The 12 Most Amazing American Cities

The 12 Most Amazing American Cities — page 1 — 1 NEW YORK CITY OVERFLOWS WITH DIVERSITY CULTURE At night the lights of New York City’s skyline twinkle One building stands out The Empire State Building rises almost 1,454 feet 443 m Each year 4 million people visit the observation decks On a clear day the view reaches up to 80 miles 130 km It includes New York’s many skyscrapers Central Park and the Statue of Liberty Below the diverse neighborhoods are bursting with activity More The lights of the Empire State Building change colors for special occasions 4

The 12 Most Amazing American Cities — page 2 — The Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge are two of New York’s most recognizable landmarks than one-third of New York residents were born in another country Many immigrants settle in neighborhoods with others of the same culture Some neighborhood names reflect their heritage such as Chinatown and Little Italy Crossing a street can feel like traveling to another country No other city has a greater variety of ethnic restaurants New York also has the most performing arts theaters of any city in the world It’s home to more than 700 art galleries and dozens of museums that highlight art and history Rap music hip-hop and Sesame Street have roots in New York City too THINK ABOUT IT Many different cultures and nationalities make their homes in New York City If you were visiting how do you think you could learn about them Where could you visit or what could you do to ﬁnd out more 5 Boroughs of New York City Manhattan the Bronx Staten Island Queens and Brooklyn Population More than 8 million Size Approximately 305 square miles 790 sq km Tallest building One World Trade Center 1,776 feet 541 m Key landmarks Statue of Liberty Empire State Building Central Park Brooklyn Bridge Times Square Nickname The Big Apple 5

The 12 Most Amazing American Cities — page 3 — 2 SAN FRANCISCO THRIVES AFTER EARTHQUAKES On April 18 1906 a massive earthquake shook San Francisco California Buildings fell Gas and water pipes ruptured For three days fires burned wildly They destroyed the city almost completely The earthquake and fires killed more than 3,000 people It left approximately 225,000 others homeless More than 28,000 buildings were destroyed 28,000 buildings were destroyed But citizens did not give up They rebuilt their beloved city making stronger and safer buildings Later earthquakes have not done as much damage San Francisco is located on a peninsula in northern California Its steep hills roll down to one of the world’s largest international harbors The city’s cable car system is one of only two National system is one of only two National y Brightly colored Victorian houses in San Francisco are known as the Painted Ladies 6

The 12 Most Amazing American Cities — page 4 — The Golden Gate Bridge connects San Francisco to California’s northern counties Historic Monuments that move Built in 1873 it still transports approximately 9 7 million people annually The Golden Gate Bridge is another recognizable landmark It is the second-longest bridge in the world The bright orange structure spans 4,200 feet 1,280 m across water that joins the bay to the Pacific Ocean 43 Number of hills in San Francisco Population More than 825,000 Size Almost 47 square miles 122 sq km Tallest building Transamerica Pyramid Center 853 feet 260 m Key landmarks Fisherman’s Wharf Alcatraz Island Golden Gate Bridge Nickname The City by the Bay THE GOLD RUSH Before 1848 San Francisco was a small village Then James Marshall discovered gold approximately 130 miles 209 km away In 1849 thousands of people rushed to California They wanted to search for the precious metal They were called 49ers By 1850 San Francisco’s population had grown from 1,000 to 20,000 7

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