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10 Things You Didn’t Know About New York City

10 Things You Didn’t Know About New York City

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New York City is one of the greatest cities in the world, and tourists flock there by the millions to be a part of its fast-paced, unique environment. Even those who haven’t set foot on NYC soil know a bit about it. There’s the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and Times Square with its thousands of lights. The locals are brusque and always in a hurry, yet somehow fascinating. But beyond all that, there are things about New York, New York that even longtime natives might not know: 10 things you didn’t know about New York City.

Blogs.VillageVoice.com
Blogs.VillageVoice.com

The subways used to be privately owned, with no free transfers

The first subways in New York City were owned by dueling companies: the Interborough Rapid Transit Co. and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Co. These private operators rapidly expanded the engineering marvel of the underground subway, and began to connect the city through hundreds of miles of train track. Being competitors, each company built its tracks to different widths so the other couldn’t use it, accounting for the different-sized trains we have today. The worst part of the old days? No free transfers. Luckily, the city’s transportation board took over operation of the subways in 1940, and they were incorporated into the Metropolitan Transit Authority in 1953.

NYCGo.com
NYCGo.com

There’s a whispering gallery at Grand Central Station

There is a secret place in Grand Central Station — the main terminal connecting New York City to the outer suburbs — known as the Whispering Gallery. Located in the dining concourse, the acoustics of the low ceramic arches in the area allow voices to carry incredible distances, even at a whisper. Two people standing at opposite corners of the large arch can whisper and still be heard clearly on the other side. Historically, it’s a place to whisper sweet nothings, propose marriage, or conduct illicit business without bystanders overhearing.

GypsyNester.com
GypsyNester.com

There is a dirty rectangle on the ceiling of Grand Central Station

In keeping with the theme of secrets of Grand Central Station, the famous domed ceiling of the main concourse features an incredible mural of stars, but one tiny patch is completely filthy. While restoring the station from 1994 to 1998, restorationists decided to leave one patch untouched to show how dirty the ceiling had been. Eagle-eyed visitors who are looking for it may be able to find it underneath the crab’s claw. The spot was left as a reminder of how much work was done, and what happens to beautiful art and architecture when smoking is allowed inside!

Blogs.Yapta.com
Blogs.Yapta.com

It got the nickname “Big Apple” from horse racing

The Big Apple is a bizarre term for a city not known for apple orchards. The earliest recorded reference to the term originated in 1921 with horse-racing writer John J. Fitz Gerald. He heard stablehands in New Orleans talking about getting up to NYC to race on its big tracks, and referred to the city as the big apple. Others believe the name started with Vaudevillian Billy Tucker. When he talked about show business in the city, he said, “There are many apples on the tree, but only one Big Apple.” Still others think it came from a song and dance by the same name preferred by jazz musicians in the early 1930s. But as Fitz Gerald’s New York Morning Telegraph article predates them all, he’s given the credit.

Urban75.org
Urban75.org

Subway musicians have to audition

If you’ve ever walked through a subway station in New York City, you’ll be amazed by the talent of the performers, or buskers, in the major stations such as Times Square or Herald Square. Since 1985, the Metropolitan Transit Authority holds competitive auditions for musicians to pick a rotating roster of talent. Most get a two-week permit for prime spots. It may seem controlling, but musicians can clean up with hundreds of dollars a day, making the top subway stations a hot gig. This isn’t to say that everyone abides by these rules, but they’re supposed to!

TheGuardian.com
TheGuardian.com

Washington Square Park was used for public executions 

Beautiful and relaxing Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village has a spotty and bloody past. It originally began as a graveyard for strangers, filling up in the late 1790s as a yellow fever epidemic tore through the city. However, after somebody noticed the sturdy elm trees with overhanging limbs, the area became a common site for public hangings. There is still a tree in the northwest corner known as Hangman’s Elm. At 310 years old, it’s the oldest tree in all of Manhattan.

CityRoom.Blogs.NYTimes.com
CityRoom.Blogs.NYTimes.com

The lions outside the New York Public Library have names

…and they are Fortitude and Patience. They are also supposedly the inspiration for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios logo, and stand to protect the majestic library building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. They are often decorated with holly wreaths at holiday time or caps and gowns as graduations near, but they remain regal no matter the embarrassment. Originally created by sculptor Edward Clark Potter for an $8,000 commission, they have stood by the library for decades. At one point, they were named Leo Astor and Leo Lenox, and later Lady Astor and Lord Lenox (though they are both male). But the names given to them by Mayor LaGuardia in the 1930s — Fortitude and Patience — are the ones that stood the test of time.

GossipRocks.com
GossipRocks.com

The first person ever killed by a car in the U.S. was hit by a NYC cab

Taxis in New York City are notoriously aggressive, so it seems horribly fitting that the first person to ever be struck fatally by an automobile in the U.S. was hit by a New York City cab. Henry H. Bliss, 68, was helping a friend out of a street car on West 74th Street and Central Park West when a taxi driver lost control and hit him on Sept. 13, 1899. Though he was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital, he died shortly after. The taxi driver was charged with manslaughter, but was eventually was acquitted.

EngelVoelkers.com
EngelVoelkers.com

New York technically has 11 sister cities

Forget the Twin Cities. New York City boasts 11 different sister cities around the world. Sister cities are essentially cities that partner to promote cultural links, encouraging tourism and shared human contact, with agreements signed by elected officials. Sister Cities International helps forge these connections, with the slogan, “Connect Globally. Thrive Locally.” New York’s official sister cities include Tokyo, Beijing, Cairo, Madrid, Santo Domingo, Budapest, Rome, Jerusalem, London, Johannesburg, and Brasilia.

Invention.Yukozimo.com
Invention.Yukozimo.com

NYC had the world’s first chewing-gum factory

Thomas Adams inadvertently discovered chewing gum while trying to create a synthetic rubber for boots, tires and toys. For whatever reason, he decided to try chewing on a piece of the Mexican chicle he was using for his experimentation and actually enjoyed it! After he added different flavors, chewing gum was born. He opened the first factory in New York City in 1869 and jaws have never been the same. So the next time you step on a piece of Juicy Fruit on the street, or accidentally sit on a blob of Dentyne Ice on the subway, you have Adams to thank.