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New York’s many names…

Image: ian dooley

Did you know that New York has had several names throughout its history? The first documented European visit to New York Harbor was in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian explorer who claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême (New Angoulême), after the French city located on the banks of the Charente River.

Almost a century later, English explorer Henry Hudson rediscovered New York and claimed it for the Dutch East India Company, who christened Manhattan Island as Nieuw Amsterdam (New Amsterdam). In 1664, due to the war between The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the British took over the area and renamed it New York , as a tribute to King Charles II's brother, James, Duke of York.

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…and nicknames

Image: Artem Zhukov

In addition to its various official names, New York City has earned a good number of nicknames over the years. For example, Canvas Town, The Empire City, The City of Churches, Second City of the World, The Melting Pot, The City that Never Sleeps, The Center of the Universe, The City So Nice They Named It Twice, The Five Boroughs, and Metropolis, among many others.

But perhaps the most iconic New York City monikers are Gotham —coined by writer Washington Irving in 1807— and, of course, The Big Apple . In May 1921, sportswriter John Joseph Fitz Gerald of the New York Morning Telegraph first used The Big Apple in a feature on horse racing. As he later explained, that was the way New Orleans grooms' referred to New York City. Later, in the 1970s, an advertising campaign revived the nickname, and the rest is history.

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National capital

Image: Cornelius Tiebout, artist and engraver of the original; this copy engraved by Hatch & Smillie and printed by J. &. G. Neale., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Given its cultural, political, and financial richness, it's curious that New York is not the capital of the United States. However, although it was only for five years, at one point in history it became a reality. Between January 11, 1785, and August 12, 1790, The Empire City served as the last capital under the Articles of Confederation and the first capital under the U.S. Constitution .

While the capital resided in New York, the representatives of Congress met in Federal Hall, a building located close to the current site of the Wall Street Stock Exchange. In fact, this is where George Washington was sworn in as president in 1789. However, a year later the Residence Act established the temporary seat of government in Philadelphia until the construction of the new capital, Washington, DC, was completed. Congress met for the first time in its new and current location on November 17, 1800.

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Linguistically diverse

Image: Dan Gold

Did you know that New York is one of the most linguistically diverse places in the world? It’s like a modern-day Tower of Babel, which is no surprise given its nickname, The Melting Pot . It is estimated that up to 700 different languages are currently spoken in New York, many of them endangered. For example, in Queens, there is a small community that speaks Tagalog, the language on which Filipino is based. In the Bronx, on the other hand, several families still speak Laotian at home.

Alongside these lesser-known dialects, other more widespread languages such as Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian, and Italian, are spoken daily by communities that migrated to New York from their native countries. And that today, after several generations, still have a relevant representation in the most cosmopolitan city on the planet.

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First pizza

Image: Jon Tyson

Not surprisingly, the first pizzeria in the United States is located in New York. The Italian immigrants who arrived in the city at the end of the 19th century brought with them their language, customs, and of course, their delicious food. One of these immigrants, Gennaro Lombardi, used leftover dough from the bread he sold in his Little Italy grocery store to make "tomato pies," following his Neapolitan family's recipe.

This pizza was so successful that in 1905, Lombardi converted his store into a pizza place. Little by little, he adapted his pizza to American ingredients and tastes, and lo and behold in a short time he had created what we now know as New York-style pizza. Lombardi's Pizza, today one of the most legendary pizzerias in New York, is the oldest in the United States. Be sure to grab a slice next time you visit The Big Apple — you won’t regret it!

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Golden city

Image: Zlaťáky.cz

A city of firsts and mosts, New York is also home to the world's largest known depository of monetary gold. Buried 80 feet below street level, on the bedrock of Manhattan Island, hides an incredible treasure. Established in 1924, the vault of the main building of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, located in the Financial District, stores more gold than The United States Bullion Depository, better known as Fort Knox.

As of 2024, it houses approximately 507,000 gold bars. This reserve is enclosed in a 140-ton steel-and-concrete frame protected by a state-of-the-art security system. About 98% of the gold belongs to foreign governments, while the rest is owned by the U.S. government and other financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund.

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Unique ZIP codes

Image: William Wachter

Apart from being home to major companies, the most photographed building in the world, and getting struck by lightning about 25 times a year, the Empire State Building is also notable for having its own ZIP code: 10118.

Although located in South Midtown, the building is so large that the U.S. Postal Service needed to assign it a unique zone improvement plan—ZIP for short—to handle its high volume of mail more accurately and efficiently. To be fair, other buildings in New York also have their own ZIP codes , including 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the Chrysler Building, The Pavilion, Park Avenue Plaza, and the Pennsylvania Building, among others.

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Birding paradise

Image: Laila Zouaki

New York has something for everyone, but wildlife? Who would have thought! When it comes to fauna, New York is much more than just rats, squirrels, and cockroaches. In fact, this concrete jungle has had animals at its heart since the beginning: two beavers adorn the official city seal. But not many New Yorkers know that Central Park is one of the nation's top spots for bird-watching.

The city is located at a concentration point on the Atlantic Flyway bird migration route, making it possible to observe birds year-round. In 1886, the park's first official bird census counted 121 species. Since then, 282 have been observed, including cuckoos, warblers, sparrows, owls, gulls, and Peregrine Falcons, among many others. Some of the best places in Central Park for birding are North Woods, The Ramble, Hallett Nature Sanctuary, and The Pond.

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Times Square

Image: graphicsdays1989

The busiest street in the Big Apple owes its current name to a newspaper . Formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street, this area is now a spectacle of lights, screens, neon signs, theaters, and hordes of people. However, it was once the center of New York's horse carriage industry. For this reason, in the late 19th century it was known as Longacre Square.

In the early 20th century, The New York Times moved its offices to a skyscraper on 42nd Street. A new subway station soon followed and the area was given the name we know it by today, Times Square. Although the newspaper moved out a few years later, that building is still famous for the Times Square Ball drop on its roof every New Year's Eve.

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Film mecca

Image: Marta Wave

Declared a National Historic Landmark, Central Park is a staple of New York City. It’s no wonder that this area, in addition to its natural beauty, is a world cultural icon. Central Park is, in fact, the most-filmed location in the world , having been featured in movies as far back as 1908.

With silver screen classics like An Affair to Remember or Breakfast at Tiffany's and modern films including Home Alone and The Avengers , more than 300 productions have chosen this 843-acre park in the heart of the bustling city to film some of the most iconic scenes in movie history. Have you ever spotted Central Park in a film or TV show? Now you won't stop seeing it everywhere!

1

Frankford Avenue Bridge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Image: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Long before America declared independence, a bridge was already standing strong in Philadelphia. Built in 1697, the Frankford Avenue Bridge holds the title of the oldest bridge still in use in the United States. Picture stagecoaches rattling across its stone arches, carrying passengers between Philadelphia and New York. Today, cars hum across the same path, hardly noticing they’re rolling over a structure that has endured for more than three centuries —a quiet survivor of colonial times still woven into modern city life.

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Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

Image: Maarten van den Heuvel

What if we told you that a bridge once called "impossible" now defines an entire city? When it opened in 1937, the Golden Gate spanned an incredible 4,200 feet, a record that stunned engineers across the globe. Its sweeping cables and graceful towers are much more than just steel —it’s poetry over water. Painted in its famous "international orange," this bridge doesn’t just stand tall against the fog, it glows through it, serving as both a practical crossing and a proud emblem of San Francisco’s scenic location.

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Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Tampa Bay, Florida

Image: Joseph Corl

Reaching gracefully across 4.1 miles of Tampa Bay, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge rises like a fleet of white sails frozen in motion. Finished in 1987, it was designed to do more than just connect two shores—it was built to inspire. Its towering piers and broad cables give it the look of a ship setting out to sea, a fitting image for Florida’s sunlit coast. On bright days, motorists often describe the drive as more than a commute; it feels like gliding above the Gulf itself, where the horizon stretches endlessly and the water sparkles below like glass.

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Brooklyn Bridge, New York, New York

Image: Alexander Rotker

Here’s a tale worth telling: when the Brooklyn Bridge first opened in 1883, many New Yorkers doubted its strength. To calm their fears, showman P. T. Barnum led 21 elephants across the span, proving once and for all that the monumental structure could hold far more than horse-drawn carriages. With its stone Gothic towers rising like cathedrals and its web of cables fanning out in graceful arcs, the Brooklyn Bridge is both an engineering triumph and a work of art. More than a century later, it still stands as a symbol of American ingenuity.

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Memorial Bridge, Washington, D.C.

Image: Devansh Bajaj

Picture this: a bridge that doesn’t just link two shores, but two chapters of American history. The Arlington Memorial Bridge, completed in 1932, was designed to align the Lincoln Memorial with Arlington House, symbolizing a nation healing after the Civil War. Its central span works like an enormous see-saw—an elegant bascule that tips upward, heavy as a freight train, to open the way for ships on the Potomac. More than steel and stone, it’s a gesture of reconciliation and remembrance.

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Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct, Nicholson, Pennsylvania

Image: WallyFromColumbia at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Imagine standing at the foot of a concrete wall as high as a 20-story tower, stretching farther than the eye expects a bridge could go. That’s what people experienced in 1915 when the Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct—better known as the Nicholson Bridge—first appeared on the Pennsylvania landscape. Spanning 2,375 feet with arches rising 240 feet above the valley, it was the largest concrete bridge in the world at its completion. More than a century later, trains still roll across its 12 arches, looking like miniature toys against the bridge’s sheer immensity.

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Roebling Suspension Bridge, Cincinnati, Ohio

Image: Thomas Rupp

If the Brooklyn Bridge impressed you, the Roebling Suspension Bridge in Ohio will blow your mind, as it was built years earlier by the same man. When it opened in 1867, it set a world record as the longest suspension bridge, stretching an impressive 1,057 feet across the Ohio River. It was John A. Roebling’s first marvel, only overtaken by his own later New York landmark. For the people of Cincinnati, the bridge was proof that American engineering could rival anything in the world, a daring leap that linked two cities and paved the way for future icons.

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North Bridge, Concord, Massachusetts

Image: Christopher Ryan

Set foot on the North Bridge in Concord and you’re not just crossing the Concord River—you’re walking into the pages of history. It was in this exact place that, in April 1775, a musket fire rang out, sparking the first battle of the American Revolution and changing the course of a nation forever. The bridge visitors see today is a careful 1956 reconstruction, built to honor the original. Yet, the setting remains almost the same: the quiet river below, the fields beyond, and the sense that this unassuming wooden span still carries the echoes of liberty’s first call.

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Middle Covered Bridge, Woodstock, Vermont

Image: Michelle_Pitzel

There’s a certain mystique about covered bridges, and Woodstock’s Middle Bridge feels like it was lifted straight from a storybook. Though built in 1969, it was crafted with traditional techniques, giving it the spirit of a much older landmark. Stretching 135 feet across the Ottauquechee River, its peaked wooden roof frames a perfect New England scene —red barns, rolling hills, and the steady flow of water beneath. Beyond its whimsical charm, the roof serves a purpose: protecting the bridge’s sturdy timbers from Vermont’s long, snowy winters so it can stand strong for generations.

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New River Gorge Bridge, Fayetteville, West Virginia

Image: Ian Pearthree

From a distance, the New River Gorge Bridge might seem like any other stretch of highway. But step onto it, and it’s a different story. Opened in 1977, this steel arch rises 876 feet above the rushing waters below—higher than stacking two Statues of Liberty end to end. It is a symbol of West Virginia’s rugged beauty, celebrated each October during "Bridge Day," when traffic halts, and the bridge transforms into a stage for daring jumps, local crafts, and awe-struck visitors soaking in one of the most breathtaking views in America.

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Bow Bridge, Central Park, New York, New York

Image: Pierre Blaché

As light as lace yet forged from iron, Bow Bridge sweeps in a gentle curve across Central Park’s shimmering lake. Completed in 1862, it quickly became more than a passage—it turned into a stage for the city’s daily rhythms. Artists set up easels to capture its elegance, photographers frame it against the water, and couples linger at its railings, savoring the view. Street musicians often fill the air with music, while beyond the trees, New York’s skyline stretches high. Amid the steel and stone of the metropolis, Bow Bridge endures as a quiet piece of poetry shaped in metal.

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Harbor Bridge, Corpus Christi, Texas

Image: Vladislav Osterman

You now know what the oldest bridge in America is, but what about the newest? Unveiled in 2025, the new Harbor Bridge in Texas was designed to last up to 170 years. Its sleek towers and graceful cables rise 205 feet above the water, high enough for massive cargo ships to glide underneath without pause. By day, it’s a marvel of modern engineering, but when night falls, it completely transforms. A sophisticated computer system of LED lights ripples across its frame, painting Corpus Christi’s shoreline in vivid colors. More than a crossing, it’s a staple of economic growth.

1

Townhouse

Image: Aman Kumar

Most commonly found in cities, townhouses have spacious layouts, more amenities than the condo styles, and lower maintenance than most residential homes. They’re typically two or three-story homes, usually sharing one or two walls with adjacent properties, and a rooftop deck to enjoy sprawling views.

While the most famous examples are the ones from New York or San Francisco, thanks to TV series and movies, these types of homes can be found all over the country.

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Cape Cod

Image: Phil Hearing

Cape Cod houses bring to mind the classic American cottage style but with a weekend feel to them. This type of home design migrated from the UK to the United States, maintaining its symmetrical design and central chimney.

These houses feature a steep roof to keep snow from accumulating, dormer windows for added light, wood siding and shutters to keep the heat in, and hardwood floors for comfort and practicality.

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Modern

Image: Avi Werde

Funny how the word "modern" is used to define things that happened 100 years ago, right? Emerging in the 1920s to embrace minimalism and reject the more ornate house styles, modern house styles include progressive elements such as asymmetrical exteriors, flat roofs, and integrated outdoor spaces.

Many modern interiors also feature minimal to zero molding and trim, neutral color palettes, and metal accents to accentuate the simplicity of its design.

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Farmhouse

Image: Raychel Sanner

A house design that has been around for a long time, the farmhouse style was created back in the early 1700s, as housing for farmers and is all about practicality.

Modern farmhouses still showcase many of the same features from the original design such as large, wraparound front porches, clapboard siding, large fireplaces, wood floors, eat-in kitchens, and oversized kitchen sinks.

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Craftsman

Image: Lernestorod

This style became increasingly popular in the 1900s and has remained a staple throughout the 21st century. Craftsman style adds charm to any neighborhood with its exterior features, including shingles, low-pitched roofs, and covered front porches.

These types of houses feature interior details such as thick trim, prominent ceiling beams, and built-in shelving and seating.

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Contemporary

Image: James Kovin

A style often compared to modern style architecture, contemporary is very much a trend these days among house builders. These homes have simple forms without elaborate ornamentation or detail.

Showcasing geometric lines, large windows and doors to bring in light, and open floor plans, contemporary homes often incorporate sustainable and eco-friendly building materials, textures, and components, exposed roof beams, and flat or low-pitched roofs.

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Cottage

Image: Czapp Botond

As the name implies, cottage houses of the 1920s and 30s were inspired by the cozy cottage-style houses of the English countryside, but with a more modern twist.

This style of house typically has a steep, thatched roof, arched doorways, and shuttered windows. They can be found in semi-rural areas, closed communities, and holiday spots, among other places.

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Mid-Century Modern

Image: Lenalensen

A style that has been well represented in modern media, the mid-century modern style is part of the modernism movement and dates back to post-World War II, and remained popular throughout the 1970s.

This design is characterized by minimalism. Think of clean lines and floor-to-ceiling windows, open layouts, and a mix of natural and manufactured materials for the interior elements like wood, stone, steel, and plastic.

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Colonial

Image: Mateus Campos Felipe

Another early style, colonial architecture has maintained its allure in many parts of the United States. These classic homes are known for their vintage charm, decorative doorways, and symmetrical window placement.

Many of these houses will be similar to the Cape Cod-style home because of their symmetry and side-gabled roofs but with two or three stories, fireplaces, and brick or wood exteriors.

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Ranch

Image: Michal Průcha

A style that dates back to the 1930s, ranch homes grew in popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, and are still popular today. This architecture is known for its simple, single-story floor plan, low-to-the-ground look, often with an open layout and occasional basement.

With a smaller yard, attached garage, and a low-pitched roof, the ranch-style home often features large windows and sliding glass doors, encouraging an indoor-outdoor living style. A ranch can also be called a ‘rambler,’ depending on which region in the country it is located.