Living in New York City is more magical than a fantasy because the whole city has something interesting to offer everyone.

Visiting NYC is almost like going to 10 different countries because of its diversity. In 2010, more than 40 percent of the city’s population was foreign-born.

The five largest countries of origin are the Dominican Republic, China, Jamaica, Poland and Russia. There are also a few dominant sub-cultures throughout NYC which are Chinatown, Little Italy and Little India.

This city is by far the most populous city in the United States, with over 8.2 million people.

I visited the city last year, and truth be told, I was a bit reluctant to go there. I had heard so many bad things about the city and its inhabitants. I was even told if I went, I would get shot in Bronx or in Times Square.

Nevertheless, I was brave enough and I decided I needed to try something new.

There are four things I loved about NYC.

If you enjoy performing arts, then Lincoln Center is the perfect place for you. It is the world’s largest performing arts center, and home to the New York City Opera, New York City Ballet and New York Philharmonic. New Yorkers and tourists visit the center on a regular basis because it has more than 25 indoor and outdoor performance facilities. There is a performance every day and tickets usually cost less than $25. Although weekday events are not very popular, they are very well-organized and intimate. Rockefeller Center Skating Rink is a popular landmark in NYC, especially during wintertime. From November until April, guests can experience this tradition every day. Although $20 was a bit much for one session, I enjoyed skating for 90 minutes. Visiting the skating rink is a lot of fun because you get to see novice skaters when they fall on their butts every two minutes. It is hilarious. The only advice I would give a new guest is to take his or her own ice skates. The center does offer ice skate rentals, but $9 was too much. Bars in NYC are extremely popular because of their happy hours. Usually every bar in town will have a happy hour between 5-9 p.m. Unlike here in Los Angeles, NYC happy hours have domestic bottles, well drinks and pints of Heineken and Dos Equis for just $2.50. If you like ice-cold margaritas, then you will love paying only $3.50 during happy hour. Last year I went to Bar 13 on 13th Street, and they had the best mixed drinks ever. Who knows what they were called or what they had in them, but they were cheap and delicious. If someone would have wanted to screw me over, that would have been their opportunity. Thank God no one did anything to me. Music is everywhere in NYC, no matter what time of the day it is. However, jazz is what NYC is known for. Last year, I saw the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra play at the Village Vanguard, which is a jazz club.The tickets are less than $20, and you usually get a $5 coupon for your next visit. The staff there is very nice, and sometimes they even dance with the guests. I remember as soon as I told someone I was from California, everyone wanted to dance with me. I did not know how to dance jazz when I arrived to the club, but when I left I was an expert.