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One of the major cultural elements of New York City is its theater scene and rich theatrical tradition. To have seen a show on Broadway is something most people slip into conversations as a personal boast. Taking this a step further, there are those individuals who have the privilege of seeing multiple productions and approach their boasting from the perspective of a critic. However, what most of these people have in common is a genuine love for the stage and respect for this great theater town. For tourists visiting the city, catching a show is usually at the top of their list. And the best New York City hotels are excellent resources for making reservations.

John Colton’s play The Shanghai Gesture is currently playing at the Julia Miles Theatre. Marsha Sheiness created the adaptation for this production of the 1920s melodrama. It is set in China during the roaring twenties. This was a lively period, or is interpreted as such in the play, when opium addiction was common and the play deals with some of the shadier aspects of life, including the sex slave industry. The play was adapted for the screen in 1941, though it had experienced a great deal of censorship prior to that.

John Colton was born in Japan in 1886. His father was an English Diplomat, which is the reason for the family being in Asia. Colton eventually came to America where he first found work as a drama critic. By 1922 he had his first New York production, Drifting, which he wrote with D. H. Andrews. This play dealt with the life of a woman who was on her way to becoming a prostitute. This would be a standard theme, or a variation of it, in a lot of Colton’s work. The two biggest hits of his career include The Shanghai Gesture and a play called Rain. He wrote Rain with Clemence Randolph and the story was based on a story by Somerset Maugham.

Pale Male, a red hawk was first noted in Central Park in 1991. Since then he has become a beloved part of New York City and has become an integral part of bird lovers’ springtime activities sitting in wait of the hatching eggs of Pale Male’s offspring. The nests watched very intently via binoculars, are on top of an upscale fifth avenue apartment complex. The hawk was driven from the Central Park trees almost 20 years ago by crows, however, his nesting spot is now protected by the housing cooperative. Pale Male met a companion one year after settling into the city, and in 1992 the pair became the chatter of bird watchers all over the world. Three of their offspring hatched that year with two of the birds of prey still calling Central Park their home to this day.

A few years later, his mate died, and Pale Male settled in with a new mate named Blue.

It is believed that Blue lived for about 8 years, and it is assumed she died after her disappearance in 2001. From the windows of the magnificent city of New York, many people were in attendance as eleven new chicks were hatched and grew to adulthood in the park. In 2004, the spikes meant to deter pigeons from nesting were removed from the buildings ledges. This caused quite a stir among bird lovers everywhere as these spikes securely supported the hawk’s nest. The National Audubon Society recommended an initiative to re-install the supports providing the structure necessary to hold the nests securely to the side of the high rise. And while the hawks continue to nest in their re-secured nest, no new eggs have hatched since the original nest supports were removed. The pair of hawks still maintain a strong audience however, waiting hopefully in Central Park and in the New York Airport hotel of New York City to catch a glimpse of hopefully perhaps some new offspring.

Anyone planning a trip to New York City knows that it is an exciting and crowded city. Filled with historic landmarks, stunning architecture, fabulous museums, incredible food, and some of the best shopping in the world, it is obvious why the city is the top tourist destination in the United States Visitors return time and time again and never see all that the city has to offer.

Landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and Rockefeller Center are usually crowded. But there are plenty of other things to see and do in this bustling city. Stroll through Central Park, window shop on Fifth Avenue, watch the crowds in Times Square or the businessmen on Wall Street. Take in a Broadway show, dine in one of the city’s world class restaurants or enjoy a hot dog from one of the thousands of street vendors. Stay in one of the classy 4 star hotels New York or find a quiet bed & breakfast in a historic NY brownstone.

Divided into five boroughs, New York is a city of neighborhoods. There are ethnically-defined areas like Chinatown, Little Italy, and Harlem and the bohemian Greenwich Village. Although most people associate New York with the many attractions of Manhattan, the other boroughs have their own character and attractions.The Bronx is home to the Yankees and the Bronx Zoo, Brooklyn boasts Coney Island, and Queens hosts the US Open tennis tournament as well as the being the proud home of the Mets. Staten island is an oasis of parks and forest land.

Due to its importance as a financial and business capital for the world, many of the travelers to the city are business men and women from all over the globe. In addition to Wall Street, New York is home to corporate headquarters and offices for most of the world’s largest companies. It houses the heads of all the major US television networks. It’s also where you’ll find the New York Stock Exchange and major world banks. Of course, business travelers will find themselves enjoying the entertainment, food, and great shopping alongside leisure tourists.

Whether in NYC for business, pleasure or even diplomacy (NY is home of the UN’s world headquarters), there is never a shortage of things to do, people to watch, or great food to eat.

The annual New York Toy Fair will take place early next week. Even with the faltering economy, the Fair, which runs from February 15th – 18th, expects to showcase over 100,000 products, including more than 7000 new toys that are making their world debut.

The fair promises over 350,000 square feet of exhibition space in the jacob Javits Convention Center and a few other showrooms in the surrounding area. Over a thousand media representatives are expected to be present from around the globe and over 20,000 attendees.

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) which sponsors the event is forecasting that this year’s merchandise will focus on price and value as a result of the shaky global economy. Exhibitors are expected to offer fewer high end toys to the retail buyers in attendance. While most toys take several years to develop, many manufacturers have scraped products that are too expensive for the budget-conscious parent of 2009.

One of the other features of the event is safety. With so many recalls in recent years, the fair is offering a four-hour seminar on safety concerns and recent legislation.

New York is hoping to see an uptick in its own economy as a result of the Toy Fair. Those thousands of attendees, exhibitors, and media should bring money to area businesses. The Fair is offering shuttle buses in the evening to take visitors to nearby New York restaurants. Meanwhile, hotels in the area are bracing for the increase in guests and taxis should be in abundance for those who want to explore more of the city.

Founded in 1624 as a Dutch trading post, New York has been the largest city in the United States since 1790. As a world center for finance, commerce, art, fashion, music, film, media, theater, and food, it is easy to see why it is the top tourist desintation in the United States. The 5th largest metropolitan area in the world, New York is the most densely populated city in the country and and boasts the most recognizable skyline in the world. Visitors can stay at one of many five star New York hotels or find any number of alternative accomodations to suit their personal taste and budget.

The city is located at the mouth of the Hudson River and is mostly an island. New York is a city of neighborhoods. Locals can tell a lot about each other just by knowing where they live. These neighborhoods form the five burroughs of the city: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Each has its own unique character and attractions.

New York is home to many of the world’s largest corporations as well as the New York Stock Exchange. The city’s diplomatic influence is extensive, as evidenced by the presence of the United Nations headquarters. Some of its more famous landmarks include the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Times Square, Central Park, Wall Street, and the World Trade Center Site which will be the home of the new Freedom Tower that is scheduled to be complete in 2013.

The twenty-four subway system offers easy access to all the city’s cultural and artistic offerings. New York is world famous for just about anything cultural. Broadway makes its home in the city, as do world-class venues for opera, ballet, music and other performing arts. There are countless museums and galleries making the city a leading art capital in the world. The city is also a center for film, television, fashion and food.