New York City is widely considered "The Capital of the World". It is the center of one of the most populous metro areas in the world, and the city itself is the largest in the United States. It is also the center of world commerce and finance, culture such as fashion and art, and an important center for education, research and other aspects of global life. New York City is a name that evokes grand imagery in the minds of people everywhere. Even people who have never been to New York have an image of the city from movies, tv, and music.
NYC has a population of 8,175,133, with the metro area having close to 19 million people. The city is divided into 5 boroughs, each of which has its own personality and local consciousness, and each of which (strangely) is administered by a different county. The boroughs are Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
Newark, New Jersey is just across the water from downtown Manhattan and is a part of Metro NYC, except it is not in New York state but rather in New Jersey.
Here is a great detailed
map of New York City showing all of the major roads and boroughs of the city.
![Map of New York City Area](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNksHwQi9cEoR4EgN9xZXKJlQdndqg5neGI28hYt1Z86lf06_5LpudGr1e9ofxvVPXcOYuFsImhQzwE89TzmTWLHfxxw5zA8_XT5j6iLY8lu0FuqtA41a9F28Zn9TExIykvp2ndSyZvbw/s400/map-of-new-york-city-area.gif)
These next couple of maps show a little less detail but are still useful for navigating this mammoth city.
![Map of New York City](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7HaEOfHzFAZDqccV6KKS-nAxUFLfPPSw0ep3agH0UYYe9w1pdyPUvurTrvezZ_X2ulWm8UgKVMsokCcsA8_J7KveCOqgDBBjImK6glGf8RlifzhUdw3uxJ212tQz97Hn1hVAquGaHjTw/s400/map-of-newyork-city.gif)