New York City is one of the best cities in the world and we would be the first to admit that this city can also fall into the category of most interesting. You see, there are so many unusual facts that inhabit the city, many of which most New Yorkers don’t even know about, that would make you want to explore the city even more. So we decided to see just how many strange facts we could rummage up and listed our top 5 out of 60 below, which to tell you the truth is just the tip of the iceberg!
1. Many City Parks Have a Buried History It's true! A few of our beloved city parks were indeed used for burials at one time. Washington Square Park, City Hall Park, and Bryant Park make the list of former cemetaries. Bryant Park acted as a potter’s field for unidentified people in the city from 1823 to 1840 while Washington Square Park acted as the same from 1797-1826. City Hall Park that basks adjacent to City Hall, which is now one of the most popular wedding ceremony locations with about 20,000 performed there a year, was once also a burial ground. With all of the these famous parks being former burial grounds, one can't help but think about what we are lying on as we enjoy some of their events such as free movie nights!
2. May 1st was Moving Day in NYC Old laws had it so that everyone in NYC had the same May 1st moving day. Due to landlords granting tenants a 3-month grace period for rent starting from February 1st to accommodate the residents who didn’t, or in many cases who couldn’t, pay the year’s rent increase, May 1st became the moving day for New Yorkers up until World War II.
3. Streets are Paved with Gold and Diamonds There is indeed a man who goes to New York City’s Diamond District and literally gets on his hands and feet to scour the sidewalks looking for diamonds and pieces of gold that have fallen from garments or from the area’s shops. With just his trusty tweezers and Styrofoam cup, Raffi Stepanian has reportedly made up to $819 off of his precious findings in as little as six days’ time.
4. Einstein’s Eyes are Still in NYC Albert Einstein’s eyeballs are currently still in NYC being stored in a safe deposit box after his body was donated to science by his son.
5. Brooklyn Could be a City by Its Self The borough of Brooklyn is probably bigger than most think. With roughly 2.5million residents, on its own it would be the 4th largest city in the United States! That is, if it ever were to break off and do its own thing. Queens respectably, would also rank 4th nationally.
Let us know what strange facts you know about in the comment section below! Don't forget to Share!