Seven reasons why New York City is groundbreaking, from a New Yorker’s perspective
New York City (NYC) is home to over 8 million people and a home away from home for even more, with roughly 60 million people visiting the Big Apple each year. Between the Statue of Liberty, enormous skyscrapers, Broadway, Times Square, and a plethora of other forms of entertainment and history, it is no wonder that the city is one of the world’s most memorable.
As a New Yorker myself, New York City was the first major city I visited, and there is no other city that I find I can connect with myself more in than the Empire City. But don’t just take my word for it, look at these seven impressive records held by NYC and the people impacted by the city.
Most extensive underground railroad system
Public transportation is a necessity in many cities and ever since 2000, The New York City Subway has held the record for most extensive underground railroad system. The railroad is around 245 miles long (394 km) and can take passengers to a wide array of places throughout the city, with over 25 lines available to the public.
The New York subway has been a central means of transportation for over 120 years, as of October 2024. Just last year, there was over 1 billion riders reported to have utilized the subway, as NY Governor Kathy Hochul reported in November 2024.
Largest LGBTQ march
NYC is home to a large number of people identifying as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, with an estimated 700,000 people being members as of 2021. The LGBTQ+ people show their pride throughout the year with events, talks, and more. However, there has not been an event as large as the WorldPride NYC 2019 march which saw over 5 million people attend.
The march took place 50 years after the Stonewall Inn police raid, in which activists like Marsha P. Johnson stood up for their right, leading to the start of pride parades and events starting in the 1970s.
Largest gift - statue
On 1 October 1886, the world-renowned Statue of Liberty, also known as Liberty Enlightening the World was gifted to the United States as a means of highlighting the 100-year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The creator of the present, the largest gifted statue in the world, was sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, who sent the statue over in separate pieces due to the enormous size. Once all the pieces were together again the statue stood at 151 ft and 1 in (46.5 m) and came in at 225 tons (252 tonnes).
The idea of honouring this historic American event came from Frenchman Édouard de Laboulaye in 1865, as he especially respected the recent abolition of slavery that occurred post-Civil War. He also recognized the alliance that France and America had and wanted to celebrate that connection.
Most Instagrammed city
Between stunning sunsets peeking through the skyline, billboards illuminating Times Square, and the famous Statue of Liberty, New York City offers many incredible sites that must be shared.
Since 2017, New York City has held the record of the most Instagrammed city. A recent study by Ruby Home Northwest revealed that the city had been posted over 189 million times on the social media site. Also, the popularity of NYC has not waned; within the calendar year of 2023, there were around 61.8 million visitors to the Big Apple.
Largest human puzzle piece
When a community works together, creativity can thrive and transform itself into impressive creations of human innovation by both machine and flesh. In the latter category, an impressive feat, the largest human puzzle piece, was created on 19 April 2023 at SIHU Community Park in Staten Island.
The leader of this impressive effort was NYC-based organization The GRACE Foundation, which supports people with autism. In total, 2,423 individuals came together and molded themselves into this record-breaking puzzle piece.
Most concerts by a symphony orchestra
Music is a large part of the entertainment scene in New York. One group that attracts classical music fans is the famous New York Philharmonic orchestra. The group that was first founded in 1842 performs a multitude of times every year.
In 2004, the group took the record for the most concerts performed by a symphony orchestra when they passed the 14,000 mark. By 2016, vastly approaching their demisemiquincentennial (175th) anniversary, the New York Philharmonic performed over 16,000 concerts.
Most consecutive baseball World Series victories
Baseball is often considered to be a pinnacle of American sports. The NY Yankees, first founded in 1903, are amongst the most successful baseball groups in Major League Baseball, with 27 World Series Victories under their belt as of 2024.
The baseball team holds the record for the most consecutive MLB World Series wins with five victories from the 1949 to 1953 seasons. Notably, the team also had a consecutive four-year win streak from 1936 to 1939, and they are the only team in the MLB to hold two consecutive wins of that size (or more).
New York City is a place in which people can explore sides of themselves that they have never investigated. Moreover, there are countless adventures to be found. The many achievements of the city and its people are one of the reasons why I am proud to be a New Yorker.
Header image: Ramil Ugot/ Pexels