With a population of over 8 million it is has the highest population density in all of North America. New York is like a number of communities that blend resulting in many different ethnic backgrounds also blending.

New York is very humid in the summers and the winters are usually cold with moderate snowfall and there are usually about 220 frost-free days in a year. Here is a city focused on the environment and trying to do their part for a greener, healthier environment.

This is a city that has great cityscape with some of the best architecture in the county. For example, there is the art deco architecture of the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, or the more modern AT&T Building. There are three visible skylines Downtown Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, and Midtown Manhattan.

This is a city with an economic and business pulse that is felt around the world. The New York Stock Exchange is the world's largest stock exchange, and many large corporations and Fortune 500 companies are located in the city. In fact, foreign companies are responsible for 10% of the private job market. There are some excellent opportunities here and certainly potential to move up the corporate ladder.

New York earned the term "The Big Apple" by a touring jazz musician in the 1930's. The slang for any town or city was apple and so New York became "the big apple".

Housing costs will depend on what part of NYC you wan to live in. The Washington Heights is known for its friendly musicians and Queens are two of the lower rent areas. In these areas, a studio might cost you $1000 where as a one bedroom would average around $1500 and a two bedroom around $2000 and those are in the low rent districts.

Buying will have you looking at an average price in the half million ranges and going up from there. It is not unusual to be paying well over a million dollars for a condo. There are many local real estate agencies that would be happy to show you some homes in your price range.

Getting from place to place in New York can be quite a challenge. By far the most economical is public transportation, but even if you drive or prefer to ride in cars, you need to know about parking restrictions, costs, and other NYC bylaws. The buses and subways are not that bad once you get the hang of it and get the routes down pat.

New York is not a cheap place to live but it is a fun place and it has so many great opportunities that are worth all that extra cost. If you love entertainment, culture, and the arts you are going to feel right at home in no time.