New York, New York
So good they named it twice, New York is among the biggest and most iconic cities in the world. It lies on the east coast of North America in the state that carries its name. Remarkably, the city is not actually the capital of New York State, that honour falls to Albany, but as the driving force behind much of the US economy and one of the most culturally diverse places on earth, it is often referred to as the Capital of the World.
Semi-ancient history
Discovered by Europeans in 1524 and known as New Amsterdam for 50 years in the 17th century, New York only took the name the world knowns so well in 1664, when control of the harbour was taken by resident British forces. Native American tribes had lived on New York’s islands for centuries but their presence could hardly be felt at all by the time the British were busy turning the area into a major trading port at the beginning of the 1700s.
The 18th century was an incredibly turbulent one for what eventually became the United States of America and New York was at the heart of much of the action in terms of mass immigration, rapid economic growth and revolutionary warfare. A number of key battles in the American war for independence took place in the boroughs of New York and the city was for a while the centre of operations for British colonial forces.
A city of the world
Heading into the 19th century, the already remarkable pace of immigration, as well as the structural and economic development of New York was stepped up another couple of gears to levels that were pretty well unprecedented anywhere in the world. Immigrants arrived on the east coast of America from all over the world throughout this period and some of the most expansive infrastructure projects in history were undertaken and eventually completed.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, New York was vying with London to become the world’s largest city and by the 1930s, the Americans had outdone their founders and become the first urban expanse ever to accommodate more than ten million people.
Manhattan and Wall Street
Manhattan is one of the five boroughs that comprise New York City and the eponymous island on its south eastern edge is home to many of the biggest and most important businesses in the world. It boasts the largest business district in North America and is the site of two of the world’s most important stock exchanges, namely the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ. At the heart of all this is Wall Street, where American companies have managed to assert themselves in a vast array of market areas over the course of the past few centuries.
Office space to rent in New York City
Both Midtown and Lower Manhattan are among the largest business districts on earth and the island as a whole currently has hundreds of millions of square of office space in use, with millions more available to rent. Few places felt the impact of the global financial crisis of late 2008 more acutely than New York but the commercial property markets in the city are reported to have picked up significantly in recent months.
Cushman and Wakefield noted last month that the scale of commercial real estate investment activity in Manhattan, most of which is accounted for by office space deals, was up by more than hundred per cent on the figures of 12 months ago. In a separate report, Colliers International recently asserted that confidence is returning to commercial property markets worldwide after a tough few years, not least in New York, where demand for office space to rent is now on the increase. If you’re looking for business centres, virtual offices, managed offices or leasehold office space opportunities in New York, then check our comprehensive database for details and to arrange a deal.
Most of America’s leading financial institutions are headquartered in New York, as are many of its foremost communications, advertising, media, entertainment and publishing businesses. Corporate giants like Sony Music, Thomson Reuters, Viacom and The New York Times Company are based in Manhattan and occupy its many iconic skyscrapers.
Tourism and culture
The city of New York has a unique appeal that draws tens of millions of visitors to the American east coast on an annual basis. Of course, many arrive on business and it is partly as an unparalleled economic centre that the city best known. Man-made canyons between row upon row of enormous buildings offer a unique tourist experience of their own and really give a sense of being at the centre of the western world.
Among the many must-see attractions in and around the city are the Empire State Building, which was the tallest tower in the world for much of the last century and the unmissable Statue of Liberty, which has been welcoming newcomers to American shores for almost 135 years. Other great places to visit include Central Park, the Rockefeller Centre and Greenwich Village.
Besides from the best known monuments and locations, what keeps so many people coming back to New York is the great sense of cultural heritage and diversity it offers. With some of the most highly regarded museums, art galleries, restaurants and entertainment hubs in the world, there really is something for absolutely everyone going on at any given moment in the city that never sleeps.
Transport
The scale of the transport networks in New York is nothing short of bewildering. There are more train platforms at Grand Central Station than any other in the world and the subway system, which runs right across all five boroughs, never shuts down and has become iconic in its own right. The famous yellow taxi cabs tend to rule the roost across the intricately designed grid-like road systems of the city and across the immense and integral George Washington Bridge.
A fourth international airport is currently being planned but for now the city is served by John F Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark International airports, while tens of thousands of road users get around on two wheels or via the ever-popular and reliable bus services.
Sport
In the eyes of the world, New York is the spiritual home of baseball and with good reason. The city’s two Major League teams, the Yankees and the Mets, have won more than two dozen World Series titles between them and their stadiums are packed out every week of the season. Other hugely popular sports in the city include basketball, ice hockey and American football, with the Knicks, the Rangers, the Giants and the Jets proving the biggest draws in each of these sports respectively.
Many organizations approach theofficeproviders.com® for assistance in finding office space to rent in New York City and we receive many queries and questions regarding the various locations and different office rental arrangements including flexible serviced office space contracts in New York City, start-up / business incubator assistance in New York City, furnished offices and conventional office space to rent as well queries about office rental prices.