New York State is a large state with it's capital in
Albany but it's cultural and financial center in
New York City, a premier city with a population of close to ten million people making it the largest city in the world. In the Northwest, New York has former industrial cities such as
Buffalo,
Rochester, and
Syracuse, all of which were initially centered on the Erie Canal which provided access to the Great Lakes. These cities have mostly recovered from the migration of industrial jobs overseas.
The state in general, but NYC in particular, is ethnically diverse with a wide variety of foods being eaten and languages being spoken. Overall the population of NYC is affluent, with some of the highest real estate prices in the world, and focused on service oriented industries such as finance and technology. NYC, also known as the big apple, has a rich entertainment history and culture with Broadway theater shows and many notable films taking place in NYC. There is also a pumping nightlife.
NYC is surrounded by some of the oldest and most developed suburbs in the country including
Levittown, the so-called first post-war suburb in the U.S., and
Westchester, each with large populations and well connected to NYC with an extensive public transportation system and a subway service to Manhattan and the outer boroughs.
The State of New York covers about 54,555 square miles and is the 27th largest state by size. Ranked by population it is the 4th largest state of the U.S. New York's state song is "I Love New York" by Steve Karmen.
