It's not hard to see why so many people (over 8 million in the city's five boroughs) choose to live in New York City when you consider its central role in the United States, in aspects such as culture and business, and well beyond. From Wall Street to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) to Broadway, the city draws countless tourists each year and captures the imagination of people around the world.

More than a tourist destination, however, the city also provides rich opportunities for the many students seeking an education there each year. The first university in the city was Columbia University. Founded as King's College in 1754 by the royal charter of King George II of England, Columbia is in fact the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, and the fifth oldest in the United States. Today the Ivy League school remains one of the top academic and research institutions in the world. New York University was founded in 1831, and it is now the largest private, non-profit university in the country. It has five major centers in Manhattan and other branch campuses and programs around the world that composes its 14 schools, colleges and divisions. The City University of New York (CUNY) consists of 23 institutions including 11 senior college, six community colleges and numerous graduate schools and professional studies programs. Adult students there will find themselves in the company of more than 230,000 other adult, continuing and professional education students. The list of fine institutions goes on and on with universities and colleges such as Fordham University, Long Island University, Pace University, The New School and St. John's University, just to name a few.

Aside from the excellent universities available, NYC also provides a rich atmosphere for extracurricular studies. The New York Public Library, for instance, consists of 86 libraries throughout the city including four research libraries, a large network of neighborhood branch libraries, four central libraries with in-depth subject collections and a library for the blind and physically handicapped.

Obviously New York is known for Broadway and its impressive offerings of musicals and plays as well as the variety of other theater, dance and musical performances available throughout the city. NYC's museums are also some of the most revered in the world. A few examples only begin to express the diversity:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Founded in 1870, the Met (as it is popularly known) was a joint project between some of the leading artists and thinkers of the day and a group of businessmen and financiers. They sought to create a museum that would bring the American people art and art education. The collection started with a mere 174 paintings that originated from three private European collections. Looking back today with more than 3 million art objects and more than 5 million visitors a day, it's easy to appreciate the museum's progress and growth. These millions of pieces represent almost every corner of the Earth and span a period of 5,000 years. We suggest a map.

Museum of Modern Art
Yoshio Taniguchi designed the new building for the MoMA (as seemingly everyone calls the Museum of Modern Art). The 630,000-square-foot museum has a story of humble beginnings similar to that of the Met. An initial donation of eight prints and one drawing in 1929 have grown to more than 150,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, drawings, models and design objects. The museum also features a world-renowned collection of 22,000 films and 4 million film stills as well as extensive individual files on more than 70,000 artists. MoMA.org states that "The Museum of Modern Art seeks to create a dialogue between the established and the experimental, the past and the present, in an environment that is responsive to the issues of modern and contemporary art, while being accessible to a public that ranges from scholars to young children." ( http://www.moma.org/about_moma/ )

American Museum of Natural History
Central to many of the advances in the natural sciences since its founding in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History offers visitors and students alike a vast range of educational possibilities. Wander the fossil halls that contain more than 600 specimens and marvel at the famous dinosaur skeletons that have amazed so many. Consider the heavens in the Hall of Meteorites or contemplate the depths in the Hall of Ocean Life. These are just a few of the permanent collections that are regularly augmented with other exhibits. If you have children, they'll love the museum's many hands-on and interactive displays.

Guggenheim Museum
Founded in 1939 as the Museum of Non-Objective painting, this unique museum had its roots in the radical new art forms of the day including the work of Vasily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Piet Mondrian among other artists. The museum's sloping ramps were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright to give visitors an organic, flowing experience while enjoying the artwork. Thus the design of the museum fits with the unique artwork it displays.

When you need a break from your studies and aren't in the mood for a museum or the theater, NYC also contains an impressive collection of relaxing parks and beautiful gardens. You'll likely be surprised to find out how green New York really is with over a quarter of the city dedicated to parks and open space. The city is home to more than 750 different native plant and animal species.

Central Park
Probably the most famous of all parks, Central Park is actually only the fifth largest park in the city. There's plenty to do however in this impressive 834 acres in Manhattan. The park features a zoo, carousel, skating rink, theater, lake, pond, reservoir, castle, gardens, fountains, food, tours and various special events.

The New York Botanical Garden
For students interested in gardening or horticulture, you'll definitely want to spend time at the New York Botanical Garden. Not only does it feature one of the world's greatest plant collections, it also functions as the region's leading educational center for gardening and horticulture. Forest-lovers will be delighted to find a 50-acre tract of the original trees that covered the area now occupied by the Big Apple. More than 48 garden and plant collections, a waterfall, wetlands and ponds are just a few of the other attractions.

The Cloisters Museum
While technically part of the Met, we put this fascinating museum in the garden category due to its impressive collections of gardens. Its medieval herb garden, for instance, contains more than 250 species displayed in a stunning setting of pink-and-white marble columns. Other gardens were created to match medieval works of art such as tapestries or stained glass windows or poems. The museum itself is dedicated to the art and architecture of medieval Europe and features impressive collections dating from the 12th to the 15th centuries.

Resources:
(New York Public Library: http://www.nypl.org/ )

(MoMA: http://www.moma.org/ )

(America Museum of Natural History: http://www.amnh.org/ )

Sources:
( http://www.new-york-travel-services.com/ )

( http://www.whatsontheplanet.com )