New Amsterdam was first settled by The Dutch who bought the island of Manhattan from Lenape Indians. It’s said that the Dutch bought the island for $24 in 1624. New Amsterdam thought of the land as commercial use, just to make profit, and had no intentions of making it a country. By 1664, New Amsterdam was taken control by the English who renamed it New York. New york become one of the original 13 colonies. It became an independent state on July 26, 1788. One of New York largest cities is New York City. An interesting fact of New York is that the Statue of Liberty was given by the people of France in admiration of United States’s dedication and determination for freedom and democracy in 1886. New York currently has a population of around 19 million consisting of 70% of White, 18% Black, 20% Hispanic, and 9% Asian. Coat of Arms of New York is represented on their flag and state seal. On the right of the flag stands Goddess Liberty with a liberty cap sitting on top of the pole. She has the English crown at her foot representing the overthrown English monarchy. On the left stands Goddess Justice with her sword held high to fight tyranny. On her other hand hold a scale of justice to represent the equal treatment under the law. The shield and globe represents the old New Amsterdam and New York in the new world working together. At the very bottom lies a banner says “Excelsior” which expresses the idea of reaching towards higher goals; it also means “ever upward” which so happens to be the motto of the state. The rose is the state flower along with super maple as the state tree. The top sites that tourists visit are Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, One World Observatory, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Based on research, New York stands as the third largest economy in the country. It’s leading jobs are banking, finance, and communication. The highest point in New York is Mount Marcy at the highest point of 5,344 feet. New York of all states have their own interesting and weird laws. For example, flirting can result in a $25 fine. This bill was introduced in 1902 to punish those who were drunk and tried hard for a woman’s attention. Another law is you have to have a license to hang clothes on a clothesline. This law has never been important for the cops therefore it’s never been a big deal. A third weird law is that it’s illegal to run a puppet show in a window; the punishment is a $25 fine and up to 30 days in jail. The current state governor is Andrew M. Cuomo and Erick T. Schneiderman is Attorney General, both are in the Democratic Party. Government Building: United Nations Building  The United Nations building benefits those who live in the city. It contributes and supportes about 25,000 full time and part time jobs. It earns to about $1.98 billion. If this building were to be torn down, the unemployment rate will increase significantly. The UN is currently employing about 16,000 people in New York City. The UN increases the visitors’ spending through having conferences and meetings throughout the year. These conferences brings in high ranking government officials, VIPs, and delegates. Just simply staying in New York these officials have to spend on lodging, food, beverages, shopping, entertainment, and transportation. Visitors’ spending supports about 1,200 jobs in New York City. National Landmark: Empire State BuildingThe company responsible for created the Empire State Building was the Empire State Inc.  This was a very small group but included very wealthy and notable people of the time such as: Louis G. Kaufman (former head of General Motors) and the former Governor of New York, Alfred E. Smith.  The land was sold to the Empire State Inc. in 1928, but plans were not announced until 1929.  Construction began in 1930 and finished in 1931.  This was very costly to build, especially for being built in such a rapid pace.  The Empire State Building was constructed primarily to be the tallest building in the United States.  The economic boom in the 1920s influenced many people to join the unofficial race to construct the tallest building and although the Empire State Inc. was late to the race, they were determined to construct the largest building in America.  Initially the site was bought and used by several different companies.  It was first used in 1799 as a farm and later a popular hotel and much more.  It went through being sold a few times until the Bethlehem Engineering Corporation sold it to the Empire State Inc.  The Bethlehem Engineering Corp. had plans to construct a twenty-five story building.  This building would have been in the unofficial race to construct the largest building in New York.  The site is on 5th Ave, which is incredible abundant in businesses.  Although great, the Empire State Building was very expensive to build.  Fortunately, the Empire State Inc did not need all 102 floors so they were able to   The Empire State Building serves as both a tourist attraction and as office space since its creation which has helped bring in profits.  Often, floors are rented out by companies, especially broadcasting companies.  This helped Empire State Inc. finally break even in the 1950s, before then there were no profits being made.The Empire State building has many attractions for the public.  Starting at the very top of the building, the roof is the most popular tourist attraction, the Observatory or 102nd floor.  To get here people need to buy tickets but after doing so they get the opportunity to admire the New York skyline.  There is also, for those who pay, the ability to go on the Top Deck, which is an outside deck.  The 86th floor is known as the Main Deck, this is free and what most people think of when they think of visiting the Empire State Building.   For those wanting a more intimate, luxurious experience, a VIP option is available for $175 (per person).  The VIP pass takes a person to the Observatory, gives a free souvenir photo, private elevator, and the freedom to explore all tourist/public areas.  This includes the Lobby, which is a historic landmark, and any exhibitions, which take place on the 2nd and 80th floor.  On the 80th floor is the Dare to Dream exhibition which tells the story of the building.  The exhibition on the 2nd floor is the Sustainability Exhibit which showcases the groundbreaking initiatives in sustainability that the Empire State Building has taken.  Its name derives from New York’s nickname as the Empire State.  This is symbolic as it represents the vast wealth and resources found in the state since its beginning.  The building is meant to symbolize this as well.  When it was just an idea it seemed too good to be true, but it proved to be so much greater than imagined once completed.  New York is and has been proud of this building because it’s a clear display of how often one can find success through hard-work and determination in New York.  The building is important to New York and America not because it is old and broke a record a few times, but rather because it serves as a reminder of the struggle it takes to get to the top. The Empire State building is in the hearts of all New Yorkers and has become special to all Americans.  It also hosts many businesses and therefore preservation of this building is much more important than being an icon for Americans as it is also important for all those who work there.