Keep New York Wet. Save Water (Dept. of Environmental Protection)
"Keep New York wet. Save water." This was the slogan promoted by the city's Department of Environmental Protection in response to the drought-like conditions of the 1980s. The signs…
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Broadway Show League
In the 1950s, the cast of several Broadway shows played each other in a friendly game of baseball. They weren't quite the Yankees, but they were, perhaps, the Damn Yankees. The Broadway Show…
Hypodermic Needle (Freedom Tower, latest design)
The latest design for the Freedom Tower (the building planned for the World Trade Center area) is said to look like a "hypodermic needle." This replaces the design that was said to look…
New York City International Pickle Day
New York City International Pickle Day was started by the Food Museum in 2001 and has since been an annual event. The Lower East Side used to have many pickle shops, but most of them are now gone.…
“Our food is fresh. Our customers are spoiled.” (FreshDirect)
FreshDirect delivers food right to your door. You wouldn't think that a company like that could make money in New York City - anyone remember Kosmo.com and Urbanfetch? Isn't there some…
Cork
"Corks" were the transit cops, who work underground and pop to the surface. There used to be transit police and housing police and the police, but Mayor Rudy Giuliani merged all three…
“86” (not from Chumley’s or Empire State Building)
"Eighty six," in restaurant lingo, means to be out of an item. It is sometimes claimed that it comes from Chumley's, at 86 Bedford Street, or that it comes from the Empire State…
Garbagia Land
"Garbagia" (or "Garbagia Land") is the Harlem River Waterfront Park in the Bronx. The name - from "garbage" - is, of course, not official.…
Yuppie
"Yuppie" (young urban professional) is still used in New York. The term became a sensation in 1984. However, it appears that "yuppie" did not originate in New York.…
Taxes (Take the commercial rent tax, please!)
You want taxes? We've got a tax just for you! Here are the business taxes: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/business/business_tax_types.shtmlTax Types & DescriptionsBanking Corporation Tax…
Dirty Image (and illegal postering)
16 June 2005, New York Daily News, "City Washes Its Hands of '2nd Dirtiest' Ranking" by Jose Martinez, pg. 4:WE'VE WIPED AWAY the crime, but not the grime. A new survey in…
Forgotten Borough (Staten Island)
Staten Island is often called "the forgotten borough." It's isolated and doesn't have the population numbers of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx. The term…
Designers’ Row
Several streets claim to be "Designers' Row." All three can be justified. The block on East 58th Street (also East 59th Street), between Third and Second Avenues, has an official…
“I’d demand a recount” (William F. Buckley, Jr., Conservative, if elected mayor in 1965)
William F. Buckley, Jr. ran in 1965 for mayor of New York City. As a Conservative. He did get about 13% of he vote. He was asked what he would do if he won the race. Buckley issued his classic…
Broadway Brownie
"Broadway brownie" has been trademarked by Whole Foods, but other establishments have sold it. It's just a name. Is it different than any other brownie? (Google)Southern…
Taste of Chinatown
The "Taste of Chinatown" is a recent event. It was held in 2004 and 2005 and appears that it will be held annually. It features mostly Chinese food, of course.…
Lindy Hop
The "Lindy Hop" is said to have started at the Savoy Ballroom, on Lenox Avenue in Harlem. The term "Lindy Hop" came into almost immediate use after Charles Lindbergh's…
FIRE (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate) & ICE (Intellectual, Cultural, Educational)
"FIRE" stands for "Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate." It's New York City's largest industry. It's not known who first coined the "FIRE" acronym…
“Bubbles are for bathtubs” (housing bubble)
Housing bubble? What housing bubble? Do you mean that the space of a closet doesn't normally cost half a million dollars? "Bubbles" are for bathtubs" is a slogan that is making…
Flip Tax
The "flip tax" is also called the "transfer tax." It started in the 1970s, with the co-op apartment boom. People who sold or "flipped" their co-ops would have to pay a…