Many people call New York the "Big Apple" or just "the Apple." No one is really sure where this name comes from. Some people think that jazz musicians first used it in the 1920s. They meant the place where everything happened.

New York is possibly the most famous city in the world. Every year, millions of tourists come to see its skyscrapers and busy streets. There is no other place in the world like it. To New Yorkers, it is THE city—the most exciting in the world. The city that never sleeps.

New York City is on the east coast of the United States, in the state of New York. It is the biggest city in the state—in fact, with over 8 million people it is the biggest city in the United States—but it is not the state capital. That is Albany, 156 miles (231 kilometers) north of New York.

The city and the rest of the state are like two different worlds. The state has green hills, farms, and mountains. More than half of the state is forest. New York State is the largest on the east coast, but fewer than 11 million people live there outside of the city.

If you are planning to visit New York, remember to check the weather. In the winter, it has lots of snow and is very cold. Almost 100 inches (254 centimeters) of snow fall every year. But in the summer, it is very hot. It can reach almost 100°F (36°C).

Vicky Shipton “New York”