has historical ethnic enclaves, including Chinatown and Little Italy, and two major hubs of business in Midtown and the downtown Financial District.  Greenwich Village and the Lower East Side are known as bohemian hangouts, and the Upper East Side is a bastion of wealth and privilege.  Harlem is predominantly African American, and Washington Heights is home to many Dominican Americans.  When you visit Manhattan, try keeping a map to remember what neighborhood you are currently in, which are nearby, and which ones you visit!