New York City is situated in the Hudson River estuary, on the coast of East America Province, Earth. The city contains several administrative districts, or boroughs, scattered across a number of river islands. Port facilities rest at the head of a large natural harbor. Most Imperial and Planetary facilities are located on the central borough, Manhattan Island. New York City is linked by high-speed railways with other cities of the mid-Atlantic megalopolis, such as Boston, Hartford, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington.

New York City has long been considered the administrative and cultural heart of the planet Earth. Established in 1624 by enterprising Dutch merchants, the settlement soon came under the influence of England. The city was already a thriving port in 1776, when local authorities allied themselves to the continental congress and entered a war independence against England. Following the long but ultimately successful struggle, New York was briefly the seat of government of the new United States.

Throughout the 19th century, millions of immigrants arriving in the United States from Europe passed through New York. By 1900, the city had experienced a population boom and become a center of banking and industry. The American commercial empire based in New York expanded across the globe during the 20th century, hindered only temporarily by the worldwide economic collapse of 1929. Following a number of disasters in the early 21st century, New York City emerged as the likely candidate to become the global capital. In 2045, the Republic of Earth was established on Manhattan and its capitol constructed along the East River. Beginning in 2174, the old United Nations Building became home to the Solar Alliance, an economic and military organization intended to aid interstellar security. A new starport was constructed on Long Island in 2189, incorporating old airport facilities at the same site. The Allied Advisory Congress of 2264 further appointed New York City to host the New Imperial Parliament of Planets, thus assuring its position as Imperial Capital.

The city is home to the Imperial Parliament of Planets, which meets within the immense dome at Parliament Square. Most Parliament offices are housed one kilometer northeast, within the old United Nations Building on Republic Square. The Imperial Ministry of State is located at Tompkin Square Park, and the Imperial Ministry of Defense stands on the corner of Broadway and 23rd Street. The Imperial Ministry of transportation occupies the corner of Tenth Avenue and 20th Street. The Galactic Trade Center and Memorial Gardens rise from a grassy meadow of Lower Manhattan.