New York

New York may be the most diverse state on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. The state is dominated by New York City, known as a financial, transportation, cultural and manufacturing center of the nation. But the much of the state is quite pastoral, with farms, small villages and open spaces. Still, 92 percent of the state's population lives in an urban area and New York is the third most-populous state in the union.

New York City is one of the most talked-about cities in the world. It is unquestionably the center of commerce in the United States, home of the New York Stock Exchange, banking, finance and communication. Wall Street, home to the major stock exchanges, is based in Manhattan and offers a prime location for anyone who wants to learn more about the stock market or investment opportunities.

The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ are both located in New York. New York hosts some of the most high profile investment banks in the world. Analysts, traders and economists turn to New York when it comes time to read the economic mood of the world. The process of becoming a hub of banking and finance began as far back in 1792, when New York organized its stock market.

The NASDAQ hasn't been around as long, but its headquarters on Times Square soars seven stories high and features one of the largest video screens in the world. Its presence spreads investing and trading information to the millions who visit New York City each day.

While New York City is the big cheese, with more than 8 million residents, other major metropolitan areas include Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, Syracuse, Albany (the state capital), New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Schenectady and Utica. All contain schools and colleges capable of providing the sort of investing and trading education that can spark an individual to financial freedom.

The statewide public university system has 413,000 students and 1.1 million continuing education students on 64 campuses across the state. This provides many avenues to obtain a trading education and gain additional knowledge about the stock market.

The City University of New York is the public university center of New York City and is independent of the SUNY system. It is the largest urban university in the country. All offer classes in finance, investing, and trading the stock market that get their students prepared for a trip to Wall Street.