n.
Borough (pop., 2000: 1,537,195) of New York City , southeastern New York, U.S. It includes all of Manhattan island and three smaller islands in the East River .
Bounded by the Hudson River , Harlem River, East River, and Upper New York Bay, it is said to have been purchased by Peter Minuit in 1626 from the Manhattan Indians with trinkets valued at 60 guilders. Incorporated as New Amsterdam in 1653, it was obtained by Britain in 1664 and renamed New York City. In 1898 Manhattan was chartered as one of five boroughs making up Greater New York. It is one of the world's great commercial, financial, and cultural centres. Among its many points of interest are Central Park , the Empire State Building , the site of the former World Trade Center , the United Nations headquarters, Wall Street , the Metropolitan Museum of Art , the Museum of Modern Art , Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall , Columbia University , the Juilliard School , and New York University.