by Janette Peel

Created on: February 06, 2009

New York is a city of over eight million people, covering an area of over 300 square miles. It is made up of five distinct boroughs: Manhattan (where the vast majority of sites are located), the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island.

Many of the popular sites lie within 15 areas of Manhattan. If you are limited by time, you could restrict your sightseeing to one or two areas. Many of New York's oldest and newest buildings rub shoulders in Lower Manhattan.

It is from here you can take the Staten Island ferry for breathtaking views of the famous skyline and the Statue of Liberty. Midtown includes the Theater District and Fifth Avenue's glittering shops as well as museums, entertainment and such landmark skyscrapers as the glorious Chrysler Building. Museum Mile on the Upper East Side is a cultural paradise and, since it runs alongside Central Park, you can rest en route and watch New Yorkers at play.

Lower Manhattan is where the old and the new converge. Colonial churches and early American monuments stand in the shadow of sky scrapers. This is where New York was born, and this was the site of the nation's first capitol. Since 1926, when Dutchman Peter Minuit purchased the island of Man-a-hatt-ta from the Algonquian Indians for goods valued at $24, commerce has flourished.

There are many historic buildings and important sites to visit which include; the Federal Reserve Bank, Federal Hall, New York Stock Exchange, the World Trade Center site, the Battery Maritime Building, and the Cunard Building. Also there's the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Statue of Liberty, Trinity Church and the Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton and Battery Park.

Manhattan's busy Civic Center is the hub of the city, state and federal governments' court systems and the city's police department. In the 1880s it was also the heart of the newspaper publishing business. This area displays striking architecture and beautiful landmarks from every period in the city's history. The Woolworth Building from the 20th century, City Hall from the 19th century and St. Paul's Chapel, New York's oldest building in continuous use from the 18th century.

Close by is South Street Seaport. In the 19th century it was called the street of sails because of the many ships that were moored there. When sailing ships became unprofitable the seaport underwent a decline. Now the area has been restored and is home to many shops and restaurants and a museum.

The Lower East Side of Manhattan has a strong ethnic flavor as this

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