15 Little Known Facts About New York City
 New York City is one of the most famous cities in the world. When people
think of New York City, they think of Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, the
Empire State Building, and many other famous landmarks. It is a city that
attracts millions of visitors each year. People from around the country and the
world go to New York City to live. It attracts everyone from starving artists to
wealthy investment bankers to immigrants trying to make it in America. As one of
the oldest cities in the United States, it has a rich history. There are also a
lot of secrets about New York City that both outsiders and locals may not know
about.
15) New York City is the Only Global City to Feature a 24 Hour Subway System
New York is sometimes referred to as the "city that never sleeps." One reason
for this nickname is because the city never shuts down. There are activities and
venues open at all hours of the day and night. According to "The City That Never
Sleeps, Not Even for Transportation," the other reason for the nickname is
because the subway system never shuts down except for maintenance. Even then,
only part of it is shut down. Scene by Laurie, a website dedicated to finding
the unique things about New York City, also affirms the fact that that New York
Subway runs 24 hours a day. Even Washington D.C.'s subway system shuts down
around the hours of 2am to 5am. The infrastructure needed to run and maintain a
subway for that long is very impressive.
14) New York City Features the Only Greek Temple Church to Be Made into a
Regular Church, and Then into Condos
New York City features a Greek-style temple
that is now being rented out as condominiums. According to VirtualTourist.com,
the building was built in 1846 as a Presbyterian church made to look like a
Greek temple. The building almost burned down twice, once in 1855 and again in
1902. Each time the church was rebuilt, a new organ was brought in, according to
the New York Chapter of American Guild of Organists. The Presbyterian Church
merged with two other churches before closing its doors in 1975. Later, a
developer applied to buy the property and develop it into condominiums. The
developer initially ran into strong protest because the church is located in the
historic district of New York. Any commercial renovation of a historic building
generally requires permission from the city and/or the city's historical
society. The developer got permission for the renovations and completed the
renovations in 1982. It's described as one of New York City's most interesting
condominiums.
13) Part of New York City is Built Over Gold
 New York City and London are two
cities in the world where the most financial dealings occur. According to the
Centre for Economics and Business Research, New York beats out London as the
world's financial capital. It is the home of Wall Street, as well as the Federal
Reserve Bank. The Lower Manhattan Federal Reserve Bank holds over $2 trillion of
the world's assets, according to the Federal Reserve website. A substantial
portion of these assets are in gold bullion. Six stories or 80 feet below the
streets around the bank is the world's largest storage of gold bullion. The
bank's vault holds approximately 37 percent of the world's gold, according to
the Bundesbank. As of 2012, there are 530,000 gold bars located in the vaults,
according to New York Fed. Bundestank, the Federal Bank of Germany, owns most of
the gold stored below the Federal Reserve Bank building. The Federal Reserve
Bank actually owns none of the gold it stores.
12) New York City is the Only City in the World Made Up of Boroughs
Major
cities all over the world are made up of parts and sections. For example, Paris
is divided up into 20 urban quarters. However, there are no cities in the world
quite like New York City. It is made of five distinct boroughs. Each of the
boroughs is separated by a major waterway. The five boroughs are Manhattan,
Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island. Each of these neighborhoods is not
only a borough of New York City, they are all distinct counties. The distinct
boroughs brought a sensible distinction geographically. Additionally, because of
the vast size and population of the city, it was necessary to distinguish the
different areas of the city.
The boroughs were created in 1898 when the city's official boundaries were
established. Prior to this, Brooklyn was its own city, rivaling New York City.
Each of the neighborhoods has a distinct reputation and characteristics. The
largest borough is Queens, and Brooklyn has the greatest population. If you ask
any New York City resident which borough is the best, he'll probably respond
that the one he lives in is the best.
11) Each New York City Neighborhood Has Something Unique
Manhattan is what
most people think of when they think of New York City. In reality, this is just
one portion of New York City. It is where Times Square, Central Park, and most
of the major entertainment and shows occur. Lower Manhattan is home to places
like Little Italy and Wall Street. It has most of the classic and traditional
culture of New York City, and it is also one of the most expensive.
Manhattan:
Brooklyn, on the other hand, is widely recognized as the trendiest area of
the city. With the greatest population of all the boroughs, there is a lot of
cultural diversity to be discovered. People can explore areas like Coney Island
and Prospect Park. According to "Fashion Insider," this is also one of the best
places to get great deals on discount fashion.
Coney Island:
It takes a little more effort to get to Staten Island. You'll have to take a
ferry. More parks and reserves stretch through this borough than any other place
in New York City, totaling more than 9,300 acres of parks on Staten Island. A
major attraction of Staten Island is the New York Wheel, a huge Ferris wheel
that can be seen for quite some distance.
NYC Wheel:
When it comes to distinctive culture and sandwiches, the Bronx is the place
to go. According to NYCtoGo.com, the Bronx is the farthest north borough of New
York City and has the most old fashioned delis per block of any other borough.
It also is where Yankee Stadium is located. This is one of the most laid back
boroughs, and it has a reputation for being a great place for jazz and street
performances.
Yankee Stadium:
Queens is New York City's largest neighborhood, and it is also the most
culturally diverse. With a wide selection of culturally diverse cuisine, and
cultural options, New Yorkers are predicting that Queens will soon take over
Brooklyn's title as the cities trendiest neighborhood. For free festivals and
events, Queens takes the prize. It also has some of the finest up and coming art
and cultural exhibitions.
10) New York Once Belonged to the Dutch
The name "New York" can easily be
identified as a colonization of Great Britain. However, the English conquered
New York in 1698. For several years before this, the region belonged to the
Dutch. The Dutch had purchased the land in 1626 from the Algonquin Native
Americans for a small price. The whole area at the time was called New Netherland. The area which is now modern Manhattan was christened New Amsterdam
by the Dutch, who managed to successfully colonize it. Throughout the 17th
century, the control over the area remained tumultuous. English settlers arrived
and co-habited there with the Dutch. Control over the area was switched between
the English and the Dutch for decades. In 1686, it officially became an English
colony and took the name New York. The following century, after the American
Revolution, the United States took control of the area officially.
New York City Colony by the Dutch:
9) People Are Expected to Be Rude on the Road
According to Travel and
Leisure's website, New York was named America's Rudest City in 2012. Part of the
reason for the rudeness is, according to one New Yorker quoted in Travel and
Leisure, that drivers are expected to just put up with it. If you try to make a
fuss about it, then you are being rude. Another possible cause for the rudeness
is the mixture of different cultures. Some cultures consider certain hand
gestures as simple communication. Others view those same gestures as extremely
offensive. When the two cultures collide, you get friction and road rage.
According to psychologists there are a couple of psychological forces at work
when driving in New York City. The first one is the self-serving bias. The
self-serving bias condemns others when they perform certain actions, but makes
excuses or rationalizes it when that person makes those same actions. Everyone
in New York City is trying to get somewhere, often in a hurry. Therefore, it is
easy to rationalize what you do while at the same time becoming frustrated when
others do the same stuff. But this doesn't explain why the Official Response
described it as a compliment. Mob mentality also plays a big part in rude
drivers. Mob mentality describes the tendency of an individual to act just like
everyone around them even if the individual would not normally act that way. The
bigger the mob, the bigger the mob mentality. Since New York City is one of the
biggest cities in America, it is not surprising that New York City beat out the
field. Just be careful when you're walking as a pedestrian. You have to run
quickly as the drivers don't always follow the rules of the road.
8) Several City Parks are Actually Burial Grounds
New York City is known for
its great parks located within the city. Although millions of people frequent
these parks regularly, most people do not know that many of the parks were
actual burial grounds. Before the city was vastly industrialized in the 1900s,
generations of people were buried in the ground below the city, according to
"Secrets of New York City."
TonyTheTiger at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0, GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0],
from Wikimedia Commons
The area that is now Washington Square Park was originally farmland. After
1797, it became a potter's field, according to "The Encyclopedia of New York
City." The area was transformed into a burial ground for the city's homeless,
unknown people, and prisoners named Potter's Field. It was easiest to bury these
people there, rather than having to transport them off of the island. In the
early 1800s, when the city's population was plagued with yellow fever, people
died quickly. In order to prevent contamination of the unaffected population,
the Washington Square Park area was then used as a mass burial ground for yellow
fever victims. According to the "NYC Parks Department Official History," the
land was designated as a public park in 1827.
Washington Square Park was not the only city park that was used as a burial
ground. Madison Square Park and Bryant Park were also used as mass graves before
they became the beautiful parks they are today. Eventually, burials became
banned from Manhattan for health reasons, and eventually the lands were
transformed into parks. The ground is sufficiently deep over these sites to
prevent people and their pets from accidentally disturbing the dead though.
7) New York City is Known for the Only Monument to Welcome Immigrants (Statue
of Liberty) But It Does Not Actually Own the Land
One of the most iconic
structures in New York City is the Statue of Liberty. One might be tempted to
think of the Statute of Liberty as something that makes New York unique. The
original model of the Statue of Liberty, according to the plaque on its base, is
located in the Jardin de Luxembourg in the country of Luxembourg. It was a gift
to the Luxembourg museum by the creator of the statue, Fredric Bartholi.
The Original Statute of Liberty in Luxembourg:
By Yair Haklai (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL],
via Wikimedia Commons
The shocking part though is that despite the fact people generally associate
the Statue of Liberty with New York City and New York State, the Statue of
Liberty is actually completely within the boundaries of New Jersey. New Jersey
has always been the territorial holder of the Statue of Liberty, according to
"OMG Facts." Not surprisingly, this has been a tense spot between New Jersey and
New York for quite some time. New York actually gained its claim because it had
water rights though the land and water as a whole belonged to New Jersey.
Ultimately, it was settled by giving both states the right to have jurisdiction
over Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, but New Jersey still feels as if it
got the short end of the stick on that particular agreement.
6) New York Has One of the Best and Most Used Subway Systems in the World
The New York City subway system is one of the best in the world. It is one of
the only ones that run 24 hours. According to "NYC Subway Statistics," 4.9
million people ride the system daily, with an average travel time of 140 minutes
each day. There are a total of 656 miles that cover passenger service. Even the buskers and musicians that play in the New York City subway must undergo an
audition process in order to be authorized to play within it. Despite people's
complaints, this particular subway system is considered to be much more
comfortable and easier to navigate than many others. It far exceeds Boston's T
chaotic mazes, and it is comparatively clean when compared to other subway
systems in the world. Add to that the fact that it never shuts down, and it's
obvious why this is considered one of the best subways.
5) There Are Many Hidden Subway Stations
In addition to the current
sophistication of the subway system, most people are not aware that the city has
many abandoned and hidden subway stations. Beneath City Hall is one of the
hidden subway stations. It has been inactive since 1946. Despite being
abandoned, the station is an architectural wonder. It boasts high ceilings,
skylights, and antique tiling. People can still witness the hidden station for a
subway, according to nycgo.com. If someone takes the Six Train to the City Hall
Station and waits for the train to turn around, they will get a glimpse of the
former City Hall station. Certain tours go to see this station, but any person
who lingers on a train at the station will be able to see it when the train goes
through the City Hall loop. These tours are quite popular, so make sure to get
your reservation sent in in advance.
New York City Hall Ghost Station:
Above the Broadway stop of the G train, we can glimpse an ambitious, but
unfinished, attempt to expand the New York Subway. In the 1930s, the city began
expanding the tracks in that station, according the NYCSubway.org. The
half-finished project remains. Along the walls and ceiling are graffiti art and
other signs of urban explorers.
Graffiti art in this abandoned NYC Subway station:
There are many other abandoned and hidden subway tunnels and stations
throughout the city in addition to these. The New York Transit Museum is
actually another abandoned station. The Fulton Street Subway once started its
line at Court Street, which now holds the Museum. Other more derelict subway
stations can be found on the lower level of the Port Authority at 18th Street,
as well as many other locations throughout the city. For graffiti artists and
enthusiasts, these abandoned tunnels are a gold mine for artistic opportunities
and inspiration.
NYC Transit Museum:
By David Shankbone (David Shankbone (own work)) [CC-BY-2.5],
via Wikimedia Commons
4) New York Has an Egyptian Monument
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Cleopatra's Needle:
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In New York City's Central Park, there
is an Egyptian monument. It is an obelisk nicknamed "Cleopatra's Needle."
Millions of people pass by it everyday without giving it a second thought. It
does not attract a lot of attention from locals or tourists, mainly because it
has been around so long. Cleopatra's Needle is one of a set of three Ancient
Egyptian obelisks. The two others are situated in London and Paris. It is a twin
to the obelisk in London. Its name is a misnomer, because it has no actual
connection to Cleopatra. The obelisk predates Cleopatra's time by over a
thousand years.
In the 1870s, European powers Great Britain and France were looking to take
over the Egyptian government. The aim was to secure the trade route of the Nile
River. At this point in time London and Paris both already had their obelisks,
with the third of the set located in Alexandria, where it had been located since
18AD, according the CentralParkNYC.org. It was granted to the United States by
Mehmet Ali Pasha, the Egyptian Khedive, all thanks to the United States. The
gratitude was expressed for increasing trade between the countries, and
subsequently for supplying the funds needed to modernize the ancient country.
Cleopatra's Needle is buried above a time capsule. The Bible, Webster's
Dictionary, complete works of Shakespeare, an 1870 U.S. census, guide of Egypt,
and a replica of the Declaration of Independence are held in the time capsule,
according to the Central Park website. Some other treasures are rumored to be
hidden in this time capsule as well.
3) Brooklyn Bridge Has a Bomb Shelter
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of New York
City's major landmarks. It attracts tourists visiting the city, as well as acts
as an essential traveling route for residents to get to from Manhattan to
Brooklyn. Thousands of pedestrians and cyclists cross the bridge each day. Of
those people, most never notice that the Brooklyn Bridge has an interesting
addition: a Cold War era bomb shelter. It was not until 2006 that City
inspectors even noticed the shelter. The shelter is located on the East River
shoreline of Lower Manhattan, just below the entrance ramp.
Brooklyn Bridge:
The bomb shelter was discovered when city workers were doing a regular
inspection of the structure. They came across the shelter and opened it. Inside
the vault was a large supply of survival necessities. According to the New York
Times, the vault was filled with water drums, crackers, drugs, medical supplies,
and blankets. The bomb shelter was built amidst the peak of when the Cold War
threats brought tremendous anxiety to Americans. The walls of the vault were
lined with boxes that were stamped with the dates 1957 and 1962. These were the
years when the Soviets launched the satellite Sputnik and the year when
Americans were most worried about the potential for nuclear destruction during
the Cuban Missile Crisis.
City workers moved the contents of the bomb shelter and disposed of them
safely. What surprised experts most was that none of the city workers or the
hundreds of thousands of people who crossed the bridge in the previous years
noticed the existence of the bomb shelter.
2) Pneumatic Tubes Used to Deliver Mail Are Installed Throughout New York
City
 Before the days of e-mail and even hand delivered letters by USPS workers,
the mail in New York City was delivered via pneumatic tubes. In 1897, the
pneumatic tube system was installed in New York City. These tubes delivered mail
through a vacuumed tube system throughout the city.
The first pneumatic tube delivered a Bible, flag, and a copy of the
Constitution, according to the "The Pneumatic Mail Tubes: New York's Hidden
Highway And Its History." Initially, it only delivered mail between the General
Post Office, which is now Moynihan Station, and the Produce Exchange, which was
located on Bowling Green. Eventually it grew to connect 23 post offices,
covering a 27-mile route. The routes covered stretched from Wall Street to East
Harlem and even crossed boroughs to Brooklyn through the Brooklyn Bridge. The
system was capable of delivering up to 600 letters per tube while traveling at
approximately 30 miles per hour. Almost 100,000 letters were moved through the
system daily. The pneumatic pipes were located about four feet below the ground.
This caused a lot of installations problems for the city, according to the
"Smithsonian National Postal Museum." Due to the fact that water and gas pipes
had already been installed below the ground, the size of the pneumatic tubes was
restricted.
Companies privately owned the pneumatic tube system. Rent and labor costs
were paid by the City. It was used until 1953, according to the book "The
Works," which uncovers the anatomy of New York City. The system eventually
ceased being financial viable for the city to continue using, but this doesn't
make it any less intriguing.
1) New York City Hosts the United Nation Headquarters
According to "Are You
Smarter Than a Fifth Grader," over 85% of adults believe that the United Nation
(UN) headquarters are in Italy or a separate island. The United Nations has its
headquarters in New York City. The
headquarters is where the UN Ambassadors meet and discuss UN business. Under the
UN Charter, the United Nations can hear complaints from, and settle disputes
arising in, any country in the world.
United Nation (UN) headquarters in NYC:
The decision to host the headquarters in New York City was based partially on
the city's long history of welcoming immigrants and temporary travelers from
other countries. As a result, millions of travelers from other countries
regularly pass through the city. Whether for work, a new life, or just visiting,
New York is equipped to be a true international city, and as the host city for
the UN headquarters, it fulfills this role.
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