50 Things you didn’t know about New York City

I’ve been thinking for a long time about making this guide with 50 fun facts about New York City since The City means more than just skyscrapers, bagels, and the chaotic life of workaholic people.

 

New York is a city like no other, a lovely place I have visited four times so far and where every time I felt at home.

 

However, my first encounter with The Big Apple was by far the most intense.

 

I talked about it in my first blog post. NYC is a city of contrasts, of expression, of manifestation, a place where you can feel free in the true sense of the word.

 

New York City has so many stories to reveal, some captivating, while others kind of hard to believe.

 

Leaving aside what is New York is known for, you will make a lot of other discoveries in this article.

 

The purpose of this article is to let you know about 50 fascinating things about New York, things you probably never imagined before.

 

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What I use every time I travel:

• To book hotels: Booking.com
• To book tours: GetYourGuide.com

 

 

50 Things you didn’t know about New York City

 

1-10 | 50 Things you didn’t know about New York City

 

1. Although it looks entirely made of concrete and iron, New York City has quite a bit of greenery for a metropolis called The Concrete Jungle.

 

One of the most interesting facts about New York is that about 14% of its surface is covered with vegetation.

 

2. One of the best things about New York City is the fact that is one of the most linguistic cities on the planet, if not the most.

 

About 800 languages are spoken in New York City.

 

3. The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in New York in 1905. The owner was Gennaro Lombardi, and the pizzeria was called Lombardi’s and was a great success.

 

You can now find it at 32 Spring St, New York, NY 10012. I bet this is one of the facts you didn’t know about New York.

 

 

 

4. New York City was founded in 1664. Until then, the city was called New Amsterdam due to a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island

 

5. There are over 2,000 bridges and tunnels in NYC.

 

6. Until 1920, New Yorkers had only one day of the year to move. So, May 1st was the day when thousands of people moved throughout the city.

 

Can you imagine the chaos created? This is definitely one of the most surprising facts about NYC. 

 

READ ALSO: Amsterdam 4 Day Itinerary

 

 

7. One of the really cool things to know about New York is that toilet paper was invented here in 1857 by Joseph C. Gayetty.

 

8. Have you ever wondered where the subway cars in NYC end up? Right at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, they turn into artificial reefs.

 

From 2001 to 2010, more than 2,500 wagons were thrown into the ocean, and there was even an exhibition of photos in the New York Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery under the name Sea Train: Subway Reef Photos by Stephen Mallon.

 

 

9. While Albert Einstein’s brain is in The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, it is said that his eyes are in a safe box in New York, but the exact location is unknown.

 

That’s definitely one of the coolest random facts about New York.

 

10. The most expensive apartment in New York is owned by billionaire Ken Griffin.

 

He paid $ 238m for the luxurious residence in the 220 Central Park South building, a very tall skyscraper overlooking Central Park.

 

 

11-20 | 50 Things you didn’t know about New York City 

 

11. New York consists of 5 boroughs: the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Well, the city was almost named Brimaquonx, a name that would have included all five boroughs.

 

Although I don’t really see where Staten Island falls into that word…

 

12. Every year, the spectators who take part in the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square leave behind no less than 50 tons of garbage. That’s a lot of trash!

 

 

13. Talking about New York facts and history, you must know that Washington Square Park was once a cemetery for people who died of yellow fever and a place for public executions.

 

It’s said that more than 20,000 bodies are buried under Washington Square. 

 

14. The oldest remaining building in New York was built in 1652. It’s The Wyckoff House Museum, and you can find it in Brooklyn.

 

Another fact about New York that you probably didn’t know about. 

 

15. A quarter of the world’s gold reserves is in the Federal Reserve Bank located on Liberty Street in the Financial District.

 

 

16. Hart Island, an island near the Bronx, is used exclusively as a cemetery. More than a million people are buried here, most of them unclaimed.

 

The island is not open to the public. Who would want to visit anyway?

 

17. The Jewish population of New York is the largest in the world outside of Israel.

 

18. New York City has 520 miles of coastline. That means more than the coastlines of Miami, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco combined. Talking about cool facts about New York…

 

 

 

19. There is a skyscraper in Manhattan with no windows. The 170-meter building is located in Lower Manhattan at 33 Thomas Street. 

 

20. Initially, Times Square was called Longacre Square. But after the New York Times moved its headquarters here, the famous intersection changed its name.

 

 

21-30 | 50 fun facts about New York City

 

21. You can eat at another restaurant every day for 12 years, and you will still not be able to try all the restaurants in New York City.

 

22. The Empire State Building has its own zip code – 10118.

 

23. Officially, there are about 14,000 yellow taxis in New York City.

 

 

24. More gunpowder was used to clean up the land on which Central Park was built than in the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

 

25. More than 40% of the city’s inhabitants were born outside the United States, meaning they are immigrants.

 

26. Residents did not trust the Brooklyn Bridge to withstand the pressure.

 

Therefore, the owner of a famous circus, at that time, made a parade with 21 elephants that crossed the bridge. Thus, the locals gained confidence.

 

The Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883 and is older than the Tower of London. This is one of the best things to know about New York in my opinion. 

 

 

27. The yellow color of the famous New York taxis came at the suggestion of a car salesman.

 

He realized that yellow contrasts best with gray skyscrapers. I guess he was right.

 

28. It is legal for both men and women to walk around the city topless. Another amazing fact about New York.

 

 

29. With an area of 843 acres, Central Park is bigger than Monaco, which has less than 500.

 

30. Central Park has appeared in movies more than anywhere else in the world. I have to admit this is one of the predictable things about New York.

 

 

31-40 | 50 Interesting things about New York City

 

31. It’s illegal to honk in NYC, though it doesn’t seem.

 

32. Before the official color of taxis became yellow in 1912, they were painted red and green. That is, by far, one of the most unknown New York City facts.

 

33. On average, there are about 224 sunny days a year in NYC. Definitely more than London.

 

 

34. The tallest building in New York City is the One World Trade Center, and it measures 541 meters high. Currently, Empire State is only in 4th place with 381 meters.

 

35. The oldest hospital in the United States was opened in 1736 in Manhattan and is called Bellevue Hospital. WOW!

 

 

36. There are approximately one million millionaires and over 100 billionaires in NYC.

 

37. The average price of an apartment in Manhattan reaches almost one million dollars.

 

38. One of the most random facts about New York is that the price of a subway ride is equal to the cost of a slice of pizza.

 

 

39. There are 144 museums in New York City, and the best known of these is The Metropolitan Museum of Art, followed by MOMA (Museum of Modern Art).

 

40. The population in NYC is around 8.7 million. About as much as Serbia or Israel.

 

 

41-50 | 50 Things you didn’t know about New York City

 

41. What is something most people don’t know about New York City? Well, the city was the first capital of the United States.

 

42. A hot dog stall near Central Park pays about $ 300,000 a year to rent space. This was one highly unexpected New York City facts.

 

43. Manhattan Island is connected to the rest of the world by 21 bridges and 15 tunnels.

 

44. Brooklyn Bridge is the world’s first steel suspension bridge. This is probably one of the things you did know about New York…

 

 

45. The New York subway has 472 stations.

 

46. The Statue of Liberty was brought to NYC in 350 pieces.

 

 

47. The Empire State Building was the tallest in the world for 40 years until the rise of the first twin tower (World Trade Center) in the Financial District.

 

48. It is a single straight alley in Central Park and is also the most photographed. It’s The Mall, the alley of the American elms.

 

49. The Empire State Building is struck by lightning about 23 times a year.

 

50. NYC has several famous nicknames, including The Big Apple, Gotham, The Concrete Jungle, The City that never sleeps, and The City.

 

 

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