New York City

Set on the Hudson River, New York's trailblazing modernity and high-octane spirit is far-reaching, indubitably famous and renders curious outsiders immediately star-struck. A city simultaneously synonymous with the tenets of power, fashion, culture and food, New York is unsurprisingly packed with superlatives. No other city is quite like it, and even a day spent here is full of enriching experiences. It is one of the most important global capitals, one of America's cultural meccas and a powerhouse of finance and political influence. After changing hands many times between Dutch (who called it New Amsterdam) and British, New York became the central operating outpost for English forces. When the Revolutionary War came to a close, New York was designated as the current capital of the newfound nation. What began as a small settlement on the very tip of the Manhattan peninsula soon boomed into a significant source of trade and culture, with a massive surge of immigrants passing through its ports and making their homes in this rapidly diversifying city. Today, New York is still as important as ever, the most populous city in America and a major destination for tourists from around the world. With profoundly iconic destinations like Central Park, the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Statue of Liberty, Broadway Theater and the Empire State Building, New York is the quintessential capital of cool.