New York is a place with the great number of ethnic groups, with immigrants coming from east Europe as well as from other places, for example Puerto Rico or China. There is high criminality - including drug battles, gang wars and other problems, for example homeless people living in the streets.
The original inhabitants were Indians. The Dutch bought the island Manhattan from the Indians in 1625. Then its name was New Amsterdam. In 1644 the British captured the city and renamed it New York. Because of its favourable position it soon became an important trading port. In southern part of Manhattan there used to be a wall against Indians, now there is Wall Street – the centre of financial life with the most important stock-exchange in the world.
The city consists of five parts (called boroughs), separated by several waterways. Brooklyn and Queens are situated in the western part of Long Island, while Staten Island and Manhattan are separate islands. The Bronx, to the north, is connected to the New York State mainland. These parts are linked with bridges and tunnels.
Manhattan was built on a modern plan of streets and avenues which are numbered (for example Fifth Avenue is the shopping centre). Streets run from east to west and avenues from north to south. Only the oldest streets have their names - such as Wall Street or Broadway. Broadway is the centre of cultural life with many theatres. The black quarter – Harlem – is in northern part of Manhattan.
New York is famous for its skyscrapers. Most of them can be seen in Lower Manhattan. They started to build skyscrapers there because of the lack of space and the high price of land on the island. The Empire State Building with its 102 floors used to be the highest building until the year 1972 when the World Trade Center was finished. But it was destroyed after the terrorist attack on 11th September 2001. The only quiet place, where it is however dangerous to go after dark, is Central Park where also famous rock concerts take place.
Standing tall in the New York City harbour, the Statue of Liberty with her torch held high was the first sight that greeted millions of immigrants who came to the “new world” during the 19th and 20th centuries. A symbol of freedom and democracy, Lady Liberty now welcomes thousands of visitors every year. It is a copy of the small statue given to the USA by France in 1884, commemorating long friendship between the two nations. The statue was constructed in 1886 - on the 110th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and it is almost 100 meters high (there is a lift and steps for visitors). Because it is on a small island, you must go there by boat from the south part of Manhattan.
mouth (přenes.) ústí (řeky) skyscraper mrakodrap
port; harbour přístav lack of space nedostatek místa
subway metro (US) however ale, avšak
capture zmocnit se; zajmout take place konat se
favourable position příznivá poloha torch pochodeň; baterka
trade obchod (obecně) hold, held, held držet
stock-exchange burza greet zdravit
separate dělit, oddělovat freedom svoboda
connect; link spojovat welcome vítat
mainland pevnina commemorate připomínat
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