New York (NY): State Guide, Fun Facts, and Resources

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Fun Facts about New York

When was New York Founded? 1624 by Dutch settlers; originally called New Amsterdam

Who Founded New York? Peter Minuit and Henry Hudson

First settlers: Lenape Indians inhabited the area before any European explorers reached the land

Population (July 2009 est.): 19,541,453

Square Miles: 54,475

US Rank: 27th largest state

State Flower: Rose

State Bird: Bluebird

State Motto: Latin: “Excelsior”. The English translation: Higher

Capital City
Albany –

5 Highest Populated cities in New York (July 2008 est.)

1. New York City 8,008,278
2. Buffalo 279,557
3. Rochester 211,354
4. Yonkers 197,818
5. East New York 173,198

What is New York famous for?

1. Empire State Building – The Empire State Building was designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon architects and is modeled after the design for the Reynolds Building in North Carolina. Construction was completed in 1931, just around the time of the Great Depression in the United States. The building gave jobs to over 3,000 construction workers during some of the hardest times the country faced. It stood as the tallest building in the US until the completion of the twin towers in New York City. It was again surpassed by the former Sears Tower (now Willis Tower) in Chicago. Today the building stands as a symbol of New York City and is one of the tallest buildings on its iconic skyline.

2. Wall Street – New York City is known as the Financial Capital of the World. Wall Street is the central hub for the majority of that financial activity. Home to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ, AMEX, NYMEX and NYBOT, the area is constantly encircled by a swarm of organized chaos, as the world’s top financiers carry about their daily trading activities.

3. New York Yankees – The Yankees, interestingly enough, originated as the Baltimore Orioles in 1901. Two short years later, the team decided to relocate to New York City and play ball under a different name; the New York Highlanders. In 1913, the Yankees received their permanent name. The team has the most outstanding championship record in Major League Baseball with 27 World Series titles and 40 American League Pennants. Anyone that is not a Yankees fan is likely a Yankee hater, however there is no arguing the talent that the team has produced in the past, including notable players such as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra.

What is New York’s economy?

1. Finance – New York, the Financial Capital of the World, lives up to its nickname as it pushes ahead in this recession attempting to bolster stock trading, real estate and insurance sales. The state acts as a beacon to which other states look for guidance, and as such is working overtime in the financial industry with the hope that the rest of the country will follow their lead on the road to repairing the economy.

2. Manufacturing – Although not as important monetarily as Finance and Real Estate, manufacturing has and will continue to be important to the state revenue. Goods produced in New York include clothing, metals, foods, chocolate, furniture and chemicals.

3. Real Estate – Real estate contributes to a significant portion of the state revenue in New York. The state, and New York City in particular, has one of the highest costs of living in the world. Commercial space is equally expensive, allowing for a booming real estate market.

Who is the governor of New York?

David Paterson – The current governor of the state of New York was elected in 2008. Governor Paterson has a history in politics, becoming New York’s youngest Senator and the first non-white elected official in New York. He went on to become Lieutenant Governor before his election as Governor in 2008. The governor has focused his efforts thus far on reducing state deficit, making New York a healthier state, increasing access to education and creating jobs in the hard economic times.

New York Historical Landmarks

1. Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace – The only president born in New York City, Teddy Roosevelt was born into wealth. His home is restored to the condition it was in during the 1860s when Theodore was a child. The house is open to the public and tours are given daily. In addition to five rooms that have been meticulously restored, there are two galleries located within that display memorabilia that was donated by family of Theodore for the museum.

2. Bayard-Condict Building – This structure, located in New York City on well-known Bleecker Street. The architect, Louis Sullivan, mainly focused his architectural efforts on metropolitan Chicago rather than New York, teaching and influencing Frank Lloyd Wright and the beliefs of the Chicago School. As such, New York is home to only one of this architect’s creations. Sullivan was a pioneer in high-rise and steel technology, both in their infancy when he was a practicing architect. The Bayard Condict Building was one of the first high-rise towers, at thirteen stories, to use steel skeleton frame technology.

3. Brooklyn Bridge – Construction of the bridge was completed in 1883 and it allowed for an easy connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn. When it was built, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world and the first suspension bridge to use steel wire suspensions. The original designer of the project, John Augustus Roebling was unfortunately injured during the project, and the injury ultimately caused his death shortly thereafter. He placed his son, Washington in charge of the project, however Washington became paralyzed due to the side effects of working underwater in the caisson tubes. His wife Emily managed the project alongside her husband for 11 years.

4. Dyckman House – This Manhattan Farmhouse is the last of its kind. Manhattan did not always look as it does today, and nearly everyone gave in to the crushing pressure of development and urbanization. Everyone except the Dyckman family. William Dyckman built the house in 1784 and owned over 100 acres of land around the home. The house remained in the family until the city of New York purchased it in 1910 to turn it into a museum, forever solidifying the rural history of New York City on one of its neighborhood streets.

Five Online Resources for New York

Timeline of New York’s History

Official New York State Website

Official NY Travel and Tourism

NYC Government

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation of NY

Department of Education New York State

List of Famous People from New York

Resource by A.Evans

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