A Few Fun Facts

Dutch traders bought the entire island of Manhattan in 1626 for 60 guilders - the equivalent of $973 in today's cash. Today, the average monthly rent is $3,350. There are as many as 800 languages spoken in NYC and more than half of them - like Mamuju from Indonesia, or Garifuna from Central America - are losing speakers so quickly that the Endangered Language Alliance was formed to track their levels of disuse. On its own, Brooklyn and its 2.5 million residents would form the 4th largest city in the country - after Chicago and Los Angeles. When the wind cuts in the right direction, the city can become overcome with the distinctive smell of maple syrup. In 2009, Mayor Bloomberg disclosed that roasted fenugreek from the Frutarom flavor factory in North Bergen, NJ, gives off the sweet scent. Since its 1930 completion, the owners of the Art Deco Chrysler Building haven't paid property taxes. The iconic skyscraper sits on land owned by Cooper Union, an institution that has been tax-exempt since its unveiling.