Cool Facts About New York City
New York City is one of the most amazing cities in the world. Here are some interesting facts about this great city!
In 1626, the Dutch purchased Manhattan Island from the Lenape Native Americans for 60 guilders (about $1000).
The English conquered the city from the Dutch in 1664, and “New Amsterdam” became “New York.”
In 1698, New York City only had a population of 4,937 people.
New York City served as the capital of the United States in the 1780s before it was moved to Philadelphia and then Washington D.C.
George Washington, the first President of the United States, was inaugurated in New York in 1789 at the site of Federal Hall.
Federal Hall at 26 Wall Street was the the site of the first Capitol Building of the United States.
The Bill of Rights which contained the first 10 amendments to the Constitution was passed at Federal Hall.
It wasn’t until 1790 that New York City grew larger than Philadelphia.
New York City is now the most populated city in the USA with more than 8.2 million people.
Hong Kong is the only city in the world with more completedskyscrapers than New York City.
36% of the current population of New York City was born outside the United States.
Since 2005, New York City has the lowest crime rate of the 25 largest US cities, and one of the safest cities in the US overall.
The New York subway system is the largest mass transit system in the world with 468 stations and 842 miles (1355 km) of track.
Photo of the NYC Subway ©
Unlike most major subways systems around the world, the New York Subway runs 24 hours a day.
About 40% of the New York Subway system is above ground.
The first underground section of the Subway was opened in 1904.
The musicians who perform in the NYC Subway system have to go through a competitive audition process — some of the subway musicians have also played at Carnegie Hall.
The Holland Tunnel, which connects NYC with New Jersey, was completed in 1927 and is one of the first ventilated tunnels in the world. The ventilation system was needed to clear out vehicle exhaust and carbon monoxide generated by the automobiles passing through.
Photo of the Holland Tunnel ©
The Holland Tunnel is a designated National Historic Landmark.
Almost 35 million vehicles pass through the Holland Tunnel each year.
The New York City Marathon is the largest in the world, with 37,850 finishers in 2006.
Central Park attracts 25 million visitors per year.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (“The Met”) contains over 2 million works, making it one of the largest art museums in the world.
The Met contains one the most comprehensive collection of Asian art in the West.
New York City has 4000 street food vendors including hot dogs, pretzels, falafel, kebobs, and more.
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