A separate world within New York: 15 facts about Manhattan that will definitely surprise you

Manhattan is the heart of New York. All tourists are eager to get here to see the most popular attractions of the metropolis. But how much do they know about this boron? The author of the channel Yowayz / Multi travels on the site Yandex Zen spoke about amazing facts that will certainly surprise you.

Manhattan is the historic core of New York City and one of its five boroughs. This area is also considered the heart of the Big Apple. It offers breathtaking views of skyscrapers, the widest Broadway, fashionable 5th Avenue and Central Park.

It is in Manhattan that a huge number of New York attractions are concentrated: the Empire State Building, the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, Central Park, Grand Central Station, Broadway, Times Square, Rockefeller Center and more.

But how much do you know about Manhattan?

Here are 15 facts to help you take a fresh look at this part of New York.

1. The population density here is much lower than 100 years ago. The total population has declined by about 25%. Today, Manhattan is predominantly a business district - people from all over New York come here to work, and go home for the night.
2. If all earthlings lived as densely as they did in Manhattan, the human race could fit in New Zealand alone. “And, conversely, if the whole Earth were populated as densely as Manhattan, then its population would be 1,73 trillion people,” we read in the publication.
3. There are a lot more people on weekdays in Manhattan than on weekends. According to 2014 census estimates, it was 1,6 million in Manhattan. On weekdays, the influx of passengers increases this number to more than 3,9 million people. That is, 67 thousand people per square kilometer.
4. People in Manhattan prefer public transportation to private. “While 88% of Americans across the country travel to work and only 5% use public transportation, for Manhattan residents, public transportation is the dominant form of travel, with 72% of city residents using public transportation to get to work, while as soon as 18% use their cars, ”the author writes.
   

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5. A third of the subway stations are in Manhattan: 147 out of 468 of all subway stations in New York. Four more are under construction.
6. In 1626, Dutch colonists bought property in Manhattan from Native Americans for the equivalent of $ 1050. “Since then (Manhattan real estate. - Ed.) has become one of the most expensive in the world. At present, the value of Manhattan Island, including real estate, is estimated to exceed $ 4 trillion, ”the author writes.
7. One of the most famous parks in the world, Central Park, was opened to the public in 1858. It became the first landscaped public park in an American city.
8. Although Central Park looks quite natural, it is almost entirely man-made, there are several artificial lakes. “The construction of the Central Park in the 1850s was one of the most massive public projects of the era. About 20 workers created an English-style landscape. They moved nearly 000 cubic meters of soil and planted more than 2 trees and shrubs, ”the author is replete with facts.
9. Operating one hot dog cart in Central Park is an expensive pleasure. It costs each seller $ 200 thousand per year.
10. 0,8 million cubic meters of soil excavated during the construction of the World Trade Center in 1968 was used to expand Manhattan's coastline through West Street. Thanks to this, Battery Park City appeared.
11. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the largest and the fourth most visited art museum in the world. It is located on Fifth Avenue. I know about him, perhaps, all tourists. But not everyone knows that when visiting it, you can pay any amount. The point is that the museum has set recommended fees and you can quote your price upon entry.
12. New York is an international and very diverse city. Here you can meet many extraordinary people. One of these was Tomi Fitz - an American pilot, known for two drunk flights over New York. In 1956, he hijacked a plane and landed it in downtown Manhattan in front of the bar where he had a drink. But the story does not end there. Two years later, in 1958, he did it again - because someone doubted that he did it for the first time.
13. New York is a city of skyscrapers, you won't surprise anyone with that. But there is something really amazing in this metropolis. For example, a 29-storey building with no windows. It is located on the east side of Church Street. "This is the former building of the AT & T Long Lines telephone exchange," the author specifies.
14. The world's richest separate church parish, valued at $ 2 billion, is also located in Manhattan. "The Trinity Church, which was founded in 1696, owns 8 hectares of Manhattan and receives a net income of $ 38 million from its real estate ownership," the author states.
15. Manhattan could not only be in New York, if not for one nuance. “The Chinese would not be Chinese if they did not try to build their own Manhattan. And indeed, there was such an attempt. However, it was unsuccessful, we read in the article. —Money from developers ended before at least part of the city was built. And now all that remains of these ambitions is a post-apocalyptic image of the Big Apple. ”