Geography Manhattan

1 geography

1.1 components

1.1.1 manhattan island
1.1.2 marble hill
1.1.3 smaller islands


1.2 geology

1.2.1 bedrock
1.2.2 updated seismic analysis


1.3 locations

1.3.1 adjacent counties
1.3.2 national protected areas
1.3.3 neighborhoods


1.4 climate
1.5 boroughscapes

geography










components

the borough consists of manhattan island, marble hill, , several small islands, including randalls island , wards island, , roosevelt island in east river, , governors island , liberty island south in new york harbor.

according united states census bureau, new york county has total area of 33.6 square miles (87 km), of 22.8 square miles (59 km) land , 10.8 square miles (28 km) (32%) water. northern segment of upper manhattan represents geographic panhandle. manhattan island 22.7 square miles (59 km) in area, 13.4 miles (21.6 km) long , 2.3 miles (3.7 km) wide, @ widest (near 14th street).

manhattan island

manhattan island loosely divided downtown (lower manhattan), midtown (midtown manhattan), , uptown (upper manhattan), fifth avenue dividing manhattan s east , west sides. manhattan island bounded hudson river west , east river east. north, harlem river divides manhattan island bronx , mainland united states.

early in 19th century, landfill used expand lower manhattan natural hudson shoreline @ greenwich street west street. when building world trade center in 1968, 1.2 million cubic yards (917,000 m³) of material excavated site. rather dumping spoil @ sea or in landfills, fill material used expand manhattan shoreline across west street, creating battery park city, result 700-foot (210-m) extension river, running 6 blocks or 1,484 feet (452 m), covering 92 acres (37 ha), providing 1.2-mile (1.9 km) riverfront esplanade , on 30 acres (12 ha) of parks; hudson river park subsequently opened in 1998.

marble hill

one neighborhood of new york county contiguous u.s. mainland. marble hill @ 1 time part of manhattan island, harlem river ship canal, dug in 1895 improve navigation on harlem river, separated remainder of manhattan island between bronx , remainder of manhattan. before world war i, section of original harlem river channel separating marble hill bronx filled in, , marble hill became part of mainland.

marble hill 1 example of how manhattan s land has been considerably altered human intervention. borough has seen substantial land reclamation along waterfronts since dutch colonial times, , of natural variation in topography has been evened out.

smaller islands

in new york harbor, there 3 smaller islands:

ellis island, shared new jersey
governors island
liberty island

other smaller islands, in east river, include (from north south):

randalls , wards islands, joined landfill
mill rock
roosevelt island
u thant island (legally belmont island)

geology
bedrock

manhattan schist outcropping in central park

the bedrock underlying of manhattan mica schist known manhattan schist. strong, competent metamorphic rock created when pangaea formed. suited foundations of tall buildings. in central park, outcrops of manhattan schist occur , rat rock 1 rather large example.

geologically, predominant feature of substrata of manhattan underlying bedrock base of island rises considerably closer surface near midtown manhattan, dips down lower between 29th street , canal street, rises toward surface again in lower manhattan. has been believed depth bedrock primary underlying reason clustering of skyscrapers in midtown , financial district areas, , absence on intervening territory between these 2 areas. however, research has shown economic factors played bigger part in locations of these skyscrapers.

updated seismic analysis

according united states geological survey, updated analysis of seismic hazard in july 2014 revealed lower hazard tall buildings in manhattan assessed. scientists estimated lessened risk based upon lower likelihood thought of slow shaking near new york city, more cause damage taller structures earthquake in vicinity of city.

locations

liberty island exclave of manhattan, of new york city, , of new york state, surrounded new jersey waters


adjacent counties

bergen county, new jersey—west , northwest
hudson county, new jersey—west , southwest
bronx county (the bronx)—north , northeast
queens county (queens)—east
kings county (brooklyn)—south , southeast
richmond county (staten island)—southwest

national protected areas

african burial ground national monument
castle clinton national monument
federal hall national memorial
general grant national memorial
governors island national monument
hamilton grange national memorial
lower east side tenement national historic site
statue of liberty national monument (part)
theodore roosevelt birthplace national historic site

neighborhoods

manhattan s many neighborhoods not named according particular convention. geographical (the upper east side), or ethnically descriptive (little italy). others acronyms, such tribeca (for triangle below canal street ) or soho ( south of houston ), or far more recent vintages nolita ( north of little italy ). , nomad ( north of madison square park ). harlem name dutch colonial era after haarlem, city in netherlands. alphabet city comprises avenues a, b, c, , d, name refers. have simple folkloric names, such hell s kitchen, alongside more official lesser used title (in case, clinton).

view of empire state building southward top of rockefeller center, 1 world trade center in background, @ sunset

some neighborhoods, such soho, mixed use, known upscale shopping residential use. others, such greenwich village, lower east side, alphabet city , east village, have long been associated bohemian subculture. chelsea 1 of several manhattan neighborhoods large gay populations , has become center of both international art industry , new york s nightlife. washington heights primary destination immigrants dominican republic. chinatown has highest concentration of people of chinese descent outside of asia. koreatown bounded 6th , madison avenues, between 31st , 33rd streets, hangul (한글) signage ubiquitous. rose hill features growing number of indian restaurants , spice shops along stretch of lexington avenue between 25th , 30th streets has become known curry hill.

in manhattan, uptown means north (more precisely north-northeast, direction island , street grid system oriented) , downtown means south (south-southwest). usage differs of american cities, downtown refers central business district. manhattan has 2 central business districts, financial district @ southern tip of island, , midtown manhattan. term uptown refers northern part of manhattan above 72nd street , downtown southern portion below 14th street, midtown covering area in between, though definitions can rather fluid depending on situation.

fifth avenue bisects manhattan island , acts demarcation line east/west designations (e.g., east 27th street, west 42nd street); street addresses start @ fifth avenue , increase heading away fifth avenue, @ rate of 100 per block on streets. south of waverly place, fifth avenue terminates , broadway becomes east/west demarcation line. though grid start 1st street, north of houston street (the southernmost street divided in west , east portions; pronounced how-stin), grid not take hold until north of 14th street, east-west streets numerically identified, increase south north 220th street, highest numbered street on island. streets in midtown one-way, few exceptions being busiest cross-town thoroughfares (14th, 23rd, 34th, , 42nd streets, example), bidirectional across width of manhattan island. rule of thumb odd-numbered streets run west, while even-numbered streets run east.

climate

under köppen climate classification, using 0 °c (32 °f) isotherm, new york city features humid subtropical climate (cfa), , northernmost major city on north american continent categorization. suburbs immediate north , west lie in transitional zone between humid subtropical , humid continental climates (dfa). city averages 234 days @ least sunshine annually. city lies in usda 7b plant hardiness zone.

winters cold , damp, , prevailing wind patterns blow offshore temper moderating effects of atlantic ocean; yet atlantic , partial shielding colder air appalachians keep city warmer in winter inland north american cities @ similar or lesser latitudes such pittsburgh, cincinnati, , indianapolis. daily mean temperature in january, area s coldest month, 32.6 °f (0.3 °c); temperatures drop 10 °f (−12 °c) several times per winter, , reach 60 °f (16 °c) several days in coldest winter month. spring , autumn unpredictable , can range chilly warm, although mild low humidity. summers typically warm hot , humid, daily mean temperature of 76.5 °f (24.7 °c) in july. nighttime conditions exacerbated urban heat island phenomenon, while daytime temperatures exceed 90 °f (32 °c) on average of 17 days each summer , in years exceed 100 °f (38 °c). extreme temperatures have ranged −15 °f (−26 °c), recorded on february 9, 1934, 106 °f (41 °c) on july 9, 1936.

summer evening temperatures elevated urban heat island effect, causes heat absorbed during day radiated @ night, raising temperatures as 7 °f (4 °c) when winds slow. manhattan receives 49.9 inches (1,270 mm) of precipitation annually, relatively evenly spread throughout year. average winter snowfall between 1981 , 2010 has been 25.8 inches (66 cm); varies considerably year year.

boroughscapes


ten-mile manhattan panorama 120th street battery, taken june 2017 weehawken, new jersey.






the skyline of midtown manhattan, looking downtown (south) toward lower manhattan, in april 2017




view of lower manhattan @ sunset, jersey city, new jersey. 1 world trade center, @ center, tallest skyscraper in western hemisphere. (november 2014)

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