| New York is still the gateway to business in the | | | | up a special task force looking into the fraudulent |
| United States. It is home of New York City, the | | | | issuing of home mortgages. The task force is |
| nation�s largest city and financial center, | | | | looking to directly solicit input from community |
| with a population of over 8 million, out of a | | | | and advocacy groups and industry |
| state-wide population of over 18.5 million. Some | | | | representatives as it designs initiatives to combat |
| people just can�t avoid getting their New | | | | predatory lending and mortgage fraud. They also |
| York Incorporation, if only to show they have an | | | | want to help people purchasing their first home, |
| address in the Big Apple. | | | | and to keep the homes that they have |
| However, there is a lot more to the state. New | | | | purchased. This includes home refinancing |
| York�s agricultural production is significant | | | | programs. |
| in dairy products, apples and other fruits and | | | | In New York City, in the borough of Queens, you |
| vegetables. The south shore of Lake Ontario is | | | | can still find the world�s biggest globe, |
| known for its fruit orchards including apple, cherry, | | | | from the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. Its |
| plum, pear and peach orchards. Apples are also | | | | diameter is 120 feet. Twelve stories tall, weighing |
| grown in the Hudson Valley and near Lake | | | | 700,000 pounds, it is known as the Unisphere, and |
| Champlain. The south shore of Lake Erie and the | | | | is made of stainless steel. |
| southern Finger Lakes hillsides have many | | | | Buffalo, at the western end of the state, is the |
| vineyards. New York's wine and grape industry is | | | | second largest city, with a population of almost |
| a major industry and a producer of wines known | | | | 300,000, and 1.1 million including its metropolitan |
| throughout the world, especially its signature | | | | area. Although the old steel plants have closed, |
| Concord grapes and wines. The state produces | | | | there are still some smaller steel mills. Some car |
| about 200 million bottles of wine a year, second | | | | manufacturers still maintain facilities in Buffalo and |
| to California. | | | | nearby Tonawanda. In the 21st century, Buffalo |
| There is still industry including, printing, machinery | | | | has become a center for biological and human |
| and chemical products. The state also has a large | | | | genome research, including work by researchers |
| manufacturing sector that includes printing and the | | | | at the University at Buffalo and the Roswell Park |
| production of garments. Upstate, the Rochester | | | | Cancer Institute. Buffalo is the headquarters of |
| area is important in photographic equipment and | | | | M&T Bank, and HSBC Bank USA also has major |
| imaging. New York City is the leading center of | | | | operations in Buffalo from the time it merged |
| banking, finance and communication in the United | | | | with the former Marine Midland Bank. |
| States and is the location of the New York Stock | | | | And of course, there is a lot of tourism, both to |
| Exchange, the largest stock exchange in the | | | | New York City and upstate. In fact, at the |
| world by dollar volume. | | | | western end of New York State is the famous |
| Being a leading financial center can lead to special | | | | Niagara Falls, one of the wonders of the world, |
| problems as well. The Governor has recently set | | | | between the Great Lakes. |