You can probably talk endlessly about New York: one of the world's largest cities, a center of art and technology, a seething cauldron of nationalities and cultures, unforgettable and unique. In this article, SMAPSE experts have collected for you a few facts - let's read and share in the comments that you did not know about!
- New York was one of the first capitals of the United States - and the first to host the inauguration of the first President of the United States, George Washington (1789).
- For a long time, New York was called New Amsterdam (until 1664).
- It is the largest city in the United States with a population of 8,000,000, that is, every 38th American calls himself a New Yorker.
- It is here that the majority of Chinese live, if not take Asian cities, and most of all Jews, if not take Israel (that is, the largest communes outside their native countries).
- There are 5 official districts in New York: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island, recently Tribeca is often referred to them (due to the rapid development and increasing importance).
- The name of the area "Bronx" comes from the name of the Swedish émigré Jonas Bronk: he became the first European to settle in this area in 1639. He owned a huge 270 hectare farm, which was logically called Bronke's land, the nearby river was called the Bronka River, and gradually the entire area turned into Bronke's, or the Bronx in modern terms.
- And where did the famous nickname of the city - "Big Apple" come from? This is how New York was dubbed in the 1920s during local horse races: this is how journalists described a large cash prize for the winner.
- The world famous Times Square was originally called Longacre Square, but in 1904 the editorial staff of the New York Times moved here, and the name gradually changed to Times Square.
- Since 1952, since the end of the Second World War, the UN headquarters has been operating in New York.
- Probably, Americans love pizza as much as Italians! The first pizzeria in New York began operating back in 1895. By the way, American economists have even derived the "Pizza Principle" - in short, it consists in the fact that prices for goods and services are growing proportionally: one thing has changed, which means that another will soon change. Since the 1960s, it has been noticed that the price of a slice of pizza was about the same as the fare in the city subway, and if the fare was more expensive, the snack was more expensive, and vice versa.
- Now taxis in New York, of course, are yellow, everyone knows that! But they have worn this color only since 1912: before the first company of gasoline taxis (and they have been working since 1907) painted cars in green and red colors. In the United States, yellow taxis drove much earlier, before they "arrived" in New York.
- The New York subway is listed in the Guinness Book of Records: to drive through each of its stations without going to the surface, you will spend 21 hours and 49 minutes. It is one of the largest public transport systems in the world: 34 lines and 469 stops (data for 2019, the metro continues to grow).
- Not only the subway, but also trains in New York were noted: the Grand Central Station is the largest in the world! Moreover, it is also incredibly beautiful, a masterpiece of architecture and interior art, so films and photosets are constantly filmed here (although it is not easy to get permission). If you are at Central Station, be sure to find an amazing Whispering Gallery: the acoustics of the room are such that you can stand with your friend at opposite corners (and the distance is decent there) and whisper messages to each other - and the interlocutor will hear you perfectly!
- Note also the magnificent Public Library of New York: the luxurious building on 5 Avenue contains 11.3 million books and 36 million other "exhibits." One of the most famous is the first globe on which America is depicted as a separate country (dated 1519).
- One of the most beautiful and longest bridges in the world is the Brooklyn Bridge, which connects the Brooklyn and Manhattan area. To many, it resembles Tower of London, but, surprisingly, the English "brother" is 11 years younger than the American one. By the way, it was during the construction of the Brooklyn bridge that steel cables were first used - a very popular technology now.
What facts were surprises for you, which ones seemed interesting?
