NYC Basics
The Basics - Navigating NYC
New York City has five boroughs—the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island—that are linked by a series of bridges, tunnels and ferries. Manhattan is an island; the Bronx is north of Manhattan and is the only borough that is attached to the mainland; Queens and Brooklyn are on the western tip of Long Island, which stretches east into the Atlantic Ocean.
Streets in Manhattan (which is only 13.4 miles long and 2.3 miles wide at its widest) run east-west and ascend in number order going north from Houston Street. Below Houston, streets are (confusingly) named.
Midtown is Manhattan’s business district (Wall Street is the Financial District). Downtown (any street below 14th Street) contains Greenwich Village, SoHo, TriBeCa and world famous Wall Street. The phrase "downtown" can also mean south of wherever you happen to be (street numbers decrease), while "uptown" (street numbers increase) refers to all points north.Â
Roughly 20 north-south blocks equals 1 mile, important to know if you are thinking of walking as opposed to using the subway or a cab.
Sixth Avenue was also named Avenue of the Americas and both terms are used, also causing confusion for visitors, but either term is understood.
There you have it, the basics of navigating  NYC in a nutshell.Â
