Top 100 Facts About New York City
Top 100 Facts About New York City!
It is all about New York, New York! Known as the city that never sleeps, this iconic location is teeming with history, culture and fun facts! Here at Quiz Coconut, we are absolutely nuts about trivia. Therefore, we could not resist sharing all this wonderful knowledge with the world. Without further ado, check out our top 100 facts about New York City!
1. Did you know our first fact about New York City? The Original Taxis Were Red and Green
The famous yellow cabs were originally red and green! In fact, yellow cabs were active in other cities before New York City adopted this color in 1912.
2. “The Big Apple” Origin
You have probably heard this familiar for this term for New York. Originally, this name was first used in a horse racing column in a 1920s newspaper. Significantly, the term “Big Apple” was used to describe a big money prize at important horse races held around the city.
3. A Linguists Paradise
According to surveys, over 800 languages are currently used in New York. This makes it the most linguistically diverse city in the world!
4. The First Capital City
Prior to Washington D.C, New York City was actually the first capital of the United States of America. On September 13, 1788, New York City was established as America’s first capital up until In 1790.
5. Population Fact About New York City – The Most Populous
At this time, New York has the most residents of any city in the United States with around 8.5 million people.
6. Plants For All!
If you are a home owner in New York, you can request (free of charge) to have a tree planted outside of your home.
7. Times Square is Named After The New York Times.
Before this time, it was known as Longacre Square. This was up until 1904, which was the year The Times newspaper moved to the city. After that, the name changed to Times Square.
8. Mammals Galore!
For example, New York is home to large mammals such as black bears, bobcats, and moose, plus smaller mammals such as weasels, raccoons, and skunks.
9. Baby Boom
A birth occurs every 4.4 minutes in New York City!
10. 10118.
This is the zip code for The Empire State Building.
11. Millionaires Everywhere!
Currently, there are more than 300,000 millionaires in New York. As a result of this, it makes this the city with the most millionaires in the world.
12. Sky High Rent
Fact about New York: it’s not the cheapest place to live with rent prices averaging around $3500 a month – ouch!
13. Toilet Paper Invented in New York
We can thank American inventor Joseph C. Gayetty. for toilet paper! He created this modern convenience in 1857.
14. Fact About The Bronx in New York City
This famous borough is named after Jonas Bronck who is known as the first European to settle in the region in 1639.
15. Lady Liberty
Actually, this is not the name of the Statue of Liberty. On the contrary, the real name of the statue is “Liberty Enlightening the World” as named by the sculptor, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi.
16. Central Park is Home to Over 275 Different Species of Birds
17. Pizza Paradise!
The first pizzeria in America was opened in New York! This was opened in 1905 by Genaro Lombardi, an Italian from Naples. Moreover, the pizzeria is still operational to this day!
18. English Muffins Were Invented In New York!
The English Muffin was invented in New York! In addition to this, spaghetti and meatballs, pasta primavera and eggs benedict all originate from here.
19. Niagara Falls Was the First State Park!
In 1885, Niagara Falls State Park became the first state park in the country. On average, Niagara Falls attracts 12 million visitors each year.
20. Central Park is the Most Filmed Location in the World
So far, this iconic location has appeared in more than 530 movie credits (probably a lot more since writing this!).
21. New York has a 150 feet-deep hole
This 15-story deep hole is located between 36th and 37th street in Park Avenue.
22. John Lennon Was Murdered in New York
The famous Beatles member, John Lennon, was shot in the archway of The Dakota Apartments on 8 December, 1980.
23. The Famous Statue of Liberty is a Gift From France
Erected in 1886, the statue stood as a welcoming symbol to the 14 million immigrants who entered the United States through New York until 1924.
24. Incredible fact about New York: The Statue of Liberty Was Delivered in 350 Pieces
Housed in 214 crates, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City in 1885 in 350 pieces. However, the arm of the statue arrived in 1876. During this time, it was put on display at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia to raise money for the construction project.
25. Lots of Celebrities Were Born in New York!
Examples include: Eddie Murphy, Sylvester Stallone, Ben Stiller, Liv Tyler, Anna Hathaway, Christina Aguilera, Jay Z, Adam Sandler, Jennifer Lopez and Lady Gaga.
26. The United Nations Headquarters is in New York City
27. Fun Fact About New York’s Coastline – it is 520 miles
For perspective, this is longer than the coastlines of Miami, San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles combined.
28. Pinball was banned in New York from 1940 until 1976
This is because the mayor of New York at the time, Fiorello La Guardia, stated that pinball “robbed school children of their hard earned nickels and dime”.
29. Small Crustaceans Live in the Drinking Water
This is because the water is pure enough to drink, meaning it is not filtered. However, a side effect of this is that tiny 1-2 millimetres copepods make their way into the drinking water. But do not fear, this is totally safe to drink! A creepy but fascinating fact about New York!
30. You Can Go Topless
Roaming the streets topless is completely legal in the city of New York! You may be pleased to know that most New Yorkers forgo this law.
31. The Federal Reserve Bank Holds Approximately 25% of the World’s Gold Bullion
Approximately, around 7,000 tons of gold resides at this location. This does not belong to the city, but it is used as a safe location for countries to store their gold around the world.
32. Albert Einstein’s Eyeballs Are Stored in a Safety Deposit Box in New York
The doctor who performed Einstein’s autopsy ignored his final wishes to have his remains cremated and instead removed his brain and eyes. He gave the eyes to Einstein’s eye doctor, who then placed them in a safety deposit box.
33. Washington Square Park Used to be a Graveyard
This area was originally used as a a potter’s field, meaning a burial ground for the indigent, poor, criminals, and victims of epidemic. It was active from the years 1797 to 1825. To this day, there are an estimated 20,000 bodies lying beneath Washington Square Park.
34. It Is a Crime to Pass Wind in a Church
A stink-free fact about New York: This obscure piece of legislation was came about in 1886 to make the the passing of gas in church, religious services, funerals, burials or memorial services a legal offence. Strangely enough, this offence is still intact!
35. May 1st Used to be Moving Day for Everyone
This is because nearly everyone who needed to move apartments did so on that day. During the time between colonial America and World War II, landlords gave their notice of rent prices by February 1st. This would mean that the lease would come to an end on May 1st. As a result of this, May 1st is known as “moving day”.
36. In 2010, 4 in 10 911 Calls Were “Butt Calls” or “Pocket Calls”
According to a the mayor, from a report in 2010, about 10,700 false calls inadvertently occur per day!
37. There is a Secret Train Platform in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
This was a secret train platform that Franklin D. Roosevelt and other VIPs used to enter the Waldorf-Astoria.
38. The Oldest Remaining Building Was Constructed in 1652
The Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum is the city’s oldest surviving structure.
39. Grand Central Terminal Has a ‘Whispering Gallery’
If you and your friends stand at opposite diagonal corners of the building and whisper, you will be able to hear each other with perfect clarity! This is due to the unique construction of the arches.
40. The East River Is Not A River At All
Dispelling this myth/fact about New York: it is actually a tidal estuary!
41. Tattooing Was Banned Between 1961 and 1997
The reasons surrounding why are unclear. However, it did not stop tattoo parlors from operating in secret.
42. Bizarre Fact About New York City – You Are 10 Time More Likely To Be Bitten by a New Yorker Than a Shark.
To put this into perspective, for every person across the globe that is bit by a shark, 25 are bit by a New Yorker – ouch!
43. 1 in 38 Americans Live in New York
This is about 3% of the entire population of the United States.
44. The Disappearing Island
This island one lay near Long Island and was known as Hog Island. The island was once a popular sandy beach, a great destination for tourists! Unfortunately, a hurricane hit this area in 1893, destroying the landscape. After that, erosion and the damage combined caused this island to become lost by the early 20th century.
45. 15,152 Forms of Life Exist In he New York Subway System
According to researchers, these life forms range from rodents and insects to various strains of bacteria.
46. The ice cream cone was invented in New York City
47. The first European settlers were Dutch
Originally, the city is titled New Amsterdam! That is one of the most significant facts about New York City.
48. New York Has 5 Boroughs
These are: Manhattan, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island.
49. The New York Public Library has over 50 million books
In addition to this, the library even holds locks of hair of famous figures such as Wild Bill Hickok, Walt Whitman and Mary Shelley
50. Green City
Trees cover 24% of the land area in the city.
51. The City of Students
There are more undergraduate and graduate students in New York than there are people residing in Boston.
52. A Fact About New York City’s Big Foot!
The Statue of Liberty’s sandals are the equivalent of a size 879 shoe.
53. Lost and Found
It is reported that 80% of the items turned into Grand Central’s lost and found make it back to their owner.
54. Heavy Foot Traffic
Approximately 300,000 pedestrians pass through Times Square every day.
56. New York is the Coffee Capital
New Yorkers drink almost 7 times more coffee than other cities in the United States.
57. Over 600,000 dogs live in New York City.
58. There is a literal gold-digger in New York!
It is the job of Raffi Stepanian to mine sidewalks in the city for gold! On this profession, he can earn over $600 a week.
59. New York Approximately 25,000 Restaurants
It would take 22.7 years to eat at every one.
60. The Jewish population the largest in the world outside of Israel.
This is the same for the Chinese population here with it being the largest outside of Asia and the largest Puerto Rican population.
61. Hart Island
This is an island off The Bronx designated for unclaimed human remains. At present, there are about 1 million bodies buried here – a creep fact about New York City.
62. Calorific Bagels
Eating a New York bagel is the same as one consuming-quarter to one-half a loaf of bread.
63. The New York Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in the world
64. Delivery Companies in New York Receive 7,000 parking tickets a Day!
This tacks up to around $120 million in revenue for the city of New York.
65. Hot dog!
If you are wanting a permit to run a hot dog stand in Central Park, you are looking at paying about $289,000 a year.
66. There are Fake Buildings in the City
The purpose of this is to be for subway ventilation and maintenance.
67. The Statue of Liberty is not naturally green!
If you see the Statue of Liberty, it is clear it is green. However, this is not the intentional colour scheme for the statue. In fact, the statue is copper. Now, Copper turns green after years of exposure to the elements. Interestingly, when the authorities began planning for this to be painted to mask the degradation, the public rose up in protest!
68. In 1970, the New York Harbor Froze
People could walk from Manhattan to Staten Island on the ice.
69. They have a $20 Credit Card Minimum
Ever since 2010, this is the legal requirement for any credit card purchase.
70. New York City sees 15 times more snowfall than the South Pole each year.
71. A slice of pizza and a single subway fare are the same
These prices have been the same or similar for over 50 years.
72. A Fact About New York City – There Is A Fine For Flirting
For flirtatious behaviour, you can be liable for a fine $25!
73. Train Tracks are often set on Fire
Why, you ask? This is to stop the tracks becoming icy in cold weather.
74. In 1901, New York became the first state to require automobile licence plates.
75. Clothesline License
Believe it or not, you need a license to hang clothes on a clothes line to dry! Apparently, this is because it is better for the environment to air-dry clothes.
76. The Bronx Zoo is the largest in the United States
It contains over 500 species and 4,000 animals.
77. It is the second city in the world to have the most complete skyscrapers
Hong Kong comes in first!
78. It takes 75,000 trees to print a Sunday edition of the New York Times.
That’s a whopping fact about New York and a lot of trees!
79. The musicians who perform in the NYC Subway system go through a competitive audition process
Some of the subway musicians have also played at Carnegie Hall.
80. The Brooklyn Bridge is the first bridge to be lit using electricity.
81.The Longest Running Show in Broadway is Phantom of the Opera
Overall, this iconic stage show has seen 10,000 performances.
82. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the US
The bridge opened in 1883 it cost $15.5 million to build, it measures 5,989 feet long (1825m). Moreso, at the time, it was longest suspension bridge in the world,
83. Where Lightening Strikes More Than Twice!
You may have heard the expression “lightening never strikes the same place twice”. However, this is certainly not the case for the Empire State Building! it is on average struck by lightening more than 25 times per year!
84. A Rooster was the First Animal to Cross the Brooklyn Bridge
Engineer Emily Warren Roebling crossed the bridge a week before opening with a rooster in her lap for luck!
85. In 1884, 21 Elephants Crossed the Brooklyn Bridge
This was part of a campaign to prove to city residents that the bridge was safe to cross. Clearly – it worked! The bridge is still in operation after 153 years.
86. If Brooklyn was a City, it Would be the Fourth-Largest City in the United States!
87. It Is illegal to Honk your Horn Unless it’s an Emergency
You can get a $350 fine for excessive use of your horn or for a rogue car alarm going off. It is clear though, for those here who reside in New York, take this piece of legislation rather lightly…
88. The Central Park Mall is the only straight path in the park
The purpose of this was to act as a route for wealthy people to show off their wealth.
89. Fact About New York City – it contains the world’s first underground park
The project is now on pause and off-limits to the public.
90. It Will Take About 24 Hours to Navigate the Subway System
This is because the length of the subway system is an impressive 248 miles. In addition to this, it sees more than 6 million travellers per day.
91. The Brooklyn Bridge is older than London’s Tower Bridge
To clarify, the construction of Tower Bridge began in 1886 whereas The Brooklyn Bridge began in 1870.
92. It has 4,000 street food vendors.
93. Adirondack Park contains 6 million acres of protected land
The park is larger than Yellowstone, Glacier, Everglades and Grand Canyon National Parks combined. Needless to say, that is pretty darn huge!
94. Madison Square Park was the first to host a public tree lighting
This occurred in 1912, followed by Washington Square Park in 1924.
95. The World Trade Center is the Western Hemisphere’s second tallest building
Standing at 541-meters tall, the World Trade Center is the sixth tallest building in the world and the tallest building in the US.
96. Approximately 40% of Americans can trace at least one ancestor to Ellis Island in New York
Between 1886 and 1924, over 14 million immigrants entered the United States through New York Harbor. This is why so many Americans can track their lineage to here!
97. All Subway Stations Have Wi-Fi Access
98. New York City has more than 2,000 arts and cultural organizations and more than 500 art galleries
New York City is the artistic and creative capital of the United States. The city government funds the arts – it even has a a larger annual budget than the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts
99. A subterranean fact about New York City is home to more than 2,000 bridges and tunnels
Many of the city’s major bridges and tunnels have either broken or set records. For example, Holland Tunnel is the world’s first mechanically ventilated underwater vehicular tunnel.
100. New York is the only city that has skyscrapers with no windows.
Located in Lower Manhattan, 33 Thomas Street is a 550 foot windowless skyscraper. The building is an example of brutalist architecture which means that they use very minimal construction. This building currently functions as a telephone exchange business.
There you have it! New York is a goldmine (and quite literally!) for fun and interesting facts. What is your favorite fact about New York City? Leave a comment and let the Quiz Coconut team know!
