15 Interesting Facts About New York City

15 Interesting Facts About New York City

Thanks to the movies, New York City has become one of the most famous places to visit in the United States. When walking through its streets for the first time everything is a constant surprise and you don’t know what to look at first: its skyscrapers, the lights, the people and the rhythm of the city… make this city a place that should be visited at least once in life and there are a number of curious facts that are worth knowing.

1. The city was called New Amsterdam

The Dutch were the first inhabitants of the city who settled on the coast of the Hudson River in the year 1624. The city had the name of New Amsterdam.

2. New York was a birthday present

The Duke of York received the city of New Amsterdam as a gift from his father on his 18th birthday. Later, and in a somewhat self-centered gesture, he changed the name of the city to New York.

3. It was the American capital for a short time

New York was the capital for only 5 years, from the year 1785 to 1790 the Congress made the decision to move to its new headquarters in Washington DC.

4. Origins of the nickname “The Big Apple”

Although the city has several nicknames (the city that never sleeps, the concrete jungle, Gotham, The City So Nice They Named it Twice, etc) the most famous is the Big Apple.

The story goes that John Fitz Gerald, a writer for a New York newspaper, used the name of the Big Apple in the 1920s to refer to the prize of the horse races that took place in New York. It was in a column where he wrote “Around the Big Apple.” This term meant “the best” award, but from that moment on it began to be popularly used to refer to the big city.

5. Brooklyn has a secret tunnel

It was built to facilitate the braking of trains but was hidden from 1844. Later in 1980, an engineering student found the entrance and tours began to be organized that are currently interrupted for security reasons.

6. Marilyn Monroe’s most famous vent

On Lexington Avenue and 52nd St. you can find the famous grille that lifted Marilyn’s famous white skirt.

7. More than 800 languages ​​are spoken in New York

Although the most widely spoken are English, Spanish and Chinese. Russian, French-based Creole languages, and languages ​​such as Hindi and Urdu, among others, are also spoken.

8. The most peaceful day

November 28, 2012 was the most peaceful day in New York history as for the first time, no murders, robberies, shootings or any type of violent act were recorded.

9. Albert Einstein’s eyes are in a safe

When Einstein died, a doctor illegally kept his brain and eyes for scientific examination. The brain was sent to London a few years ago and the eyes are still preserved in New York with the consent of their descendants.

10. Times Square is named after the New York Times newspaper.

The well-known intersection was Longacre Square until 1904, but later the famous newspaper moved its offices there and the name of the square was changed.

11. The yellow of the taxis that were previously red and green

Since 1912, taxis have had their characteristic yellow color and this is because it is the most attractive color from afar. This was indicated by a study from the University of Chicago on which the founder of the Yellow Cab Company relied. Currently more than 12,700 licensed taxis circulate in New York City. Obtaining a license for a taxi is very expensive, it takes about USD 1,400,000.

12. Being an artist on the subway is not an easy task

It’s common to get excited about New York’s underground musicians, but it’s important to know that they go through a rigorous selection process. Many of the musicians have even performed on famous stages like Carnegie Hall before hitting the subway.

13. It has the largest population of Chinese outside of Asia

As well as the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.

14. 25% of the world’s gold bars are in New York

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has the largest gold reserve in the world, it can be visited for free with a tour.

15. Central Park is bigger than the Principality of Monaco

The largest park in the city covers an area of ​​3.41 square kilometers and is larger than some countries. For example, the principality of Monaco is 1.49 square kilometers.

15 datos interesantes acerca de New York

Gracias al cine, la ciudad de Nueva York se ha convertido en uno de los sitios más famosos para visitar en Estados Unidos. Al caminar por sus calles por primera vez todo es una sorpresa constante y no sabes qué mirar primero:  sus rascacielos, las luces, la gente y el ritmo de la ciudad… hacen de esta ciudad un lugar que se debe visitar por lo menos una vez en la vida y hay una cantidad de datos curiosos que merece la pena conocer.

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