New York City

 New York City 

Location: American Union

Population: 755 million

Gravity: 1g New York City began as the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam in 1624. After being taken by the British, it served as the capital of the new United States of America for a short time after the American Revolution.

New York City has continued to maintain its status as one of the most important cities in the solar system into the 25th century. Because almost all of the city's boundaries are situated on islands that were completely covered in urban development and there was little desire to pave over Central Park, most of the population lives underground. Every building is equipped with moisture condensers that can gather and purify water from the atmosphere, part of which is also sent underground to supplement aquifers and desalinated water from the harbor above.

The street grid of Manhattan is little changed from its 21st century form, but the extensive public transportation system has allowed for many streets to be closed to traffic in favor of keeping cars and buses along the wide north-south avenues. Subway stations and many of the trains are connected to the underground developments, with housing extending from the platforms to make use of all available space. This has led to the stations becoming miniature malls, filled with stores and food vendors. While underground lighting attempts to mimic the tint of the sun, those who spend too long underground become extremely pale and suffer from Vitamin D deficiency if not countered.