In Brief - New York

TIME ZONE: Eastern
AREA CODES: 929/718/347/917 646/212
FOUNDED: 1624
POPULATION: 8,175,133
AIRPORT: LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
WEBSITE: www.nycgo.com

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BY THE NUMBERS

22 percent of the world’s gold bullion that’s held in the Federal Reserve Bank on Wall Street

5.2 million people ride the MTA subway on an average weekday

23,500 approximate number of restaurants in the city at any one time

45,103 number of runners who finished the 2010 New York City Marathon (247 dropped out)

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NEWS FLASH

Moving Mountains /// Mountaintop, the newest addition to Broadway (which debuted last month), stars Samuel L. Jackson as Martin Luther King, Jr. Be one of the first to catch his moving portrayal of the famous Civil Rights activist on the last day of his life. www.themountaintopplay.com

Past is Present /// After a three-year-long closure for renovations, the New York Historical Society reopens this month, and it looks downright futuristic. It now sports an Italian eatery, a children’s history museum and the Robert H. and Claire Smith gallery, which exhibits American history as seen through the eyes of New York. www.nyhistory.org

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CULTURE CALENDAR

Nov. 6
NEW YORK CITY MARATHON
Sure, running the marathon is tough, but not half as hard as securing a great vantage point along the race route to watch this suffer-fest. Sharpen your elbows, dress for the fall chill and join the cheering throngs. The annual race loops through all five boroughs on its way to the finish line in Central Park. www.nycmarathon.org

Nov. 9-13
NEW YORK COMEDY FESTIVAL
Find yourself LOL-ing at this eighth annual comedy fest. As always, the lineup features some of the world’s top comedians, including Bill Maher, Wanda Sykes, Ricky Gervais and Sarah Silverman. www.nycomedyfestival.com