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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.