9 Unique Trivia Facts About New York You Might Not Have Heard Before
By John Williams|Published January 10, 2024
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John Williams
Author
John Williams is a writer based in New York City. He's been living in the state for over a decade. He loves nothing more than checking out some great regional cuisine and then taking a long walk in the park.
New York is a big state, and it’s filled with a whole lot of lore. It seems like we could spend days upon days talking about interesting historical facts and bits of trivia pertaining to this great state, but in the interest of time and space, we are just going to settle for nine great facts about New York that many readers might not know about. To learn more, keep reading these New York State trivia facts below.
1. The oldest municipal airport in America is located in New York.
Albany International Airport was founded all the way back in 1908 and continues to serve its community to this day. That’s over a 100 years of flights!
2. The smallest town in the state is 0.7 square miles.
Green Island is a tiny town that boasts a population of less than 3,000 and is attached to mainland on the west side of the Hudson River. In the 1800s, it was a manufacturing and transportation center, though now it is more known for having a self-contained electric company within the town.
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3. The film “The Place Beyond The Pines” was filmed in Schenectady.
The movie stars Ryan Gosling, Bradley, Cooper and Eva Mendes, and was shot at real places in the town—banks, police stations, a high school, and a town fair among them. The director Derek Cianfrance thought it was important to use real locations in the film, to add a sense of realism. Locals were even cast in extra roles.
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4. New York is home of the first legal brewery in America, following the prohibition.
On December 5th, 1933, prohibition was repealed, and the West End Brewing Co. in Utica, New York became the first brewery in the entire country to obtain a license and start to sell beer legally. The event was celebrated with a massive parade.
In the short story “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving, a Dutch-American man lives at the food of New York’s Catskill Mountains. Most Americans probably know the rest of this story: Rip sleeps for a very, very long time after becoming very, very intoxicated. In Irvington, New York, there is a statue that memorizes this figure; there is an additional sculpture close to the Hunter Mountain Ski Resort in the Catskills.
6. It took four full months to erect the Stature of Liberty.
It took nine years to construct the Statue of Liberty in France, and after it was disassembled for shipping to New York, it took four more months to rebuild the statue, which is made from copper with an internal structure of cast iron and stainless steel.
7. The first American Chess Congress was held in New York in 1857.
Though the first documented American chess tournament was held in New York in 1843, 1857 marked the first edition of the American Chess Congress, which served as a precursor to the U.S. Chess Championship, which happens to this day.
At least, we think. One of the more prominent origin stories, when it comes to chips, is centered around Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York, all the way back in 1853. The story goes like this: the shipping scion Cornelius Vanderbilt sent back a plate of fried potatoes, which were then returned to him by a spiteful chef as thin and fried as possible. To everyone’s surprise, Vanderbilt thought they were quite tasty, and a new snack was created.
All Walmart Supercenters are big, but some are bigger than others. In Albany, there is a 26,000 square foot, multi-floor supercenter that has the distinction of being the world’s largest Walmart, at least according to World Record Academy. If New Yorkers find themselves in the area, it is worth checking out for the sheer scale alone.
There are plenty more great bits of trivia pertaining to New York—readers are encouraged to write in with some of their own. Those thinking about planning a road trip around New York State should take a look at this list we made for that very purpose. And for those looking for a guide to packing for a road trip, we made a list for that, too.
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