10 facts about New York that will be your discovery
'28.05.2020'
Vita Popova
It would seem that we know everything about New York, but this is not so. The Big Apple still has something to surprise everyone. The author of the channel "Agricultural News" on the site Yandex Zen shared his observations about this metropolis.
Most people associate New York with busy streets, luxury hotels and trendy restaurants. On the streets of this city, many popular films and series were shot. It would seem that we already know everything about this metropolis, but this is not so. The Big Apple still has something to surprise everyone.
Perhaps it’s worth starting with his story.
New York was one of the first 13 colonies to become the United States.
Manhattan Island was founded by the Dutch in 1624 as a colony of the new Amsterdam. Four decades later, the British seized power and renamed the area New York. This has played a key role in American history. “Between 1892 and 1954, millions of people immigrated to the United States through New York Harbor. They drove through the very famous Ellis Island. Roughly 40 percent of Americans can trace at least one ancestor to Ellis Island, ”the author writes.
New York today is the largest city in the state and throughout the country. It functions as a major international economic center. The New York Stock Exchange is also located here.
The city is made up of five boroughs, or boroughs: Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. “These are probably the most common neighborhood names you hear when people talk about New York. However, there is much more to New York than just this city, ”the author notes.
Here are some interesting facts about the Big Apple that will surprise you:
- The name "Big Apple" has an unusual origin
“People from all over the world know New York as the Big Apple. Little do they know, however, that the city got its name from a horse racing column in a local newspaper in the 1920s. The phrase "Big Apple" was used at the time to denote a large cash prize at any of the many famous horse races that took place throughout the city. However, the city adopted this name, and since then has been known as the "Big Apple" - the author writes.
- New Yorkers speak an incredible number of languages
Over 37% percent of New Yorkers were born in another country. This explains why the townspeople speak a wide variety of languages. “However, even if they were familiar with the diversity, most people would not have guessed that there are 800 languages in this city that people usually speak,” the author writes. “There are several languages like Garifuna and Quechua that are very rare even in their countries of origin.”
Thanks to this, New York can be called the most linguistically diverse city in the whole world!
- More than 40% of the state’s population lives in New York City.
This represents over 27 thousand people per square kilometer throughout the city. “New York is home to just over eight million people, which means that every 38th resident of the United States lives in this city,” the author writes.
On the subject: 10 facts about Little Odessa in New York that will surprise you
This is the most populated major city in the USA!
- Understanding the metro system is a real challenge
Many people know that the subway system in New York is complex and confusing. It includes 34 lines and 469 stops. It will take a long time to understand the subway. “If you want to get to every single stop in this system, it will most likely take about 24 hours. The current world record for this indicator is 21 hours 49 minutes, ”the author said.
- The Statue of Liberty was delivered to New York in parts
“The hand of the statue arrived in the United States in 1876 by itself, the rest of the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York, it was almost ten years later, in 1885,” the author notes.
The statue consisted of 350 pieces, arranged in 214 drawers. It took four months to assemble it on Ellis Island, where it is currently located.
By the way, the statue was a gift from France to the centenary of the United States - this is another interesting fact.
- Once upon a time, all New Yorkers were forced to move on the same day.
“When you think of a moving day, you probably don't have a specific date in mind, unless it's convenient for you or your new landlord. However, in New York, May 1 was the day of moving until the 1920s, ”the author notes.
This continued from colonial times until the early twentieth century. Almost everyone who needed to move to a new apartment did so on the same day. “It would cause great chaos on the streets of the city. Imagine roads full of horse-drawn moving vans all over New York! " - the author writes.
This practice began to lose popularity in the 1920s. Today, New Yorkers can change their place of residence at their discretion.
- The cost of a trip on the subway and a slice of pizza is the same
This pattern can be traced back to the 1980s: in New York, the prices for a subway ride and a slice of pizza are always approximately equal. “This is so true that if the price of one of them rises, then the price of the other will usually rise by about the same amount over several months,” the author notes.
On the subject: 13 curious and little-known facts about New York
By the way, the first pizzeria in America opened in New York. It happened back in 1905. Gradually, pizzerias became very popular. Today in New York, there are about 1600 pizzerias.
- Brooklyn and Queens are two huge and densely populated areas
These areas are so large that each of them itself can be called a city. “The Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods are large enough for either to be the fourth largest city in the United States,” the author writes. "This means that the population of any of these areas is higher than any other city in the United States except New York, Los Angeles and Chicago."
- The unusual origin of the name Times Square ...
Times Square gets its name in a unique way. It was named after the New York Times newspaper. “It was originally called Longacre Square. However, The Times moved there in 1904, giving the place a new name, ”said the author.
- Topless is allowed through the streets of New York
“It's rather unlikely that you will see a lot of people walking topless in New York. However, it is interesting to know that being topless in public is not illegal, ”the author writes.
In 2018, the city even hosted the Go Topless Day parade. On this day, people went topless all over the city. “It is interesting that a city that allows people to walk topless will not allow people to honk their car horns,” the author noted. It is worth clarifying that honking in the Big Apple is allowed only in emergency situations. But in truth, the townspeople do it all the time.
