State Spotlight: New York

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State of New York
New York is wonderful land of opportunity for Travel Nurses!

They say if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere … that’s right, this month’s State Spotlight takes us to New York. Many an American — heck, many a global citizen — dreams of taking a bite out of The Big Apple or rolling through idyllic Upstate. Lucky for Travel Nurses, your career makes spending some time in New York a very real possibility!

Travel Nursing in New York

Statue Of Liberty By Cityscape Against Blue Sky
Visit iconic sites like The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island!

New York is a wonderfully unique state and an absolute wonderland for Travel Nurses. The Empire State has TONS of great job opportunities for Travel Nurses as well as countless chances for adventure and exploration with the many urban and rural activities available throughout the state.

New York state is home to hundreds of hospitals, and, because of its dense population New York City alone is home to more acute care hospitals than many state’s have total within their borders. That includes New York City’s New York-Presbyterian Hospital, which U.S. News & World Report ranked as the #1 hospital in New York, and which is nationally ranked in 14 adult specialties and 10 children’s specialties. Rounding out the top five hospitals in New York are: Mount Sinai Hospital, NYU Langone Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, and Morristown Medical Center — all of which are located in New York City.

Additionally, New York is home to four hospitals — New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital, Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, and Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital — that are ranked in five or more children’s specialties.

U.S. News & World Report also ranked New York the 13th best state for healthcare and the 17th best state overall. New York is the nation’s third-largest economy, buoyed by financial services, health care, and other industries.

As for licensing, New York is not a walk-through state, nor is it a compact state, but it is a NURSYS state! Click here for more info on licensing in New York.

To Do & See in New York

They say the neon lights are brighter ON BROADWAY!

When it comes to what to do and see in New York, the real problem is how can one do it all?! New York City is what first springs to mind for most folks, because of the incredible city’s amazing history, art, culture, and more. On TripAdvisor, the top 10 things to do in NYC based on traveler rankings include: Central Park, The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Top of the Rock Observation Deck, Grand Central Terminal, Broadway, and the Empire State Building.

Some other perennial favorites include visits to Times Square, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, Museum of Modern Art, American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim Museum, Coney Island, and Washington Square Park.

Broadway, as mentioned earlier, is a huge draw for theater fans, but NYC also offers all kinds of great off-Broadway plays and musicals, not to mention amazing music and comedy scenes. Same thing goes for art enthusiasts, who can visit some of the world’s top museums and view classic works, and they can also seek out small, hole in the wall galleries where they can enjoy the works of up and coming artists.

Sports fans will find plenty to do in New York, considering the abundance of teams and games to check out. Some of New York’s pro sports teams include the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, New York Jets, New York Mets, New York Yankees, New York City FCs, New York Rangers, New York Knicks, and so many more! Fans of America’s favorite pastime will want to make the trip to Cooperstown to check out the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Bagels and coffee and cabs, oh my!

Just as New York City is beautifully diverse, New York is home to nearly every kind of cuisine under the sun resulting in a delicious spread of restaurants to choose from. Throughout the state of New York you can dine in some of the world’s fanciest restaurants with world-class chefs at the helm or grab a meal at small-yet-mighty, unforgettable mom and pop eateries — and either way, you’re in for a delicious treat!

New York-style pizza is first on many Travelers’ list when it comes to snagging a slice of the local flavor. NYC is also famous for its cheesecake, Eggs Benedict, Manhattan Clam Chowder, deli-style sandwiches like pastrami on rye, General Tso’s Chicken, bagels, strip steak, and hot dogs. Wash it all down with an ice-cold Manhattan cocktail and you will be living the New York dream.

Famous Upstate foods include Buffalo Wings, Beef on Weck, White Hots, Tomato Pie, Thousand Island dressing, black and white cookies, Peppermint Pig, the Garbage Plate (no really, it’s delicious), salt potatoes, and grape pie.

Outside of NYC, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, White Plains, Utica, Yonkers, Brookhaven, and Islip are some other cool urban areas to check out.

And, if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle, New York is alternately known for its idyllic Upstate areas. One of the country’s most stunning sights, the raging Niagara Falls, is located on the Canada-U.S. border and this is must-see for any Traveler headed to New York!

Niagara Falls is a must-see when travelling to New York!

Nature lovers will also revel in a trip to the scenic Finger Lakes. Iroquois legend says that the long, narrow lakes west of Syracuse were formed by an impression left by the fingers of the Great Spirit. This is a beautiful landscape to drink in and the lakes provide lots of opportunities for getting out on the water. Hikers will want to check out the Cayuga Trails, Seneca Lake Trail, and the Keuka Trail.

When winter comes, Travelers will want to check out Lake Placid, which is the only place in the U.S. ever to host the Winter Olympics twice. It’s known for its great skiing but there is lots of other great winter recreation to be had here.

Thousand Islands is a 50-mile stretch of the St. Lawrence river decorated with thousands of tiny islands. The Adirondacks offer scenic, forested hills with several lakes and all kinds of outdoor adventure like hiking and canoeing. The Adirondacks are also a very popular spot to take in the fall foliage. There’s also Lake George, Watkins Glen State Park, Letchworth State Park, the seaside beauty of Montauk, Mohonk Preserve, Fire Island, the Erie Canalway, Catskills, and sooooo much more!

Big Apple
Take a bite outta The Big Apple!

New York Fast Facts


State Nickname: The Empire State

Capital: Albany

Largest City: New York City

National Parks: 23

State Parks: 180

National Historic and Natural Landmarks: 296

State Motto: “Excelsior” — meaning, “ever upward.”

State Flower: Rose

State Animal: Beaver

New York was the 11th state.

Toilet paper, Teddy Bears, credit cards, Scrabble, the remote control, Kodak cameras, Jello-O, tuxedos, Pacemakers, Pyrex, chicken nuggets, Bloody Marys, typewriters, traffic lights, synthetic penicillin, and, of course, cronuts were all invented in New York.

Oneida, New York is home to the world’s smallest church, which measures 51” x 81”.

One theory states that “The Big Apple” is a term coined by musicians which celebrated playing the big time.

New York has more than 70,000 miles of rivers and streams.

Batter up! Cooperstown, New York is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Dairy is HUGE in New York, which has 18,000+ dairy farms.

If the Titanic had finished its intended journey it would have docked at Chelsea Piers on April 16, 1912.

It’s estimated that more than 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.

Lake Placid, New York is the only American city that has hosted the Winter Olympics twice — in 1932 and 1980.

The country’s first women’s rights convention was hosted in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. Women earned the right to vote in New York in 1917.

Famous folks from New York include Madonna, Mariah Carey, Michael Jordan, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Cyndi Lauper, Arthur Miller, Denzel Washington, Eleanor Roosevelt, Walt Whitman, Lucille Ball, Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Vin Diesel, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Al Pacino, Spike Lee, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, Neil Diamond, Ani Difranco, Jon Stewart, and so many others!

New York’s name was New Amsterdam until 1664 when the English took it over from the Dutch and named it after the Duke of York and Albany.

New York City is home to more than 700 miles of subway lines.

New York City has a larger population than roughly 80% of U.S. States!

Cooperstown, New York is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Fourteen million tourists visit Niagara Falls each year.

Search jobs now to find your dream Travel Nursing gig in New York!