13 curious and little-known facts about New York
'29.01.2020'
Source: telegraph.co.uk
New York may be one of the most visited and recognizable places on the planet. But in this publication edition The Telegraph sheds light on some fascinating but little-known facts about one of the greatest cities in the world.
- Under Waldorf Astoria there is a secret train station.
New York's most famous historic hotel, which was originally located on the site of the current Empire State building, towers above the “secret” train station known as Track 1983. The latter is a continuation of the Grand Central Terminal, located within walking distance from the hotel.
Track 61 is believed to have been built in the 1930s for former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They planned to use it as a hidden entrance to the hotel in an attempt to hide from the public eye his condition after polio. A special carriage and elevator were built to accommodate the presidential limousine during their stay at the hotel.
“It housed (Track 61 - Ed.), Which had to be protected from the elements, - wrote the publication Shift... - But in 1945 he was preparing (for the trip of the president - Ed.) When Roosevelt suddenly died. Since then he hasn't moved. "
Evidence of a secret entrance to Track 61 can be seen on 49th Street, where the numbers "101-121" indicate the exit leading to the elevator created for Roosevelt.
Track 61 was previously used by US military general John J Pershing in 1938. It was also the venue for a diesel locomotive exhibition in 1946 and a fashion show in 1948.
According to Christopher Winn, author of I Never Knew That About New York, he served several other US presidents, including George W. Bush, who apparently “had a train standing idle on track 61 in case he has to leave quickly ”during a previous stay at the hotel.
According to rumors, Track 61 is still in use.
- There is a “whisper gallery” at the Central Station.
The world's largest train station, adjacent to the Oyster Bar & Restaurant (one of the city's oldest restaurants and culinary attractions, famous for its incredible seafood and vaulted tiled ceilings) sits an archway. At this point, two people standing in the diagonal corners of the arch can perfectly hear each other while talking in whispers.
According to rumors, it was in this place that the legend of American jazz, Charles Mingus, proposed to his wife using the unique acoustic feature of this place.
- Coney Island Beach was named after Brighton.
The historical roots of Coney Island, with a similar history, topography, and southern location, can be traced back to the famous English seaside resort.
New York was invaded by the British around the 1660s, and Coney Island became a holiday destination around the 1830s and 1840s, after a bridge was built to connect it to the main part of New York. The development of transportation, made possible by steamship services and more carriageways, soon made Coney Island a popular destination for residents of Manhattan, Brooklyn and other New York areas. This led to the construction of the coastal resort area Brighton Beach, named after Brighton England, which became a popular day-trip destination for Londoners around the same time.
Like the English resort in Brighton, Coney Island was home to a grand hotel (Hotel Brighton), which at that time was visited mainly by the upper middle class, as well as a pavilion (Brighton Beach Pavilion) - a tribute to the Brighton Royal Pavilion, built back in 1783 - and, of course, a boardwalk and a beach pier, comparable to those of Brighton.
Today, Coney Island continues to serve the city as a seaside resort and amusement park. There are over 50 attractions and locations, including the newest Ford Amphitheater, a 5000-seat open-air concert hall located on the Coney Island boardwalk. It opened in 2016 with the first performances of the singer Sting and other artists.
- It was the Hollywood of the East.
The American film industry was born on the east coast of the country before the birth of Hollywood in the early 1930s. The largest film companies, including Paramount Pictures (the second oldest surviving film studio in the country and the fifth oldest in the world), founded their activities in New York. Several films, including the first film with sound about Sherlock Holmes (“The Return of Sherlock Holmes”), were shot at the Kaufman Astoria studio in Queens.
Kaufman Astoria is located next to the fascinating Museum of Moving Image, the only museum in the country dedicated to the study of the art, history and technology of moving image. It features a collection of over 130 bizarre artifacts that trace the history of the film and television industry.
More films have been made in New York Central Park (more than 350) than anywhere else in the world since 1908, when Romeo and Juliet were the first film shot in the park.
- The best 360-degree view of the city.
The best 360-degree views of the city are from Governors Island, the birthplace of New York. The opening of The Hills, one of New York's newest landmarks, has breathed new life into this former military base. More than 4 hectares of public park is made up of four hills that pay homage to the rolling landscapes of pre-colonial Manhattan, including Outlook Hill, from where visitors can enjoy the best views of Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as the best 360-degree panoramas of New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty , Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey City in the distance.
The park also has the longest slide in the city on Slide Hill, and Discovery Hill houses the sculptural work of British artist Rachel Whitehred.
- The island has wildlife.
A lot of wildlife can be found in the concrete jungle. For example - the highest concentration of peregrine falcons in the world, which make their nests on bridges and skyscrapers around the city.
Thousands of animal species are found in city parks, including Staten Island. Wildlife is diverse, ranging from hundreds of bird species to white-tailed deer, cotton-tailed rabbits and snapping turtles, one of the world's largest freshwater turtles.
Other animals spotted here include coyotes in the Bronx, possums (the only marsupial in North America), striped skunks (said to prefer the parks of northern Manhattan) and baby bats - the most common bat species in New York City.
- One of the highest ferris wheels in the world was to appear here.
A 192-meter New York Wheel mounted on Staten Island would be the second tallest Ferris wheel in the world after construction was completed. It was supposed to surpass only the planned Ain Dubai Ferris Wheel with a height of 210 meters. The New York Wheel, which was planned to be built, promised to become one of the city’s greatest attractions and offer some of the best views of New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline. However, construction was mothballed in 2018.
- Here is the world's first underground park.
Following the success of the city's hugely popular High Line, a public park built on an abandoned freight rail line on Manhattan's West Side, the city unveiled The Lowline. It is set to become the world's first underground park, due to be completed by 2021.
The Lowline is a completely natural green space that aims to breathe new life into an abandoned terminal built in 1908. Using innovative solar technology developed by James Ramsey of New York's Raad Studio, sunlight will be transmitted throughout the park through a reflective surface underground. Situated on the 0,6 hectare Trolleybus Terminal on Williamsburg Bridge, below Delancey Street, in the heart of Manhattan's Lower East Side, The Lowline is located in “one of the least green spaces” in the city, but hopes to be a “bright new place” for it. district.
- It is the largest Chinatown in the West.
The first Chinese immigrants arrived in Manhattan's Chinatown in the 1800s, when it was part of the former Five Points neighborhood, which became known as one of New York's worst slum areas, suffering from crime, disease, and the red light district known as Mulberry Bend . The first person to cover the destructive conditions of this part of New York was the English writer Charles Dickens on his journey under the name American Notes. The latter prompted several representatives of the upper and middle classes of New York to visit this area to take a look at the incredible scene themselves.
Today, on an area of 5 square kilometers, home to about 150 Chinese, Manhattan's Chinatown is home to the largest concentration of Chinese in the western hemisphere. It is one of 000 Chinatowns scattered throughout New York City. It is home to China's highest population outside of Asia. As of 12, it was home to nearly 2018 Chinese (in only five boroughs of New York - about 812, which makes New York's Chinatown the largest in America). Most of New York's Chinese population lives in the Queens area, where Flushing is home to one of the fastest growing and largest Chinese communities outside of Asia.
- Here is Little Britain.
While many cities around the world boast Chinatown or even two, Little Italy, and possibly Little Greece, New York may be the first to have Little Britain (currently unofficially). A bunch of small shops on Greenwich Avenue in the trendy West Village area of Manhattan has become a favorite vacation spot for English-speaking and British expatriates.
On the subject: 10 facts about Little Odessa in New York that will surprise you
One of the most popular places on the street is Tea & Sympathy, a tiny cozy cafe that appeared here after the traditional English tea house, which has been visited by various English celebrities for many years, such as: David Bowie, Joanna Lumley, Rupert Everett, Joss Stone, Jules Holland and Keith Moss, who have reportedly been visiting the café for almost many years. Visitors can enjoy some of the classic English cuisine.
Also nearby is A Salt and Battery, a fish and chips store, and Peter Myers of Keswick, England's Myers of Keswick, where you can choose from anything from McVities cookies to Walker's chips.
The area has not yet received an official stamp of approval for the city as Little Britain after an official campaign to recognize it. In 2007, various celebrities supported this idea, including Sir Richard Branson and London-born American actress Misha Barton.
- There is a waterfall in Central Park.
Tucked away in the Northern Woods, on 16 hectares of Central Park, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, this place - The Ravine - is very quiet and peaceful. Having formed the only stream valley in the park, its waterfall is formed by a lake. The area was conceived by the park's designers to resemble the wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains in the countryside in the uplands of New York.
- It housed the first hospital in the United States.
The island, which is part of the city's historic landmark, the Statue of Liberty, also houses an abandoned hospital built in 1902. It once served as a detention center for immigrants arriving on the island who were considered too sick and physically unable to enter the country. This complex was the first public hospital in the United States and the largest at the time. It functioned as a hospital until 1930, after which it was abandoned in 1954. Its main building was refurbished and reopened as a museum in 1990, and since October 2014, the messy parts of the complex have been open to tours of inaccessible places.
- You can surf right in the city.
Outside of the beloved by many Coney Island lovers, the Big Apple Hotel offers many sandy beaches that are just a short subway or car ride from downtown Queens and Brooklyn, including Rockaway Beach and Long Beach. These two beaches are the only ones where you can surf in New York.
The coastal resort area of Brooklyn Brighton Beach is a popular destination for locals. Offering many specialized restaurants and shops where you can drink vodka, eat black bread and dumplings, this beach is known as Little Odessa for its Ukrainian flavor.
