New York City

New York City, often referred to simply as "New York," is the largest and most densely populated city in both the State of New York and the United States of America.

Geography
New York City is located in the southeast corner of New York State. The city is further divided into a series of smaller districts called 'boroughs.' Although the boroughs are generally not referenced by name, there are exceptions: for example, James's parents are confirmed to live in Manhattan specifically.

Bachelorette Party (Determinant)
In a premium flashback, you can play as Aisha to see her strangest courier job of all time. After being asked to run a delivery for Priya Lacroix, she arrives at Priya's mansion and is let in by a houseboy. Priya arrives and propositions Aisha before sending her to the Shrike. She meets The Baron, who attempts to feed her to his guards once she completes her delivery. Aisha then escapes back to the streets of New York. Several weeks later, Priya calls her and invites her back to play, although Aisha does not accept.

When Main Character and her friends say good-bye to each other at the airport, they promise to see each other soon. Aisha Bhatt invites them to stay in her apartment in New York, since she made a lot of money from the Norwegians.

Bloodbound
New York's vampire history began when Gaius Augustine brought his followers to North America to escape widespread hunting in Europe. Vampires aided the colonies during the American Revolutionary War in exchange for the right to live as a "shadow kingdom," operating in secret alongside human cities.

After several centuries of living in secrecy, Gaius became tired of hiding and developed a plan to destroy humanity, giving vampires true dominion over the earth. His plan was twofold: first, keep a select few humans (only enough to support the vampire population) in a near-vegetative state to harvest their blood, and second, release a plaque known as the "reaper virus" to wipe out the rest of the human race. Unable to accept Gaius's plan, Adrian, Kamilah, Vega, Lester, Priya, and the Baron joined together to subdue Gaius and contain him in the Onyx Sarcophagus.

In order to keep the peace, Gaius's followers set up a system of government in which each of them ruled one clan of vampires. This allowed them to monitor the New York vampire population and hold one another accountable for group decisions. Adam Vega later tried to frame Adrian for the feral vampire outbreak so he would be executed, leaving his Council seat open. However, Adrian is rescued and Vega dies in the battle, leading Jax to take over Vega's spot after the New York Council Meeting.

Gaius later returns and attacks the council, killing the Baron (and later Lester) and forcing Your Character and your friends to flee New York in search of a way to kill Gaius. By the time you return, Gaius has come out of hiding, most of New York lies in ruins, and the human population has been evacuated.

Gaius's and Priya's forces perform a raid and take many members of the former Shadow Den prisoner, demanding your surrender as ransom. During the battle, Priya is possibly killed. Your group decides to pretend to cooperate and turn Gaius's own trap into an ambush, but he predicts your plan. In the climactic battle, you are stabbed but manage to stake Gaius, transforming him into a tree and freeing New York from his control.

In Book 3, Your Character comes back to life several days later and finds the city in a chaotic state. The group is given a few days to get things back under control when Bishop and his group of the Unchained emerges. Your group succeeds, nevertheless, and Bishop is killed by Rheya Apostolous when she returns. In Chapter 7, you all visit Times Square with Rheya and notice that reconstruction is underway. "Times Square Spider-Man" and the "Naked Cowboy" (a musician performing in his underwear since the late 1990s ) are performing as usual, and Your Character points to a billboard for the Broadway show Phantom of the Opera.

Rheya quickly becomes a celebrated member of the New York social and political elite, taking point on efforts to convince New Yorkers that it is safe to return to the city. She is quickly given her own mansion before it is revealed that she is using the human and vampire residents of the city to seek even greater power and elevate herself to godhood. You and your friends flee the city, returning after the Battle at the South Pacific Island. You confront her, and she kills either Jax or Lily before you are able to kill her.

After Rheya's death, you and your friends go public about the existence of vampires. A Vampire-Human Relations Committee is formed (of which Adrian becomes Chairman) to help establish the relationship between the two species, including passing the Vampire Rights Act. Either Jax founds a youth center for vampires and humans to learn martial arts together, or one is founded in his memory. Synthetic Blood Bars are common, and interspecies romantic relationships proliferate. BLOODBOUND, a movie apparently based on the events of the books, is under production in Hollywood. Ultimately, the city is able to find a new equilibrium in which vampires and humans coexist, with neither species having power over the other.

The Freshman
During Your Character's summer break, you and your friends go on a road trip to visit one another. After rendezvousing with James in upstate New York, your group goes to New York City to visit James's friend Teddy for his stand-up comedy set and to go clubbing. Your evening is cut short when Zack has a panic attack, and you leave to meet Kaitlyn in Texas the next day.

The Heist: Monaco
At the beginning of The Heist: Monaco, you and your crew are working a job in New York City. You are robbing pharmaceutical mogul Barrett Carlisle, known for grossly overcharging patients for vital medications. You break into Carlisle's Manhattan high rise in order to steal a million-dollar diamond from his safe.

Although you quickly gain access to the diamond, your partner, Ansel, tells you that Carlisle is returning unexpectedly. You improvise an escape, and your crew heads to one of Rye's nearby safe houses in Brooklyn. When you reach the safe house, you realize Ansel has betrayed the crew. Eris slows down the police with explosives, giving you and Rye the chance to escape. You flee the country, while Eris is arrested and Ansel becomes famous and successful as an ex-thief.

Several years later, you return to NYC to recruit Niles Edison for your crew.

Hot Couture
New York is the primary setting of Hot Couture, where Your Character (Hot Couture) works for Hazel Boutique.

The Nanny Affair
In The Nanny Affair, Your Character begins working as a nanny under Sam Dalton, caring for his/her young sons Mickey and Mason. The Daltons live in New York City and you visit a variety of locations while in Sam's employ. In Chapter 7, you can take a premium choice to visit Coney Island with the boys. During the company picnic in Central Park, the twins say that they can see their apartment from the park, suggesting that the Daltons live in Manhattan.

Perfect Match
Both Your Character and your cousin, Nadia, live in New York City, although you live in Brooklyn and Nadia in Manhattan. Your friend Damien also lives in New York City, where he runs a PI business.

It is in New York where Nadia is first referred to Eros Matchmaking, meets Steve, and later suggests that you try the service. You go to Eros's New York office to complete your testing and are eventually matched with Hayden. The two of you bond quickly and go on dates in various places around the city. Eventually, you, Hayden, Steve, and Nadia go upstate to visit his father. You get into a car accident, after which Steve disappears and Hayden begins acting erratically.

Distraught by Steve's apparent abandonment of her, Nadia demands that you all investigate Eros. Although somewhat skeptical, You and Damien agree to help. Soon, Hayden's condition worsens and (s)he falls into what appears to be a coma during dinner at the apartment (s)he shares with Sloane. When you attempt to visit Hayden in the hospital only to find that (s)he is missing, you become desperate and break into Eros's offices. You meet Sloane there and find out that she actually works for Eros but is attempting to help Hayden escape.

She reveals that Hayden and Steve are both "Matches," hyper-sophisticated androids that can pass for human beings. She fears that Eros will erase Hayden's program due to the damage it sustained and repurpose the android body. The five of you hide in Damien's office temporarily before you flee the country.

You eventually return to the East Coast to stop Eros from assassinating President Vera Thompson. You succeed in saving the president, and Keegan establishes an order of surviving Matches in the wake of Eros being disbanded. After Eros's defeat, you and your friends continue to live in New York City. Khaan also states that he plans to move there with his son.

Platinum
After Your Character is signed for a record deal with OverKnight records, you move to New York City to begin your career. The company sets you up with an apartment in the city and studio time with Micah, an up-and-coming producer. You also collaborate with Avery and Raleigh, attending glamorous events such as the MoDA gala and performing for large crowds.

Your best friend Shane also moves to New York, leaving slightly before you do to pursue a film degree. Despite being in the same city, your rising star status puts pressure on your friendship, potentially causing Shane to distance himself from you for some time after you miss his directorial debut.

After your disastrous performance at the Vinyl Awards, Ellis Knight sends you away from New York City to wait out the media frenzy. You return to your hometown but keep up with the situation in New York to some extent by watching what your friends are doing on TV news and the radio.

Queen B
Your Character (Queen B) attends Belvoire University which is described as "New York City's most exclusive college".

Red Carpet Diaries
In Book 2, Your Character arrives home from Russia to find that your street is closed off for filming, part of Viktor Montmartre's campaign to harass you. Victoria offers to fly you out to New York to visit her while she's filming. If you take the premium choice, you spend a night relaxing and exploring New York with her. You go to a number of places around the city, including a Moroccan restaurant and a dive bar where the two of you sing karaoke, and then return home.

The Royal Romance
Your Character is originally from New York City. Your life in New York is generally unfulfilling with a waitressing job at a bar that you dislike. At the beginning of Book 1, you agree to cover a shift for your friend Daniel so that he can go on a date. While serving a bachelor party, you meet Drake, Maxwell, Tariq, and Liam.

You immediately strike up a rapport with Liam, who asks for a recommendation for a bar to finish up the evening. You suggest either a trendy club or a secluded beach, and Liam invites you to join the bachelor party. As the other men relax, you and Liam slip away, and he reveals that he is the crown prince of Cordonia, come to New York to celebrate his bachelor party before he returns home to get engaged.

Later, you have the option to take Liam to see the Statue of Liberty, calling in a favor to gain late night access to Liberty Island. You cite a "Ramen Noodle Incident" in college as an explanation. You and Liam bond for a time, and you have the opportunity to kiss him. You part ways not expecting to see him again, but as you are leaving for work the next day, Maxwell shows up and invites you to come to Cordonia to compete for Liam's hand on behalf of House Beaumont, which you accept.

You don't return to New York City until the end of Book 2, when Liam and Madeleine's engagement tour makes a stop in New York. They complete a number of diplomatic obligations, including attending a party at the UN. You find Tariq in LA and clear your name, causing Liam to break off his engagement. He then takes you back to the Statue of Liberty and proposes to you. Later, you have the opportunity to visit Coney Island with your friends.

Save the Date
New York is the primary setting of Save the Date, where Your Character works at Concept Events as an accountant before her firing.

The Unexpected Heiress
After your character's older sister, Amelia, dies in London, you are sent to take her place in her engagement. As you depart for London, you say goodbye to the other members of your family in New York.

America's Most Eligible: All Stars
A premium choice reveals that your character and your love interest went to New York City if Ivy won season 10 but Paris if you won.

Endless Summer, Book 3
During Estela's idol vision, Nicolas tells her that she should be in an exciting place with other young people rather than on San Trobida, suggesting that she go somewhere like New York or London. She insists that she doesn't want to leave their home and says that she's planning to settle down and start a family there.

High School Story, Book 3
In a premium flashback scene of High School Story, Book 3, Chapter 3, young Scott tells young Julia Mason that he is from New York and stresses that he's referring to the state and not the city. However, he also visited New York City but didn't meet famous people. The way he talks indicates that he has gotten used to people confusing them both and asking him about New York City as a result.

Rules of Engagement, Book 1
During the flight to Paris, Main Character and Business Guy talk about the pros and cons of traveling. He mentions that it can be glamorous to have breakfast in Milan and dinner in New York.

The Senior
If you are dating Kaitlyn during The Senior, the two of you will break up over a conflict between her music career and your writing, with Kaitlyn leaving for New York. If you choose to reconcile with her, you will have the choice either to follow Kaitlyn to New York or to have her follow you to London.

Veil of Secrets
In Veil of Secrets, Your Character is from New York City and works for an NYC-based newspaper called the New York Herald (a real newspaper that went out of business in 1924 ) at the start of the book. Unless you choose to spend diamonds to stay in Birchport, you will return to New York at the end of the book.

At first, it is unclear if New York in this case refers to the city or the state. It is confirmed to be New York City in Chapter 1 if you flirt with Grant upon meeting him: he will say that Your Character is rather direct and ask if s/he is from the city. Your Character simply answers "New York, yeah."

S/he mentions New York again in Chapter 2. If you tell Naomi that you prefer the city over hiking, Naomi will mention that she has never been to a big city. Your Character answers that she should experience New York at least once and that it will change her. If you instead say that you love to hike, Your Character will say that Central Park doesn't compare. During a conversation with Grant in Chapter 8, Your Character compares parts of Birchport to some Brooklyn neighborhoods where the community helps each other. In the final chapter, when you talk to Miss Harlenay about going back to New York, she refers to it as "the big city."

In Chapter 11, Mac Hornby questions the MC's character, revealing that s/he was arrested and charged with a crime in New York City two years ago. Your Character is surprised that he looked into his/her record and explains that s/he was charged with trespassing while doing his/her job and that the charges were dismissed. In free path, this is the only instance where the full name is used. Throughout the story, the city is referred to by its short form "New York" instead.

Trivia

 * In Home for the Holidays, Piquant Press (the company for which both Your Character and Nick work) is in New York City.
 * In LoveHacks, Book 1, it is mentioned that Main Character lived in New York after graduation before returning to San Francisco.
 * In Veil of Secrets, Margaret Sterling mentions in Chapter 14 that in the 1980s, Pierce had contacts in the Russian mafia in New York who he turned to for help when he was about to go bankrupt. They sent Nikolai as an enforcer. It is not clear in free path if they are set in the city or the state of New York.
 * In Rules of Engagement, Book 2, Chapter 11, Mira mentions having visited Le Cirque in New York at some point in the past and that the visit inspired her.
 * In Queen B, Chapter 6, Poppy states the Downtown Animal Rescue is located on East 45th. The T also refers to Dr. Maragussian's plastic surgery clinic located on 72nd and Park. In Chapter 7, the characters go to Club Malibu.