Numerous entrepreneurs either come from or live and work in New York City. These are examples of just three who are famous throughout the world.

Josephine Esther Mentzer—Estée Lauder—was born in Queens, New York in 1946 and learned assertive selling techniques, promotion of quality in products, attention to the appearance of the product, and perfectionism from helping in her father’s hardware store. She acquired her skills in producing lotions and skin creams from an uncle who was a famous European skin specialist. As his apprentice, she helped him develop new products using natural ingredients.

She married Joseph Lauder and they founded Estée Lauder, Inc. in 1946. The initial beauty products they created were skin treatments, rouge, and makeup. Advertising agencies didn’t want the account with its budget of only $50,000. The Lauders decided to provide samples to those attending fashion shows and through mailings. It worked well to establish their company. By 1973 they had sales of $100,000 and employed 1,000+ people. Sales of cosmetics and fragrances by Estée Lauder became international by 1960.

When most people think of the fashion industry, they think about New York. The fashion industry is a vital part of New York City. The city has more headquarters of fashion retailers and designers than any other city in the country. The city is at the center of American fashion offering large pools of unmatched talent. New York is home to more than 75 leading fashion shows and thousands of showrooms. New York attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. The nation’s leading fashion schools are also located in New York.

The fashion industry emerged in New York City in the 1800’s, when the city was a hub of clothing manufacturing activity. Now the industry is the most prominent sector in New York. It is one of the small numbers of industries that compel considerable wholesale activity, direct employment and visitor spending. New York City has always been the preeminent capital of global fashion and serves as the headquarters to more than 875 fashion companies and hosts one of the four major biannual fashion weeks.

New York shopping is a popular and a dearly loved pastime for both visitors and residents. There are enough retail stores to keep even the most devoted shoppers extremely busy. New York City is a Mecca for discerning fashionistas and clothing connoisseurs. The city has an undeniable appeal for shoppers from around the globe. In New York, when it comes to shopping your options are limitless, it is a shopper’s paradise.

The retail industry in the United States is vast. More than 14 million individuals are employed by retailers. That is more than 12 percent of the entire workforce. In the United States, there are over 1 million retail businesses currently in operation with a total of 4.7 trillion dollars in sales.

New York City is arguably the fashion capital of the world. The retail industry based there generates over 13 million dollars in sales, annually. From sales clerks to warehouse workers, there are over 270,000 New Yorkers, who work in retail establishments. This figure excludes drinking and eating establishments. The sector accounts for approximately 7.6 percent of the city’s total employment. In New York, you will find many of the best retail stores in the world. It is an amazing place for shopping.

Central Park is an 843 acre public green space that is situated in the very center of Manhattan. It sits on public land owned by the city and is designated as a National Historic Landmark. Despite this designation, the park is not primarily funded by the government or staffed by civil employees. It is instead primarily funded and staffed through the Central Park Conservancy. The Conservancy is a non-profit organization that is responsible for contributing roughly 85% of the yearly budget to maintain Central Park. The Conservancy also employs nearly 80% of the park’s staff.

History

Central Park was not originally a part of the development scheme of New York City. In the early 1800s, the population of the city was not expected to expand so fast as to necessitate a designated public park space. However, the population explosion in New York of the mid-1800s led to a growing need for an open public space where people could escape the noise and chaos of city life. In 1853, the state legislature set aside 700 acres of land for use as the new grand park space of New York City. This was due primarily to extensive lobbying by wealthy New York City residents and many articles written on the subject in the New York Post. This led to the creation of the Central Park Commission that would be in charge of the park’s development.

New York City is known as the cultural epicenter of the western world. There are more artists here than can be found in nearly any other city in the world. As such, it stands to reason that there would be many different museums and libraries here. There are some museums and libraries that are almost a necessity in the itinerary of any visit to New York City.

The Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museum is one of the most famous museums in the world and is renowned as one of the most significant buildings in New York City. The New York City branch of the Guggenheim, in Manhattan, is only one of many branches around the world. They carry everything here from film exhibits to modern art exhibits. The Guggenheim opened in 1959 and was designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

If you have ever wondered about the cleanliness standards of your local burger joint, deli or pizza parlor you will be pleased to know you can now check before heading out to eat, although you may wish you were still innocently oblivious.

Every year the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene makes surprise checks on each restaurant in the New York City area, including Manhattan’s Chelsea, Midtown and Theatre Districts, to ensure their sanitation standards are of an acceptable level. Each dining establishment is then rated from an A to C grade by the New York City Department of Health inspectors.

We would certainly advise you check the interactive NYTimes restaurant ratings map before eating anywhere in New York, as it shows how many violations each restaurant has committed along with information on dining establishments with pest or insect infestations! The restaurant ratings map is updated every couple of weeks so you can keep an eye on what’s going on in your neighborhood and you can search by cuisine, grade and violation type.

The New York City Health Department inspectors check a number of issues, including food temperature, food handling and personal hygiene of staff, pest control and improper use of chemicals. Each restaurant is then given a letter grade that corresponds to the level they have been judged at, along with a description of any violations.

According to the The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, violations fall into three different categories, public health hazards, critical violations and general violations. Public health hazards are given a minimum of seven points and a restaurant may be closed down by the Health Department until the issue is resolved. A critical violation is given a minimum of five points and a general violation will receive a minimum of two points.

References: NYTimes and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Cycling is closely associated with New York, and it has been for several decades. For some of us cycling is a relaxing activity for the weekend, for others it provides much needed exercise, while some simply refuse to commute to work using any other form of transport.

New York City has a wide range of specialized bicycle shops, and the staff are usually well informed and helpful. Before you hit the street on your two-wheeled friend, make sure you know the NYC Traffic Rules and Regulations and get yourself a copy of the NYC cycling map, available from any bike shop across the city.

The stats have shown that commuter cycling has been on the increase in New York, with an estimated 35% increase from year 2007/2008. Whether for environmental or practical reasons, cycling levels doubled in the last 6 years.