Big Apple City: The History of New York
New York is the home to many brilliant things: Broadway, communities coming from all cultures, and (very humbly added) Gooroo! Affectionately known as the Big Apple, NYC is famous for its resilience, attitude, and perseverance. In today’s blog, we’re going to go into the history of the city we call our home. Plus, we share some fun facts about the Big Smoke!
Why is it Called the Big Apple?
New York City, not to be confused with New York State, is the most populous city in the United States. Additionally, it is also the most densely populated. With over 20 million people, NYC is the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world. Not only is it home to the United Nations, but it also holds significant influence in:
- commerce
- entertainment
- research
- technology
- education
- politics
- tourism
- art
- fashion
- sports
What’s more, the Big Apple is one of the most photographed cities in the world.
Found in one of the largest natural harbours, NYC is composed of five boroughs which came together in 1898 to form a single city. They are:
- Brooklyn (Kings County)
- Queens
- Manhattan (New York County)
- The Bronx
- Staten Island (Richmond County)
The Big Apple
So, why do we nickname New York the Big Apple? We aren’t particularly famous for our produce are we?
Well, the name first appeared in the 1920s. Sports journalist John J. Fitz Gerald wrote a column for the New York Morning Telegraph highlight the many horse races and racecourses in and around New York. In this writing, he referred to the bigger prizes as “the big apple”.
Then, the name began to gain traction in the 1930s as Jazz singers referred to New York as such in their songs. In fact, a mantra for show business at the time was: “there are many apples on a tree, but only one big apple — New York”.
New York gained a reputation as a dangerous city in the 1960s and 70s. Hence, a new campaign launched to promote tourism and commerce. The advert made a big red apple as the city’s logo: firmly establishing the nickname. Additionally, the corner of 54th and Broadway received a sign reading “Big Apple Corner” and volunteers even handed out real apples to passersbys!
Other New York Facts
We could go on about New York forever, but here are some other interesting tidbits!
- NYC is the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken here — making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.
- Originally, New York was named New Amsterdam. This is because it was a Dutch colony until 1664. When the English took control they named in New York after the Duke of York.
- France cited the Statue of Liberty to the US in 1886. But, did you know it actually stands in New Jersey, not in New York? Additionally, France gifted many of these statues to other countries.
- The New York Public library is the second largest library system in the US after the Library of Congress and the 3rd largest in the world. It houses over 50 million books.
- New York City became the first capital of the United States in 1789.
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