A borough of culture and commerce, Manhattan is the central island in the New York archipelago. Its Midtown is a hub unto itself: Spanning 30th Street to 50th Street from river to river, itıs home to corporate headquarters, fine hotels and restaurants, and landmarks as varied as the United Nations, the New York Public Library and Madison Square Garden. Visitors flock to the Broadway shows of Theater District and nearby Times Square, as well as to Bryant Park.

The northern reaches of Manhattan include thriving Latino communities in Washington Heights and Spanish Harlem. Harlem is one of the Cityıs biggest neighborhoods and a historic center for African American music, art and culture. The Upper West Side is home to Lincoln Center, a seat for performing arts; the Upper East Side offers fine arts at the Metropolitan and Whitney museums, along with high-end shopping in Madison Avenue boutiques. And Central Park, between the two, is an 843-acre oasis for residents and visitors alike.

South of Midtown, Chelsea is home to art galleries and nightclubs, while the relatively low buildings of Greenwich Village ‹historic townhouses, shops and restaurants‹make it one of the sunniest neighborhoods, and one of the nicest for a stroll. To the southeast, NoLIta is ideal for boutique shoppers, while the bordering East Village is known for its funky offerings, with experimental music clubs, theaters and cutting-edge fashion; New York University is in the area.

Farther south still, the Lower East Side retains some of the shops and cultural institutions from its days as an epicenter for many Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, but itıs also a stylish address, with new buildings drawing residents and visitors. As chic as ever, SoHoıs distinctive cast-iron buildings look down on throngs of shoppers and fashionable boutiques; the warehouses of TriBeCa, too, today serve as homes, shops and restaurants.

Famed for its restaurants and bustling markets, Chinatown is a thriving residential community that continues to draw new immigrants. And the Financial District is Manhattanıs original neighborhood‹historic sites and high finance sit side by side on the narrow streets that hark back to Peter Stuyvesant and New Amsterdamıs first settlers.

Downtown is also the jumping-off point to take the Staten Island Ferry for a free ride that brings great views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and New York Harbor.

With so much going on in Manhattan, it is hard to imagine that it continues to grow and develop‹but it does. The future of Manhattan can be seen in the New York City Economic Development Corporationıs (NYCEDC) Sherman Creek Neighborhood Plan in Inwood at the very top of the island, to Lower Manhattan and the East River Waterfront plan to create public amenities and community areas for locals and visitors.