By Adam Hart
New York City, also referred to as “the Big Apple”, is the most populous city in the United States of America. It is a major global center of banking, fashion, theater, and art—home to landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. NYC also has its anthem called “I Love New York”! New York City is situated on one of the world’s largest natural harbors, which handles extensive international trade today. It is a city that symbolizes the United States might and power.
In this article, you are going to learn 25 entertaining and interesting facts about New York City.
1) New York City is the largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest in North America after Mexico City. As of 2021, it has an estimated population of over 8 million. It is the largest city in the state of New York.
2) 1624 marked the beginning of the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam on the lower part of the island. As a result of the English took control of the land and renaming it for the Duke of York in 1664, it became known as New York.
3) New York City is the first capital city of the United States.
4) New York City is one of the most visited cities in the world. It gets between 60 – 65 million visitors per year.
5) The city is called several names: New York City, NYC, New York, the city that never sleeps or the Big Apple.
6) Although New York City and London share the title of “the world’s financial centers”, it is widely considered the global leader in finance, culture and media.
7. The Empire State Building was the tallest in the world for 40 years.
8) New York City has the world’s highest concentration of restaurants. It is called the city where New Yorkers hang out.
10) The world-famous Statue of Liberty was given to the United States as a gift from the French people.
11) It is said that a baby is born every 4 minutes in New York.
12) New York City has the most skyscrapers in the world. Chicago and Hong Kong are their closest competitors.
13) Over 600,000 dogs call NYC home. That is more dogs than the population of many cities around the world.
14) NYC truly is “the city that never sleeps.” It is active 24/7.
15) Brooklyn is a vast borough, so big that it would be the 4th largest city in the US if it were a city.
16) Central Park is the most famous urban park in the US. It gets an estimated 37 million visitors a year.
17) Brooklyn Bridge is the oldest masonry suspension bridge in North America. It is a very famous landmark not just in the US but in the world. Over 100,000 cars cross it every single day. It is a national historic landmark.
18) The Big Apple nickname started between 1920 – 1930 when the city awarded apples as prizes during horse racing events.
19) New York has a GDP of just over $1.9 trillion US dollars. That means New York City has the 12th largest economy in the world.
20) The United Nations headquarters are located in New York City. Along with many other corporate offices.
21) The Empire State Building is the most iconic in New York City. It has its own zip code.
22) It is estimated that more than 800 languages are spoken in New York. That is more than any other city in the world.
23) NYC is home to the first-ever pizzeria in the United States. As a result, NYC has the best-tasting pizza in the US.
24) New York has the largest Chinese and Jewish communities outside their respective countries.
25) The September 11, 2001 (9/11) attacks was the worst event in the history of New York City when the World Trade Center was attacked by terrorists who crashed two commercial flights into each building, causing them to collapse—killing almost 3000 people and over 400 police, first responders and firefighters.