A is for Big Apple…The nickname for New York City has been hotly debated for years. The reference has been traced to Depression-era fruit vendors, a jazz club in Harlem, and a popular 1930s dance move.

B is for Brooklyn Bridge…When the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883 it was the longest suspension bridge ever built. It is also a shout out to the Brooklyn borough, as mentioned in the hit single ‘No Sleep ‘Till Brooklyn’ by the New York City based hip hop group, The Beastie Boys. 

C is for Hotel Chelsea…The Hotel Chelsea is an iconic Chelsea landmark. It has been called home by famous writers, artists and musicians over many decades. Leonard Cohen wrote the song “Chelsea Hotel No 2” in 1974, vibrantly describing the creative, art fueled bohemian lifestyle of 1970s New York City.

D is for Dumpling…Chinatown in Lower Manhattan is home to the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, and is home to over 300 restaurants.

E is for Edie Sedgwick…Edie Sedgwick was a 1960s actress, ‘it girl’ and model from California. She was famously known as one of Andy Warhol’s muses from The Factory, starring in many of his short films. 

F is for Freedom…In 1969 the gay rights movement launched with the Stonewalll Riots, a series of violent demonstrations between the LGBT community and the Greenwich Village police. The Stonewall Inn is a LGBT friendly bar and has been declared a National Historic Landmark. 

G is for Guggenheim Museum…Named after the first owner, Solomon R. Guggenheim, the museum moved into its iconic 20th century architecture building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1952.  

H is for Hero…The firefighters, police officers, doctors, and civilians that aided during the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks will forever be memorialized as Heros for their bravery and service.  

I is for Iris Apfel…Iris Apfel was born in 1921 and grew up in Queens. A collector, interior designer, entrepreneur, and fashion icon she’s best known for her oversized glasses, and bold, layered accessories.

 

J is for Jitney…The Hampton Jitney is the legendary transportation service taking passengers from Manhattan out East to Long Island and the Hamptons. It also delivers pastries to and from the city. 

K is for Katz Delicatessen…This culinary institution has been a fixture of the Lower East Side since 1888, serving pastrami, corned beef and other jewish deli classics to visitors from across the globe.

L is for City Lights…The Manhattan skyline is one of the most iconic in the world. 

M is for Manhattan…The origination of the cocktail made solely of whiskey, vermouth and bitters is unconfirmed, but is claimed to have been invented in the Manhattan Club, according to their history book. 

N is for Naked Cowboy…The Naked Cowboy is the most famous street performer in Times Square. Dressing in only white briefs, and cowboy boots and hat, he plays the guitar and poses for photos with tourists. He is rumored to be a multi-millionaire and ran for Mayor of New York City in 2009.

O is for Oy Vey...Oy Vey is a Yiddish phrase or exclamation expressing dismay or grief. 

P is for Pizza…The first pizzeria in the United States was founded in 1905 in a small grocery store in Little Italy. The original New York City pizzas were made with cheese on the bottom and sauce on top.

Q is for Queen…The Queen a.k.a. Statue of Liberty, is a neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in the New York City Harbour. She symbolizes freedom and democracy, and was gifted from France in 1886.

R is for Rats…Urban legend states that the rats of New York are five times the population of humans. They spend their days in trash cans feasting on pizza and gourmet Shake Shack leftovers. 

S is for Strawberry Fields…Strawberry Fields is a nearly three acre field in Central Park. It is a living memorial of former Beatles member and peace activist, John Lennon. Named after the song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and memorialized by a black and white mosaic spelling out his song title, “Imagine.” 

T is for Taxi…In order to drive and operate a yellow cab in New York City, one must be in possession of a taxi medallion, a transferable permit to drive a cab. Often sold, the sales record in 2014 was $1.3 million.

U is for Underground Jazz…The 1920s prohibition era marked a thriving underground speakeasy and jazz scene in Harlem. Iconic jazz singer, Billie Holiday, found fame at Jerry’s on 133rd Swing Street.

V is for Vote…In 1848, the first woman's rights convention in United States was held in Seneca Falls, launching the women’s rights movement in the country. Women won the right to vote in New York in 1917. 

W is for Woodstock…The music festival was hosted in 1969 by a dairy farm in Bethel, NY after the towns of Woodstock and Wallkill refused. It lasted four days and had around 400,000 attendees. 

X is for X-ing…There are over 2,000 crossings, tunnels and bridges, connecting the boroughs. 

Y is for Yankees…The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team, based in the Bronx. ‘Yankee’ was the common nickname for being an American, and became the official team name in 1904. 

Z is for Zamboni…A zamboni is an ice rink cleaning and resurfacing device invented in 1949 by Frank Zamboni. They can be found smoothing the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink in the winter months.