September 8th, 2014 is the 350th anniversary of the surrender of Dutch New Amsterdam to the British and the settlement’s renaming as New York. read more..
Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrendered New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherland, to an English naval squadron under Colonel Richard Nicolls. Stuyvesant had hoped to resist the English, but he was an unpopular ruler, and his Dutch subjects refused to rally around him. Following its capture, New Amsterdam’s name was changed to New York, in honor of the Duke of York, who organized the mission. read more….
How Did the Boroughs Get Their Names?
In 1609 Robert Guet called the island “Mannahata,” after Native American names for the area. Henry Hudson referred to Staten Eylandt after the States General—Netherlands’ governing body. The Bronx is named after Jonas Bronck, who settled in the area in 1639. Brooklyn refers to Breukelen, the Dutch village in the Netherlands. Queens was named after Queen Catherine of Braganza, wife of King Charles II of England (1630-1685).
How Did New York Get The Nickname “The Big Apple”?
The Big Apple was first popularized as a reference to New York City by John J. Fitz Gerald in a number of New York Morning Telegrapharticles in the 1920s in reference to New York horse-racing. The earliest of these was a casual reference on May 3, 1921:
- P. Smith, with Tippity Witchet and others of the L. T. Bauer string, is scheduled to start for “the big apple” to-morrow after a most prosperous Spring campaign at Bowie and Havre de Grace.[10]
Fitz Gerald referred to the “big apple” frequently thereafter.[11] He explained his use in a February 18, 1924, column under the headline “Around the Big Apple”:
The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There’s only one Big Apple. That’s New York.
Two dusky stable hands were leading a pair of thoroughbred around the “cooling rings” of adjoining stables at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans and engaging in desultory conversation.
“Where y’all goin’ from here?” queried one.
“From here we’re headin’ for The Big Apple,” proudly replied the other.
“Well, you’d better fatten up them skinners or all you’ll get from the apple will be the core,” was the quick rejoinder.
The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There’s only one Big Apple. That’s New York.
Two dusky stable hands were leading a pair of thoroughbred around the “cooling rings” of adjoining stables at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans and engaging in desultory conversation.
“Where y’all goin’ from here?” queried one.
“From here we’re headin’ for The Big Apple,” proudly replied the other.
“Well, you’d better fatten up them skinners or all you’ll get from the apple will be the core,” was the quick rejoinder.
The term “big apple” was used by Frank Sinatra speaking to opera singer Dorothy Kirsten (who was his co-star in the late 1940s-early 1950s NBC radio program “Light Up Time” on a show that aired on 03/28/1950 at about the 2:30 mark. The show may be heard here.
Frank Sinatra also contributed to New York’s notoriety when he recorded the famous song New York, New York.
“Theme from New York, New York” (or “New York, New York“) is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York(1977), composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli. It remains one of the best-remembered songs about New York City.
In 1979, it was recorded by Frank Sinatra, for his album Trilogy: Past Present Future (1980), and has since become closely associated with him. He occasionally performed it live with Minnelli as a duet. Sinatra recorded it a second time in duet with Tony Bennett for his 1993 album Duets.
New York, New York
Start spreading the news
I am leaving today
I want to be a part of it
New York, New York
These vagabond shoes
Are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it
New York, New York
I wanna wake up in a city
That doesn’t sleep
And find I’m king of the hill
Top of the heap
These little town blues
Are melting away
I’ll make a brand new start of it
In old New York
If I can make it there
I’ll make it anywhere
It’s up to you
New York, New York
New York, New York
I want to wake up
in a city that never sleeps
And find I’m a number one, top of the list
King of the hill
A number one
These little town blues
Oh they’re melting away
I’m gonna make a brand new start of it
In old New York
And If I can make it there
I’m gonna make it anywhere
It’s up to you
New York, New York, New York
Read more: Frank Sinatra – New York, New York Lyrics | MetroLyrics
The New York Landscape has certainly changed in the last 350 years but the sentiment has always stayed the same:
I’m gonna make a brand new start of it
In old New York
And If I can make it there
I’m gonna make it anywhere
It’s up to you
New York, New York, New York!!!!
Happy 350th Birthday New York!
Happy Birthday Image shot last ysummer with a Verizon Droid RAZR HD #VZWBuzz in Central Park, NYC 08/13 by Katie Shea Design
Edited in Snapseed
Produced in Canva
Katie Shea Design 