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76-887: The Meadowlands Environment Center (formerly the Hackensack Meadowlands Environmental Center) is an educational facility in the New Jersey Meadowlands in Lyndhurst, New Jersey , located along the Hackensack River . It is operated by Ramapo College of New Jersey under the auspices of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA). In 2003 Ramapo College began working with the Meadowlands Environmental Center to develop an environmental education program, and as of 2024

152-476: A gross metropolitan product of over US$ 2.5 trillion. Greater New York is the hub of multiple industries, including finance, health care , pharmaceuticals , and scientific output in life sciences , international trade , publishing, real estate, education, fashion, entertainment , tourism, law, and manufacturing; and if the New York metropolitan area were an independent sovereign state , it would constitute

228-604: A "playground for the rich and famous", with some of the wealthiest communities in the United States. In 2015, according to Business Insider , the 11962 zip code encompassing Sagaponack , within Southampton , was listed as the most expensive in the U.S. by real estate-listings site Property Shark, with a median home sale price of $ 5,125,000. During the summer season, many celebrities and the wealthy visit or reside in mansions and waterfront homes, while others spend weekends enjoying

304-481: A high degree of economic interconnection. The New York–Newark, NY–NJ–CT–PA Combined Statistical Area had an estimated population of 23.7 million as of 2014. About one out of every fifteen Americans resides in this region, which includes eight additional counties in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. This area, less the Pennsylvania portion, is often referred to as the tri-state area and less commonly

380-399: A land area of just 305 square miles (790 km ), New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. A global power city , New York City exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, health care and life sciences , media, dining, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment, its fast pace defining the term New York minute . Home to

456-456: A massive office complex in New York's Financial District whose iconic, 110-story Twin Towers for a short time stood as the world's tallest buildings. In the 1980s, the city's economy was booming, particularly in the financial sector. Wall Street was fueling an economic surge in the real estate market, and later the dot-com bubble . Despite this, crime was still an issue. This was exacerbated by

532-683: A mix of rain and snow. Although prevailing winds in winter are offshore, and temper the moderating effects of the Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic and the partial shielding by the Appalachians from colder air keep the New York area warmer in the winter than inland North American metropolitan areas located at similar or lesser latitudes including Pittsburgh , Cincinnati , and Indianapolis . Warm periods with 50 °F (10 °C)+ temperatures may occasionally occur during winter as well. The hardiness zone in

608-635: A single city in 1898. The newly unified New York City encouraged both more physical connections between the boroughs and the growth of bedroom communities . The New York City Subway began operating in 1904 as the Interborough Rapid Transit Company , one of three systems (the other two being the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation and the Independent Subway System ) that were later taken over by

684-520: Is 5,571 inhabitants per square mile (2,151/km ). If Long Island geographically constituted an independent metropolitan statistical area, it would rank fourth most populous in the United States; while if it were a U.S. state, Long Island would rank 13th in population and first in population density . Queens is the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world. The Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, with an estimated population of 770,367 in 2016,

760-421: Is a globally recognized symbol of the United States and its democracy . Large-scale immigration into New York was a result of a large demand for manpower. A cosmopolitan attitude in the city created tolerance for various cultures and ethnic groups. German, Irish, and Italian immigrants were among the largest ethnic groups. Today, many of their descendants continue to live in the region. Cultural buildings such as

836-556: Is a suburban and rural region of New York , much of the Gateway Region is highly urbanized. The entirety of Hudson County, eastern Essex County, southern Passaic County as well as Elizabeth in Union County are all densely populated areas. Central Jersey is the middle portion of New Jersey . It generally comprises the following counties: Notable municipalities in the region include Trenton (the state capital of New Jersey and

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912-611: Is at the heart of the metropolitan area, the New York–Newark, NY–NJ–CT Urbanized Area , which had a land area of 3,450 square miles in 2010 according to the 2010 census. The New York State portion of the metropolitan area, which includes the five boroughs of New York City, the lower Hudson Valley, and Long Island, accounts for over 65 percent of the state's population. New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ–PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (19,043,386) Combined statistical areas (CSAs) group together adjacent core-based statistical areas with

988-580: Is further subdivided into four metropolitan divisions. The 23-county MSA includes 10 counties in New York State (coextensive with the five boroughs of New York, the two remaining counties of Long Island , and three counties in the Lower Hudson Valley ); 12 counties in Northern and Central New Jersey ; and one county in northeastern Pennsylvania . The largest urbanized area in the United States

1064-517: Is located in the Town of Poughkeepsie and runs from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Northern New Jersey , also known colloquially as North Jersey, is typically defined as comprising the following counties: The New Jersey State Department of Tourism splits North Jersey into the urban Gateway Region and the more rural Skylands Region . Northern New Jersey is home to four of

1140-464: Is relatively evenly spread throughout the year, and many areas receive upwards of 50 in (1,270 mm). Average winter snowfall for 1981 to 2010 ranges from just under 25 inches (64 cm) along the coast of Long Island to more than 50 in (127 cm) in some inland areas, but this usually varies considerably from year to year. Hurricanes and tropical storms have impacted the Tri-State area in

1216-401: Is the most populous municipality in the New York metropolitan area outside of New York City. Long Island is also the 17th most populous island in the world , but is more prominently known for recreation, boating, and miles of public beaches, including numerous town, county, and state parks, as well as Fire Island National Seashore and wealthy and expensive coastal residential enclaves. Along

1292-523: The 2020 U.S. Census , constituting nearly 40% of New York State's population, the majority of New York City residents, 58.4% as of 2020, live on Long Island, namely the estimated 4,896,398 residents living in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens . Long Island is the most populated island in any U.S. state or territory, and the 17th-most populous island in the world (ahead of Ireland , Jamaica , and Hokkaidō ). Its population density

1368-679: The 2020 United States census . The vast metropolitan area includes New York City , the nation's most populous city, Long Island , the mid and lower Hudson Valley in New York state , fourteen counties, eleven of the largest cities in New Jersey , and six of the seven largest cities in Connecticut . The phrase Tri-State area is usually used to refer to New York , New Jersey , and Connecticut , although an increasing number of people who work in New York City commute from Pennsylvania , particularly from

1444-503: The Battle of New York were fought in the region to secure it. New York was captured by the British early in the war, becoming a haven for Loyalist refugees from other parts of the country, and remained in the hands of the British until the war ended in 1783. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790, after which the capital moved to Philadelphia. New York has been

1520-579: The Dfb (warm summer subtype) regime is only found inland at a higher elevation, and receives greater snowfall than the Dfa region. Much of Monroe and most of Pike County in Pennsylvania also have a fully humid continental climate. Summers in the area are typically hot and humid. Nighttime conditions in and around the five boroughs of New York are often exacerbated by the urban heat island phenomenon, and temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on average of 7–8 days (on

1596-699: The East End . The Hudson Valley and Connecticut are sometimes grouped together and referred to as the Northern Suburbs, largely because of the shared usage of the Metro-North Railroad system. Under the Köppen climate classification , New York City, western (and parts of eastern) Long Island, and the Jersey Shore experience a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ), and New York is thus the northernmost major city on

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1672-459: The Lehigh Valley , Bucks County , and Poconos regions in eastern Pennsylvania, making the metropolitan area span across four states. The New York metropolitan area is the geographic and demographic hub of the larger Northeast megalopolis . The New York metropolitan area is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States with 20.1 million residents, or slightly over 6% of

1748-491: The MTA Metro-North Railroad serve the region's rail commuters. Southern Westchester County contains more densely populated areas and includes the cities of Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and White Plains. Many of the suburban communities of Westchester are known for their affluence and expense (some examples: Bronxville, Scarsdale, Chappaqua, Armonk, Katonah, and Briarcliff Manor). Rockland's river towns along

1824-664: The Massachusetts border. Most of the largest cities in the state are in New Haven County (home to Yale University ) and Fairfield County. Candlewood Lake is the largest recreational lake in the New York metropolitan area. The lake is located within the Greater Danbury region, and is home to many second homes of New York City residents. Pike County, Pennsylvania is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania . As of

1900-685: The Metropolitan Museum of Art , the Metropolitan Opera , and the American Museum of Natural History were built. New York newspapers were read around the country as media moguls James Gordon Bennett, Sr. , Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst battled for readership. In 1884, over 70% of exports passed through ports in New York or in one of the surrounding towns. The five boroughs of New York — The Bronx , Brooklyn , Manhattan , Queens , and Staten Island — were consolidated into

1976-689: The New Jersey Turnpike , the Garden State Parkway , and the Northeast Corridor , which bisect Central Jersey. Fairfield, New Haven, and Litchfield counties in western Connecticut (like the state in general) are known for affluence. Large businesses are scattered throughout the area, mostly in Fairfield County. The land is flat along the coast with low hills eventually giving way to larger hills such as The Berkshires further inland, to

2052-464: The Tri-State area and often also called Greater New York , is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass , encompassing 4,669.0 sq mi (12,093 km ). The New York metropolitan area is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world, the largest metropolitan area in the U.S., and the only U.S. metropolitan area home to more than 20 million residents as of

2128-457: The Wisconsinan glaciation , the region was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet over 1,000 feet in depth. The ice sheet scraped away large amounts of soil, leaving the bedrock that serves as the geologic foundation for much of the New York metropolitan region today. Later on, the ice sheet would help split apart what are now Long Island and Staten Island. At the time of European contact

2204-506: The crack epidemic , with the New York City area being one of the major ports of entry for narcotics entering the United States. Neighborhoods such as the South Bronx became prime examples of late 20th century urban decay . Beginning in the 1990s, however, crime dropped substantially due to tough-on-crime policies. Crime in New York City has continued to decline through the 21st century. The September 11th attacks in 2001 were pivotal in

2280-477: The eighth-largest economy in the world. It is the most prominent financial, diplomatic , and media hub in the world. According to Forbes , in 2014, the New York metropolitan area was home to eight of the top ten ZIP Codes in the United States by median housing price, with six in Manhattan alone. The New York metropolitan area is known for its varied landscape and natural beauty, and contains five of

2356-472: The headquarters of the United Nations , New York is an important center for international diplomacy . New York is a global city and has been described as the cultural , financial , entertainment , and media capital of the world, as well as the world's most economically powerful city. Long Island , the most populous island in the United States, is located just off the northeast coast of

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2432-801: The tri-state region . The New York City television designated market area (DMA) includes Pike County, Pennsylvania , which is also included in the CSA. In addition to the New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ–PA metropolitan statistical areas (MSA), the following core-based statistical areas are also included in the New York–Newark, NY–NJ–CT–PA CSA: The area is frequently divided into the following subregions: All eight subregions are often further subdivided. For instance, Long Island can be divided into its South and North Shores (usually when speaking about Nassau County and western Suffolk County) and

2508-401: The 1957 season. Crime affected the city severely. Urban renewal projects alleviated decay in poorer neighborhoods to a certain extent, but many of these later proved to be failures and caused unanticipated consequences like ghettoization, informal racial segregation in housing, and disruption of the organic urban fabric that made the city's neighborhoods cohesive and healthy places to live. There

2584-581: The 2010 Census, the population was 57,369. Its county seat is Milford . Part of the Pocono Mountains region lies within Pike County, which has ranked among the fastest-growing counties of Pennsylvania. The following is a list of "principal cities" and their respective population estimates from the 2020 U.S. Census . Principal cities include those with populations over 100,000 or major job, cultural, educational, and economic centers. census During

2660-578: The Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission in 1969 to attempt to address both economic and environmental issues concerning the wetland region. The commission was authorized to review and approve land development projects, manage landfill operations, and oversee environmental restoration and preservation projects. The commission oversaw the closure of most of the landfills in the Meadowlands district. The commission

2736-884: The Hackensack Meadowlands Environmental Center was operated by the Meadowlands Commission. In 2015 legislation was enacted that reorganized the commission, placing it within the NJSEA. New Jersey Meadowlands The Meadowlands stretch mainly along the terminus of the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers as they flow into Newark Bay ; tributaries of the Hackensack include Mill Creek, Berrys Creek , and Overpeck Creek . The present Meadowlands consist of roughly 8,400 acres (34 km ) of open, undeveloped space in addition to developed areas that had been part of

2812-595: The Hudson, including Nyack and Piermont , are known for their vibrant dining and art scenes. 30% of Rockland's land area is designated parkland with impressive scenery, which attracts many visitors from the tristate area. In recent years, the high cost of housing in the Lower Hudson Valley, plus increased remote working opportunities, has caused some to move further north into the Mid Hudson Valley. Historically,

2888-640: The Lower Hudson Valley is centered around the Hudson River north of New York City and lies within New York State. Westchester and Putnam counties are located on the eastern side of the river, and Rockland and Orange counties are located on the western side of the river. Westchester and Rockland counties are connected by the heavily trafficked New Tappan Zee Bridge , as well as by the Bear Mountain Bridge near their northern ends. Several branches of

2964-700: The Meadowlands district. As of 2016 over 3,900 acres of wetlands have been preserved by NJSEA and other property owners. The New Jersey Legislature established the Meadowlands Conservation Trust in 1999 to protect and manage land in the Meadowlands watershed. As of 2024 over 800 acres of land are protected through the trust using conservation easements and management by government agencies. 40°48′57″N 74°02′23″W  /  40.815888°N 74.039612°W  / 40.815888; -74.039612 New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area , broadly referred to as

3040-589: The New York metropolitan area varies over a wide range from 5a in the highest areas of Dutchess, Monroe, and Ulster Counties to 7b in most of NYC as well as Hudson County from Bayonne up the east side of the Palisades to Route 495, the majority of Nassau County, the north coast of Monmouth County, and Copiague Harbor, Lindenhurst, and Montauk in Suffolk County. Almost all of the metropolitan area receives at least 42 inches (1,070 mm) of precipitation annually, which

3116-475: The North American continent with this climate type. Much of the remainder of the metropolitan area lies in the transition zone from a humid subtropical ( Cfa ) to a humid continental climate ( Dfa ), and it is only the inland, more exurban areas far to the north and west such as Sussex County, New Jersey, that have a January daily average of −3 °C (26.6 °F) or below and are fully humid continental;

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3192-473: The United States and is a region wholly included within both the U.S. state of New York and the New York metropolitan area. Extending 118 miles east-northeast of Roosevelt Island, Manhattan from New York Harbor into the Atlantic Ocean , the island comprises four counties: Kings and Queens (these form the New York boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens , respectively) to the west; then Nassau and Suffolk to

3268-617: The area and built a settlement on Lower Manhattan Island that was eventually renamed New Amsterdam by Dutch colonists in 1626. In 1664, the area went under English control, and was later renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York . As the fur trade expanded further north, New York became a trading hub , which brought in a diverse set of ethnic groups including Africans , Jews , and Portuguese . The island of Manhattan had an extraordinary natural harbor formed by New York Bay (actually

3344-429: The area was once inhabited with Mountain lions , Eastern elk , Eastern wolves , American marten , Fisher (animal) , & American black bears before being made extinct in the area due to hunting . Considered by residents of the area through the centuries as wastelands, the Meadowlands were systematically subject to various kinds of human intervention. The four major categories are: The Meadowlands Sports Complex ,

3420-469: The area, as well as from enforcement of Clean Water Act regulations and from the efforts of local conservancy groups. Urban runoff pollution, municipal sewage discharges from sanitary sewer overflows and combined sewer overflows, and runoff from hazardous waste sites continue to impair the river's water quality . In 2015 EPA awarded grants to conduct research on Meadowlands wetlands. The NJSEA owns or holds management rights to preserve wetlands in

3496-550: The beaches, gardens, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. Long Island is served by a network of parkways and expressways , with the Long Island Expressway , Northern State Parkway , and Southern State Parkway being major east–west routes across significant portions of the island. Commuter rail access is provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road , one of

3572-715: The beginning of the Walkway over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie. The area is home to the Wappingers Central School District , which the second-largest school district in the state of New York . The Newburgh Waterfront in the City of Newburgh is home to many high-end restaurants. U.S. Route 9 , I-84 , and the Taconic State Parkway all run through Dutchess County. Metro-North Railroad train station, New Hamburg ,

3648-430: The city economy was hurt by blockades of German U-boats , which limited shipping with Europe. After its population peaked in 1950, a significant portion of the city's population left for the suburbs of New York over the following decades. The effects were a result of white flight . Industry and commerce also declined in this era, with businesses relocating to the suburbs or other regions. The era also saw an increase in

3724-674: The city. Railroad stations such as Grand Central Terminal and Pennsylvania Station helped fuel suburban growth. During the era of the Prohibition , when alcohol was banned nationwide, organized crime grew to supply the high demand for bootleg alcohol. The Broadway Theater District began to develop with the opening of the New York Subway in 1904 and, by the early part of the twentieth century, had been made world-famous as New York's theatrical and entertainment center through popular musical productions like Ziegfeld Follies and Show Boat and

3800-796: The college operates the facility. The center facilities include the Center for Environmental and Scientific Education, and the William D. McDowell Observatory. The center is located within Richard W. DeKorte Park, named after Richard W. DeKorte , a resident of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey , who as majority leader of the New Jersey General Assembly sponsored legislation that established the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission in 1969. Until 2015

3876-412: The combined statistical area is 13,318 sq mi (34,493 km ), encompassing an ethnically and geographically diverse region. The New York metropolitan area's population is larger than that of the state of New York, and the metropolitan airspace accommodated over 130 million passengers in 2016. As of 2022 , the New York metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan economy in the world , with

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3952-509: The construction of housing projects for the city's low-income population under the New York City Housing Authority , coinciding with the destruction of communities to construct interstate highways to link the city with its suburbs. The city, particularly Brooklyn, was dealt a psychological as well as an economic blow with the loss of the iconic Brooklyn Dodgers major-league baseball team, which moved to Los Angeles after

4028-436: The counties of Dutchess , Ulster , and Sullivan , as well as the northern portions of Orange County , with the region's main cities being Poughkeepsie , Newburgh , Kingston , and Beacon . The Walkway over the Hudson , is the second longest pedestrian footbridge in the world. It crosses the Hudson River connecting Poughkeepsie and Highland . The 13 mile-long Dutchess Rail Trail stretches from Hopewell Junction to

4104-660: The country's largest city since 1790. In 1792, the Buttonwood Agreement , made by a group of merchants, created what is now the New York Stock Exchange in Lower Manhattan. Today, many people in the metropolitan area work in this important stock exchange. The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and

4180-417: The drowned lower river valley of the Hudson River, enclosed by glacial moraines ), the East River , which is a tidal strait , and the Hudson River , all of which merge at the southern tip, from which all later development spread. During the American Revolution , the strategic waterways made New York vitally important as a wartime base for the British navy. Many battles such as the Battle of Long Island and

4256-438: The east. However, most people in the New York metropolitan area (even those living in Queens and Brooklyn) colloquially use the term "Long Island" (or "The Island") exclusively to refer to Nassau County and Suffolk County collectively, which are mainly suburban in character. North of the island is Long Island Sound , across which are the U.S. states of Connecticut and Rhode Island . With a population of 8,063,232 enumerated at

4332-408: The flagship campuses of the largest public universities systems at SUNY Stony Brook and Rutgers ; and globally-ranked New York University , Rockefeller University , and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory . The counties and county groupings constituting the New York metropolitan area are listed below, with 2010 census figures: The U.S. Office of Management and Budget utilizes two definitions of

4408-502: The forests and used dikes to drain the land. The Dutch farmers used the drained tidal lands to create "meadows" of salt hay ; hence, the area was referred to by locals as the Meadows. In more recent times, the Meadowlands became known for being the site of large landfills and decades of environmental abuse. Before European settlement, the area consisted of several diverse ecosystems based on freshwater , brackish water , and saltwater environments. Large areas were covered by forests. And

4484-399: The immediate Long Island Sound and Atlantic coasts), up to in excess of 27 days (inland suburbs in New Jersey) each summer and may exceed 100 °F (38 °C). Normally, warm to hot temperatures begin in mid-May, and last through early October. Summers also feature passing thundershowers which build in the heat of the day and then drop brief, but intense, rainfall. Winters are cold with

4560-461: The largest cities of that state: Newark , Jersey City , Paterson , and Elizabeth . The region is geographically diverse with wetlands , mountains, and valleys throughout the area. It has a large network of expressways and public transportation rail services, mostly operated by New Jersey Transit . Northern New Jersey also contains the second busiest airport in the New York metropolitan area, Newark Liberty International Airport . Although it

4636-674: The largest commuter railroads in the United States. Air travel needs are served by several airports. Within Queens, the island is home to John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport , two of the three major airline hubs serving the New York area (with Newark Liberty International Airport being the third; all three major airports are operated by The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey). Long Island MacArthur Airport (serving commercial airlines) and Farmingdale/Republic Airport (private and commuter flights) are both located in Suffolk County. Known for its hilly terrain , picturesque settings, and quaint small towns and villages ,

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4712-477: The metropolitan area is New York City, the most populous city in the United States and has been described as the capital of the world . The city consists of five boroughs , each of which is coterminous with a county of New York State . The five boroughs – Brooklyn , Queens , Manhattan , the Bronx , and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. With a Census-estimated population of 8,335,897 in 2022 (8,467,513 in 2021 ), distributed over

4788-474: The nation's total population, as of 2020. The combined statistical area includes 23.6 million residents as of 2020. It is one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. The New York metropolitan area continues to be the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States , having the largest foreign-born population of any metropolitan region in the world. The metropolitan statistical area covers 6,720 sq mi (17,405 km ) while

4864-445: The natural wetlands which were heavily developed by H. Bert Mack and M. Bolero in the 1960s. The area includes portions of Kearny , Jersey City , North Arlington , Secaucus , Lyndhurst , Rutherford , East Rutherford , Carlstadt , North Bergen , Moonachie , Ridgefield , South Hackensack , Teaneck , and Little Ferry . The area was forested with Atlantic white cedars before the early Dutch settlers (17th century) cleared

4940-624: The north shore, the Gold Coast of Long Island , featured in the film The Great Gatsby , is an upscale section of Nassau and western Suffolk counties that once featured many lavish mansions built and inhabited by wealthy business tycoons in the earlier years of the 20th century, of which only a few remain preserved as historic sites. The East End of Long Island (known as the "Twin Forks" because of its physical shape) boasts open spaces for farmland and wineries . The South Fork, in particular, comprises numerous towns and villages known collectively as " The Hamptons " and has an international reputation as

5016-428: The only U.S. state capital within the New York metropolitan area), Princeton (home to the Ivy League Princeton University ), and New Brunswick (home of Rutgers University 's main New Brunswick campus, the largest university in New Jersey). The region also encompasses a significant portion of the Jersey Shore , including the cities of Red Bank , Long Branch , and Asbury Park . Major transportation links include

5092-407: The opening of multiple large, extravagantly decorated theatres in the area spanning Broadway from 47th to 42nd Streets. The Great Depression suspended the region's fortunes as a period of widespread unemployment and poverty began. City planner Robert Moses began his automobile-centered career of building bridges, parkways , and later expressways across the tri-state area. During World War II,

5168-480: The past, though a direct hit is rare. Several areas on Long Island, New Jersey, and the Connecticut coast have been impacted by serious storm surges in the past. Inland areas have been impacted by heavy rain and flooding from tropical cyclones. The New York metropolitan area averages 234 days with at least some sunshine and 59% of possible sunlight annually, accumulating 2,400 to 2,800 hours of sunshine per annum. The geographical, cultural, and economic center of

5244-424: The region and nation's history. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people as two planes crashed into the former World Trade Center and caused the towers to collapse. Businesses led an exodus from Lower Manhattan because of this but were replaced by an increased number of high-rise residences and a building boom in New York continues to this day. In 2003, another blackout occurred, the 2003 North America blackout , but

5320-418: The region was inhabited by Native Americans , predominantly the Lenape , and others. The Native Americans used the abundant waterways in the area for many purposes, such as fishing and trade routes. Sailing for France in 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to enter the local waters and encounter the residents, but he did not make landfall. Henry Hudson , sailing for the Dutch in 1609, visited

5396-466: The site of multiple stadia and a racetrack, was built in the Meadowlands beginning in the 1960s. The race track was the first venue in the complex to open, on September 1, 1976. The location of the New Jersey Meadowlands near the center of the New York metropolitan area and its outgrowth into New Jersey makes conservation of the vast wetland a difficult proposition. In spite of this, the New Jersey Legislature , promoted by Richard W. DeKorte , created

5472-520: The top ten richest places in America, according to Bloomberg . These are Scarsdale, New York ; Short Hills, New Jersey ; Old Greenwich, Connecticut ; Bronxville, New York ; and Darien, Connecticut . The New York metropolitan region's higher education network comprises hundreds of colleges and universities, including campuses of four Ivy League universities : Columbia , Princeton , Yale , and Cornell (at Cornell Tech and Weill Cornell Medicine );

5548-484: The urbanized area: the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and the combined statistical area (CSA). The MSA definition is titled the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area , and includes a population of 20.3 million people by 2017 Census estimates, roughly 1 in 16 Americans and nearly 7 million more than the second-place Los Angeles metropolitan area in the United States. The MSA

5624-633: The valley was home to many factories, including paper mills, but a significant number have closed. After years of lingering pollution, cleanup efforts to improve the Hudson River water quality are currently planned and will be supervised by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Mid-Hudson Valley region of the State of New York is midway between New York City and the state capital of Albany . The area includes

5700-524: Was little reported social unrest during the Northeast Blackout of 1965 , but the New York City Blackout of 1977 led to massive rioting, looting, and arson in some parts of the city. In addition, the 1970s recession crippled traditional industries such as manufacturing in the New York City region. A rare positive highlight of the period was the completion of the original World Trade Center ,

5776-559: Was subsequently renamed the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, and merged with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) in 2015. The Hackensack Riverkeeper, a conservation organization established in 1997, conducts public education, advocacy, river cleanups and conservation projects. Water quality in the Hackensack River improved somewhat by the late 2000s following the decline in manufacturing in

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