Ramblersville, also known as Hamilton Beach, was once a fishing-reliant neighborhood. The area was independent of New York City until 1898. Prior to then, residents selected their own mayoral candidates from the "land-owning males.... provided he had caught at least 50 pounds of fish."

In the early 20th century, New Yorkers from all over made the trek to Inwood to see the figure of a mythical snake that had miraculously wedged itself inside a rock some 2,000 years ago. Geology Professor Charles P. Berkey debunked the myth, pointing out that the formation was simply "serpent-like markings...remnants of a thin layer or bed of impure limestone lying within a larger...more uniform mass."

A larger-than-life automaton beat out competitors at chess on the second floor of the Eden Musee. But the dummy was no robot, after all, skilled chess players took turns controlling Ajeeb from inside - provided they could fit.

Many might know that in 1915 the United States Lawn Tennis Association National Championship, the predecessor of the U.S. Open, moved from Newport Casino in Rhode Island, to Forest Hills. The tournament was played at West Side until 1978 when it moved to new facilities at Flushing Meadows. But the West Side Tennis Club also hosted the final of the 1914 International Lawn Tennis Challenge (now known as the Davis Cup.)

Sandy Ground, located on Staten Island, is the oldest continuously-inhabited free black settlement in the United States. Its records indicate that the first African American resident, John Jackson, purchased land here in 1828.

In 1884, this market grew out of the bustling up-and-coming neighborhood adjacent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Wallabout Market sold produce, meat, fish, and provisions until the 1940s when it was shut down so that its neighbor could expand to prepare for World War II. But that wasn't the only reason the market was so quickly shuttered - many feared that spies would infiltrate the Navy Yard from this public market.

That pile of rubble was once a piece of early-colonial history on the border of Brooklyn and Queens. The house, more of a defensive outpost than a home, was adorned with V-shaped openings for the firing of cannons and had a ladder that was lowered for entry rather than a typical front door.

The sprawling grounds of the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent were acquired from Edwin Forrest, one of this country’s leading 19th-century actors. Though known for many things, Forrest is most infamously remembered for his feud with William MacReady, which sparked the deadly Astor Place Riot.

The Black Horse Tavern was one of the well-known local venues that housed members of the British Army and Navy during the Revolutionary War, and where they supposedly engaged in a lot of drinking and dueling. An early 20th-century source placed the establishment of this business as early as 1665, but the exact date is unknown. By the early 20th century this watering hole remained open under the same name and was flagged as a site of interest in many driving and cycling guides of Staten Island.

The largest museum in America, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's hours were once geared toward keeping the public out. Now, the Met is the most visited tourist attraction in New York, with about seven million visitors in 2018.

The Brooklyn Bridge cost $15.5 million in 1883 dollars (about $403,339,000 in 2018 dollars) to build. The city of Brooklyn covered two-thirds of the cost, shouldering the burden of the bridge.

Founded in 1838 as a rural cemetery, Green-Wood Cemetary contains over 600,000 graves. It serves as the inspiration for both Prospect and Central Park.

Manhattan Beach, in some ways, served as a testing ground for the enormous and intricate amusement parks of Coney Island. Developed by Austin Corbin, a larger than life industrialist, Manhattan Beach became the face of New York's seaside entertainment- offering endless varieties of entertainment.

Before clean tap water was readily available, New Yorkers would drink from natural springs throughout the city- such that sometimes cups would be chained to or set next to springs.

St. Patrick's Cathedral wasn't consecrated until 1910 after its debt was paid off. This was more than 30 years after it was completed in 1879.

In keeping with its general body, the United Nations Building wasn't designed by a singular architect, but instead a group of them. Overseen by architect Wallace Harrison, the group was made up of architects, planners, and engineers that were nominated by their respective member states. Sven Markelius, (Sweden), Le Corbusier (France), Ssu-ch'eng Liang (China), G.A. "Guy" Soilleux (Australia), Nikolai Bassov (Soviet Union), Ernest Cormier (Canada), Gaston Brunfaut (Belgium), Howard Robertson (United Kingdom), Julio Vilamajó (Uruguay) and Oscar Niemeyer (Brazil).

In 1760, Pierre Abraham Lorillard established a tobacco company in New York City. Pierre was killed during the Revolutionary War, but his sons took over the firm and moved it to the Bronx in 1792. Peter Lorillard would construct a 45-room mansion, stone cottage, and stables. Not wanting to a long commute, he also built the nearby Lorillard Snuff Mill in 1840 for tobacco production. The mansion was destroyed by a fire in 1924, but the still standing mill is the oldest existing tobacco manufacturing building in the U.S.