“Lungs of the City” (Central Park)
It's commonly believed that Frederic Law Olmsted coined the term "lungs of the city" in reference to New York's Central Park. Olmsted helped design Central Park in 1858, and the…
“Make your mark in New York, and you are a made man”
Mark Twain (the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemons, 1835-1910) reported from New York City for the Daily Alta California, and wrote on May 17, 1867 (published on June 16): "Make your mark in…
“Mayor’s Eye” & “Get the worms out of the Big Apple” (Dept. of Investigation)
The Department of Investigation began in the 1870s, after many city scandals. The early version of the DOI wasn't very active. Raymond B. "Fearless" Fosdick was appointed…
“Money is to New York City as power is to Washington, D.C.”
"As money is to New York City, the old analogy goes, so power is to Washington, DC." wrote Timothy Carney in the March 14, 2009 New York (NY) Post. It is not clear who originated this…
“Name your baby ‘Gotham’” (joke)
The fictional superhero Batman always saves Gotham City. A joke has it that pregnant women should name their boys "Gotham." That way, if a mother needs help changing a diaper in the…
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers…”
Greek historian Herodotus (484 BCE - 430 BCE) is often said to have written in Histories, Book 8, Chapter, 98: "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from…
“New York—when civilization falls apart, remember, we were way ahead of you”
"New York...when civilization falls apart, remember, we were way ahead of you" is a jocular one-line saying that has been printed on several images. American comedian David Letterman,…
“New York City is a luxury product” (Michael Bloomberg)
New York City (especially Manhattan) has often been criticized for its high taxes and high cost of living. In his first term as mayor (from 2002). Michael Bloomberg raised taxes, stating that he…
“New York in adversity towers above any other city in the world” (Ed Koch)
Ed Koch (1924-2013) was the mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989. In the 1970s, New York City was near bankruptcy. Koch said during his inauguration on January 1, 1978: "These have been…
“New York is a sucked orange” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Ralph Waldo Emerson called New York City "a sucked orange" in an essay printed in 1860. A "sucked orange" has no juice. Emerson didn't like New York. The "sucked…
“New York is an exciting town where something is happening all the time, most of it unsolved”
"New York is an exciting town. It’s where things happen...from the United Nations to the opening nights on Broadway," a newspaper published in 1969. American television host and…
“New York is cocaine, opium, hashish”
American short story writer and journalist Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) wrote to Samuel Loveman on May 28, 1911: "This is my dull period -- I've been pleasuring for weeks in New York, and…
“New York is dead. Don’t come back”
"NEW YORK IS DEAD. DON'T COME BACK" is a saying that has been printed on many images. During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, many people left New York City. The statement by…
“New York is never the same city for more than a dozen years altogether”
New York City has long been known for destroying old buildings and replacing them with new ones. Harper's New Monthly Magazine's "Editor's Easy Chair" wrote in July 1856:…
“New York is the city where the future comes to rehearse”
"New York is the city where the future comes to rehearse" is what New York City Mayor Ed Koch said at his third inaugural address on January 1, 1986. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg…
“New York is way better than Old York”
New York (city and state) is often compared to the city of York in North Yorkshire, England -- sometimes jocularly called "Old York." A design with New York State and the words "Way…
“New York leads all cities in the number of people around whom you shouldn’t make a sudden move”
Television talk show host and comedian David Letterman said on Late Night with David Letterman in September 1986: "New York now leads the world's great cities in the number of people…
“New York, the nation’s thyroid gland”
American journalist and novelist Christopher Morley (1890-1957) notably called New York City "the nation's thyroid gland." The thyroid affects human growth; New York's…
“New York, thy name’s Delirium” (“Owed to New York” poem)
Byron Rufus Newton (1861-1938) wrote "New York, thy name's Delirium" as the last line of his poem,"Owed to New York." He wrote the satirical poem as a reporter of the New…
“New York: Tolerant of your beliefs, judgmental of your shoes”
"NYC: Tolerant of your beliefs, judg(e)mental of your shoes" is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. "My favorite storage ad to date: 'NYC - Tolerant of your…