In August 1962, New York City cops began patrolling the streets at night while dressed as women. The idea was to trap would-be muggers. But not all the decoy cops were successful at apprehending the muggers. Patrolman Victor Ortiz got hit over the head by a mugger, lost his gun, and his assailant got away. […]
The New York City owns an abandoned 22-acre
The New York City owns an abandoned 22-acre island less than one mile from Manhattan. It has been abandoned since 1963 with no current plans of development. 00
There are an estimated 550 wild parrots…
There are an estimated 550 wild parrots living in NYC that were accidentally released from a shipment at JFK airport in the late 60s. 00
Scientists conducted a study and determined that…
Scientists conducted a study and determined that there are about 2 million rats running around New York City. They can jump a horizontal distance of up to 4 feet, survive a fall from a height of almost 40 feet, and tread water for three days. 00
In New York subways, booth attendants would…
In New York subways, booth attendants would sprinkle chili powder in coin slots to stop people from “coin sucking”. 00
In the 1930s New York city planner Robert…
In the 1930s New York city planner Robert Moses deliberately built a number of bridges really low so that only cars could go under it – so as to prevent blacks (who mostly used public transport) from visiting New York’s ‘pristine’ beaches. 10
Towers in New York can fake and exaggerate how many…
Towers in New York can fake and exaggerate how many floors they have, using tricks like different sets of elevators to hide the missing floors.
NY City used to use hollowed out trees as water…
NY City used to use hollowed out trees as water mains in the early 19th Century. A working example was still connected to the city water lines as late as 2006.
In NYC there is a pizza sized plot of land…
In NYC there is a pizza sized plot of land sitting in the middle of a sidewalk. As a result of a surveying error, it was left as part of an estate. The heirs refused to donate the plot of land to NYC, instead putting a mosaic on the plot in 1922. The mosaic is […]
Robert Moses, the extremely powerful New York City urban….
Robert Moses, the extremely powerful New York City urban planner, hated the idea of poor people lowering the tone at the seaside, so he built low bridges over his parkways to ensure that only cars, not buses, could make the trip.