Why is the main idea of this section Arguably the most famous city on the planet, New York City is the most populous city in the United States and sits at the heart of the biggest metropolitan area in the whole world. A major global power city and generally regarded as the cultural, commercial, financial, and media capital of the world, New York City covers an area of over 460 square miles and has a population of over 8.6 million people, with over 20 million living in the surrounding metro area. CDC information for travelers. Hours/availability may have changed.