Ten Little Known Facts about New York

I've lived in New York City my entire life apart from the 2 1/2 years I spent freezing my behind off in Syracuse, and the extended periods of time that I've spent in the city of my dreams, London. So I was interested when I came across this book in the library, Strange but True, New York City. There was stuff in this book that even I didn't know. This book was so interesting, I plan on buying a copy to stuff in our basket for National next year. So with that in mind, here are Ten little known facts about New York that I recently learned.

1. Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn was built in 1787 making it the second oldest public school in the country.

2. The term 'Big Apple' was first used by author Edward S. Martin in his 1909 book, The Wayfarer in New York, to reflect the sentiment that the city received more than a fair share of the nation's wealth.

3. The world's largest gothic cathedral is the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (I had my high school graduation at the Cathedral).

4. New York has the highest concentration of peregrine falcons in the world.

5. There is a whispering gallery in the Oyster Bar in Grand Central station. You can stand at one end and people can hear you whisper at the other end.

6. Nathan Hale was executed by the British not only for being a spy but also for attempting to burn down New York City.

7. Robert Johnson, a Brooklyn pharmacist, invented the Band-Aid

8. Bellevue Hospital, established in 1734, is the oldest established general hospital in the country. It was the first to offer a hospital based ambulance service, and the first to establish a nursing school.

9. The surface temperature of an average New York City street during a hot summer day is 150 degrees Fahrenheit. An egg begins to cook at 145 degrees Fahrenheit making the expression 'hot enough to cook an egg' a reality.

10. Manhattan has the highest population density in North America but anyone who has been to New York could probably figure that out.