<P> Manhattan is often described as the cultural , financial , media , and entertainment capital of the world , and the borough hosts the United Nations Headquarters . Anchored by Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan , New York City has been called both the most economically powerful city and the leading financial center of the world , and Manhattan is home to the world 's two largest stock exchanges by total market capitalization : the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ . Many multinational media conglomerates are based in Manhattan , and the borough has been the setting for numerous books , films , and television shows . Manhattan is historically documented to have been purchased by Dutch colonists from Native Americans in 1626 for 60 guilders , which equals US $1050 today . Manhattan real estate has since become among the most expensive in the world , with the value of Manhattan Island , including real estate , estimated to exceed US $3 trillion in 2013 ; median residential property sale prices in Manhattan exceeded US $1,500 per square foot ( $16,000 / m ) as of 2017 , and Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan commands the highest retail rents in the world , at US $3,000 per square foot ( $32,000 / m ) in 2017 . </P>
<P> Manhattan is often described as the cultural , financial , media , and entertainment capital of the world , and the borough hosts the United Nations Headquarters . Anchored by Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan , New York City has been called both the most economically powerful city and the leading financial center of the world , and Manhattan is home to the world 's two largest stock exchanges by total market capitalization : the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ . Many multinational media conglomerates are based in Manhattan , and the borough has been the setting for numerous books , films , and television shows . Manhattan is historically documented to have been purchased by Dutch colonists from Native Americans in 1626 for 60 guilders , which equals US $1050 today . Manhattan real estate has since become among the most expensive in the world , with the value of Manhattan Island , including real estate , estimated to exceed US $3 trillion in 2013 ; median residential property sale prices in Manhattan exceeded US $1,500 per square foot ( $16,000 / m ) as of 2017 , and Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan commands the highest retail rents in the world , at US $3,000 per square foot ( $32,000 / m ) in 2017 . </P>
how much did the us pay for manhattan island
how much did the us pay for manhattan island
60 guilders , which equals US $1050 today
60 guilders , which equals US $1050 today