A common misconception about
New York City is that it's all Manhattan. That's not necessarily fair to the city's other, equally fascinating boroughs, but it can't be helped. With its glistening glass-encased skyscrapers, bright lights & practically seizure-inducing digital billboards, and loud streets packed with power-walking businessmen and excited tourists, Manhattan already embodies the Big Apple at its most bustling. But before visiting or even moving here, it's worth knowing a bit more about this iconic borough. After all, not a lot of people know that Manhattan has 1.628 million residents alone, that it’s on an island (not a peninsula), and that green cabs rarely drive around this borough.
Manhattan is on an Island
Since it's such a sprawling metropolis, it's easy to forget that Manhattan is on its own eponymous island. Surrounded by rivers and bay, this
New York City borough is set on a separate island from the US mainland. And yes, it's an island, not a peninsula. It may be easy to get to other parts of New York State from Manhattan, but that's because the borough has many bridges that connect the island to the rest of the state.
How Many People Live in Manhattan?
Manhattan has a population of around 1.628 million residents, making it the third most populated borough in New York City. Surprisingly, Brooklyn and Queens have the island beat, with the former having a whopping 2.646 million residents and the latter having 2.33 million. Meanwhile, the Bronx has about 1.419 million residents, and Staten Island only has 492,734 people. Despite how popular—it's practically the face of the Big Apple—and extremely crowded it is, Manhattan isn't even the most populous part of the city.
How Big is Manhattan?
Another surprising fact about Manhattan is that it's only 22.66 square miles (58.69 km2) of land. All those skyscrapers, warehouses, and green spaces make it seem like it's the biggest city in the world. It's undoubtedly the most famous metropolis on the planet, but it's far from the largest in terms of land size. For comparison, Brooklyn is an astounding 97 square miles (250 km2), more than four times the size of Manhattan.
Get to Know Manhattan's Parks
Manhattan has more green spaces than just
Central Park. Perhaps it's because it's so iconic and big that people seem to mistake it's the only park in the borough. In truth, however, Manhattan has four others—Bryant Park on 6th Avenue, Washington Square Park on 5th Avenue, Battery Park on State Street, and the High Line on Gansevoort Street. Washington Square Park, for instance, is best known for its famous arch, while Bryant Park used to host various fashion shows during New York Fashion Week.
Manhattan has Five Prestigious Colleges
The Big Apple is best known as an art, food, and fashion capital, but it deserves more recognition as an education hub. Manhattan alone has some of the
most prestigious colleges in New York City, not the least of which is Columbia University on 116th St. & Broadway. This is the only Ivy League School located in the city, as well as one of two located in New York State. The borough's other prominent institutions include New York University, The City College of New York (CUNY), Hunter College (CUNY), and Fordham University Lincoln Center.
Manhattan is One of the Most Expensive Places in the US
One look at
New York City's living costs is enough to knock anyone out! The famous metropolis is infamously expensive, and Manhattan is right at the tip of the pile. Just how pricey is this single borough? On top of rent, a single adult spends an average $5,748.00, while a family of four typically spends over $15,000.00. And speaking of rent, the median figure is about $5,150.00 per month. So the borough alone is already just as, if not even more expensive than other major cities.
Manhattan has the Highest Rent Average in NY State
As already mentioned,
renting a luxury apartment in New York City is especially expensive in Manhattan. To put more context, the average Manhattan studio apartment typically costs about $3,795.00 per month, while a four-bedroom property is more or less $9,600.00 per month. In contrast, $3,477.00 is the average monthly median rent in Brooklyn, $3,495.00 in Queens, $1,639.00 in the Bronx, and $1,694.00 in Staten Island. It's almost unbelievable that all these boroughs are in the same big city!
Broadway goes Beyond Manhattan
Broadway may just be one street lined with the city's most famous theaters, but it's farther-reaching than many people realize. It actually goes beyond Manhattan itself, spanning from Battery Place in Lower Manhattan to Westchester County beyond the Bronx. Though it is important to note that 'Broadway' doesn't necessarily refer to a specific part of the borough. Broadway is simply a catch-all term for the many big theaters in Midtown Manhattan, which include the Palace Theatre, Winter Garden Theatre, and the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, to name a few.
Green Cabs Rarely Drive around Manhattan
Now, let's talk about the
New York City cabs in Manhattan. Or rather, the ones you won't find here. You will find the city's famous yellow cabs throughout the metropolis, including the other boroughs. The lesser-known green cabs, on the other hand, which are usually for-hire taxis, rarely go into Manhattan. They don't travel below East 96th Street and West 110th Street, which is practically Midtown and Lower Manhattan, some of the most famous parts of the island.
LGBTQ+ Rights began in Manhattan
The world's LGBTQ+ community owes a lot to Manhattan. For the uninformed, the global Gay/Queer Pride Movement started in this borough, specifically in Midtown. It's here in Greenwich Village, where the Stonewall Riots, named after the iconic Stonewall Inn bar where they transpired, shook the world and finally made it realize that the LGBTQ+ community exists and is here to stay. From that point on, activists have commemorated the start of the movement in this part of Manhattan, especially during
Pride Month in New York City.
Manhattan may be the most famous borough in the world's best-known city, but there's a lot that people still need to know about it. It's better to discover more about this famed metropolis before visiting or even settling down here.
