New York has been told so many stories that it is hard to know which ones are true. These are.
Landmarks
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France. It was dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue arrived in 350 pieces and was assembled on its pedestal.
The Chrysler Building was the tallest in the world for only about a year. It opened in 1930 and was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931.
The Empire State Building went up in about 410 days. It is often cited as one of the fastest skyscraper builds ever.
Central Park is entirely man-made. Its hills, ponds and woods were designed and built in the 19th century.
Getting around
The Staten Island Ferry is free. It carries riders past the Statue of Liberty and the skyline at no cost.
The first subway line opened in 1904. The ride cost five cents.
Grand Central Terminal is not a "station." It is a terminal because the tracks end there, and none continue through.
Food and fun
Nathan's Famous opened at Coney Island in 1916. It started with a nickel hot dog.
The Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island opened in 1927. It is still running.
The New York Public Library has a famous pair of lions. They are named Patience and Fortitude.
City quirks
Broadway is one of the oldest streets in the city. It follows an older path that existed long before European settlement.
The city has five boroughs. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island were combined into one city on January 1, 1898.
Brooklyn was its own city until 1898. By then it was one of the largest cities in the country.
Wall Street is named after an actual wall. Dutch colonists built it in the 1650s.
Harlem is named after a Dutch city. The Dutch called their settlement Nieuw Haarlem.
Keep exploring
Pick one fact, find the place it belongs to, and go see it. That is how this site started: with the idea that every corner of New York has a story.
