1. Diversity

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New York City is made up of five boroughs and is home to more than eight million people. This is more than double the population of Los Angeles, California. Throughout the five boroughs of New York City, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Manhattan, many nationalities and religions are represented. Experts believe that there are nearly 800 different languages spoken throughout New York City. This is an insanely high number, and shows just how diverse the city is. According to the 2000 census, Queens is the most diverse borough of the five. This diversity has created various neighborhoods throughout the city where people of the same nationality tend to live. Little Italy and China Town, both in Manhattan are two of the biggest of these neighborhoods. They are both home to amazing restaurants, bakeries, souvenir shops, and specialty grocery stores that let you experience their culture without having to travel too far.

2. Food

The kind of food in a specific area can either make or break that place, and in this case, the food in New York City definitely makes the city great. From burger places and sushi restaurants to bakeries and coffee shops, New York City definitely has it all. Shake Shack, the popular the burger joint now with locations all over the country and world, got its start in Madison Square Park in New York City. It started as a food cart and became so popular that it was forced to expand to a full time fast-food restaurant. The Madison Square Park location is still there today, and is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Another popular food destination in the city is Holey Cream, located in Hell’s Kitchen. Holey Cream is home to the Instagram-famous donut sandwich, which consists of three scoops of ice cream of the flavor of your choosing in between a fresh donut. It tastes even better than it looks in all of the pictures on Instagram.

3. Architecture

New York City is home to some of the most beautiful buildings in the world. The Empire State Building, which is my personal favorite, was completed in 1931 and proudly stood as the tallest building in the world from 1931 to 1970. Each night is lights up a different color and the colors sometimes represent various events or holidays. Following the tragic shooting in Orlando, The Empire State Building remained dark throughout the night in memory of the victims. One World Trade Center, more popularly known as The Freedom Tower, was completed in 2013 as a beautiful addition to the Manhattan skyline. It was designed by architects David Childs and Daniel Libeskind with a contemporary modern style.

4. Art

From various museums throughout the city to shows and concerts every night, The Big Apple is home to a lot of great art. The Museum of Modern Art, also known as MOMA, is located in Midtown Manhattan and houses some of the greatest modern art exhibits in the world. The Rain Room, which was on display from May 12^th through July 28^th, 2013 is, in my opinion, the coolest exhibit that has ever been at MOMA. It was a room where it “rained” continuously, but would stop raining in the area where a person stood as it continued to rain around him. This concept continues to amaze me. No trip to New York City is complete without stopping and watching street performers. Musicians and dancers love to perform at various subway stations and parks throughout the city, and they often exhibit a lot of talent.

Another, slightly more expensive, place to see great talent is at a Broadway play. The Phantom of the Opera, which is Broadway’s longest running show is an excellent show filled with lots of amazing acting and singing. A couple of years ago, I saw Elf on Broadway and it was amazing!

5. Shopping

As a true shopaholic, New York City is my favorite place to shop. Fifth Avenue is where the more expensive stores are, such as Tiffany and Co. and Louis Vuitton, but it is still a fun area to explore and window shop. SoHo, which is my favorite area to shop, has both stores you can find everywhere, such as American Eagle and Steve Madden, and smaller boutiques that are unique to just that one location. Brandy Melville, which is my favorite store of all time, has very limited locations, but has three locations in New York City.