New York City is indeed one of the best places for a travel destination because of various attractions. It is comprised of five boroughs: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Each of this borough has their own kind of beauty and landmarks, which is why the city has a rich culture and history. Dubbed as the City that Never Sleeps, you’ll truly have the time of your life to explore this bustling city. So, if you are planning for a trip to New York City, continue reading to learn more about its fascinating facts.
The empire state ranges from Niagara falls to the big city lights of Manhattan. Here are a few interesting facts you may not know.
Before Madison Square Garden was opened as a park in 1847, it was once used as a graveyard, or known as a potter’s field from 1794 to 1797. A potter’s field is a place of burial for unknown strangers, or for those who cannot afford a decent burial.
Another beautiful park, the Washington Square Park, once served a cemetery, too. In the late 18th century, the land was used as a potter’s field and the site for public executions. It was later opened as a public park in 1827.
The Union Square Park used to be a cemetery, too, until in the early 19th century. It also once served for funeral processions of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson.
Over 20,000 remains rest under the grounds of Washington Square Park, out of as many as 125,000 bodies who might have been buried there. That’s kind of creepy huh?!?
That means you gotta sell a LOT of hot dogs!
That is, if these homeless people have a sure place to go to.
Many of the homeless are longtime New York “residents” who have faced difficult times for many years (or even decades). Or recent arrivals who are just too glad to return home after getting overwhelmed by the unbearable city noise, problems in finding employment, or the astronomical cost of housing.
New York was once a notorious hub for crimes in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. In 1990 alone, the New York City Police logged a total of 2,245 murders. But it’s all in the past, and the crime rate in the city has steadily declined. On November 16, 2012, no one reported an incidence of shooting, stabbing, murder, or slashing. This was rare, but not a totally complete surprise, as New York was about to end 2012 with just over 400 murder cases when this “non-violence” happened.
New York City’s home state, New York, has one of the densest population (presently ranking 7th with 416.42 per square mile).
That’s a lot of trees just for a Sunday paper… what more of the dailies?!?
The state of New York is one of the most populous states in the US, presently ranking 4th with 19,746,227 people calling it home.
No wonder, New York City is the fastest-growing of all the US states, with an estimated 8,491,079 people as of 2014.
Excluding the unnatural causes, heart disease is the leading cause of death there with over 18,000 dying from heart disease and stroke each year.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is considered one of the most secure in the world, maintaining a vault that is located 80 feet below the surface level, and 50 feet below sea level — yes, it’s placed among the famed Manhattan bedrocks!
Even when the American gold rush has long gone, the search for gold has never ended, at least for the self-proclaimed urban prospector in the person of Raffi Stepanian. He searches and discovers tiny particles of not only gold but other precious gemstones. Stepanian has nothing more than everyday tools — a butter knife, tweezers, and a Styrofoam cup to collect his tiny bounties — but he can make $500-$600 every week!
Central Park in New York City is almost twice as large as Monaco, a whole country. Central Park has a total land area of 843 acres (3.41 kilometers) compared to Monaco’s 485 acres (1.401 kilometers).
As of 2012, the eyeballs of one of the world’s greatest geniuses are reportedly stored in a safe deposit box in New York City. And they’re rumored to go under the hammer!
There are about 200 languages being spoken in New York City, making it as the melting pot and the most linguistically diverse city around the world.
There are over 50 million books in the New York Public Library.
The Empire State Building in New York City has its own zip code: 10118.
The Empire State Building is hit by lightning 23 times on average every year.
New York City is one of the best bird watching cities in the country, with over 275 bird species spotted in the Central Park alone.
The “Big Apple” nickname of the city came from the prizes awarded at various racing courses in and out of the city.
New York City is the only city that borders both Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes.
The New York Harbor once completely froze, allowing everyone to skate on the ice and can walk to Staten Island across the ice.
Conclusion
New York City is indeed the City of Dreams, housing a lot of diverse individuals coming from various places to fulfill their dreams. It is also one of the most iconic cities to visit, with multitudes of tourist destinations everyone will surely love. Hopefully, we were able to impart new and fascinating knowledge about this wonderful city in the United States!