New York City is a sprawling and tremendous city that never ceases to impress both visitors and natives on a daily basis. However, there are surely things that you have never heard about The Big Apple! Here are 12 fun facts that will help you better understand NYC!
1. THE OLDEST BUILDING IN THE CITY IS FROM 1642
Called the Wyckoff Farm, the Brooklyn home was built in the 1640s with a former indentured servant. The Wyckoff family occupied the house until 1901, it was named an official city landmark in 1965, and now functions as a museum dedicated to the city's Dutch heritage.
2. THERE ARE 275 SPECIES OF BIRDS JUST IN CENTRAL PARK
New York City is home to more than just pigeons, and Central Park is an wonderful place to bird view. Out of roughly 800 known North American bird species, 275 have made appearances in the playground. Bird watchers are known to spot up during spring migration to 100 species a day.
3. NEW YORK CITY TAXIS WERE ORIGINALLY RED AND GREEN.
The cab is one of the most recognizable symbols of new york, but the first gasoline-powered cab company, founded in 1907 used red and green cars cars. In fact cabs were used in a number of different cities before New York embraced the universal yellow color.
4. THE TERM "THE BIG APPLE" ORIGINALLY REFERRED TO HORSE RACING.
The city got its most famous nickname in the 1920s from the horse racing column of a local newspaper. Before the town's adoption of this nickname, the term "Big Apple" was used to describe a large money prize at significant horse races held across the city.
5. NEW YORKERS SPEAK APPROXIMATELY 800 LANGUAGES.
Over 37 percent of New Yorkers were born in a different country, so it is unsurprising that the city's inhabitants speak a wide selection of languages--but by any account, 800 is impressive. Plus, some of the languages, such as Quechua or Garifuna, are extremely uncommon or dying out in their countries of origin.
6. ITS POPULATION DENSITY IS THE HIGHEST OF ANY AMERICAN CITY.
New York is not known for the shoulder area. With over 27,000 people per square mile, it's not merely the densest city, it also accounts for at least 40 percent of the whole population of New York State.
7. THE FIRST AMERICAN PIZZA JOINT OPENED IN NYC IN 1905.
The delicious, cheesy snack was introduced by immigrants to the city all the way back in 1905, and New Yorkers have never looked back. There are roughly 1,600 pizza restaurants in town nowadays.
8. COWBOYS USED TO PATROL 10TH AVENUE IN MANHATTAN.
In 2019 we protect ourselves with high-tech home security systems, but from 1850 to 1941, New York's 10th Avenue had cowboys as protection. These cowboys were wrangling people instead of cows. The West Side Cowboys would ride on horseback ahead of the freight trains which ran down the center of the street to get people and things of the way.
9. THE STATUE OF LIBERTY WAS DELIVERED IN 350 PIECES.
The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City in 1885 in 350 pieces. The statue arm, meanwhile arrived from France a decade before, in 1876, where it had been put on display to raise money for its building project.
10. STATEN ISLAND ONCE TRIED TO SECEDE.
From the 1980s, frustrated with restricted representation about the City Council, Staten Island politicians began campaigning for secession. All these activists desired to become the independent City Of Staten Island. But while the campaign was affirmed by the vast majority of Staten Islanders, the City voted against the secession. Staten Island remains a nyc borough, although the secession campaign has been reignited several times because it was formally rejected in 1993.
Hopefully these fun facts have helped you gain a greater appreciation for New York history and culture!
