Hectic Facts About New York City, The City That Never Sleeps
New York is among the most storied cities in all the world. It is a major travel, business, and cultural hub. You will find fine dining beside Ray's Pizza, luxury shopping in Soho next to the crammed knock-off shops of Canal St.
New York is a mosaic of cultures that have all come together to give the Big Apple a flavor of its own. And despite being featured in countless movies, TV shows, and songs, the city that never sleeps still has a few secrets to tell.
1. Ellis Island
From 1889 to 1926, over 16 million immigrants entered through New York harbor into the United States. About 30% of Americans can trace at least one ancestor to Ellis Island.
2. Luck of the Irish
Due to devastation from the potato famine and political turmoil in Ireland, by 1855 more native-born Irish lived in New York City than in the Dublin, the nation's capital.
3. We're Gonna Need a Bigger City...
Every year New Yorkers are responsible for ten times as many biting incidents as sharks are globally.
4. Power of Nature
The city that never sleeps, obviously, needs a whole lot of power to keep it running. So where does all that electricity come from?
Niagara Falls produces a large portion of the city's energy needs, but another source is actually floating just off the coast. Several natural gas "power barges"
moored on the Brooklyn shore can be quickly fired up in case of emergency to provide extra juice when the city needs it.