In a New York Hour Online Quiz | New York

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1. It's a beautiful Monday afternoon in August, so I head to Citi Field in Flushing for a matinee New York Mets baseball game. After the game, I am still in a sporting mood, but I don't want to sit on the subway for a New York hour. Which of these venues is just a short walk from Citi Field?

Answer: Arthur Ashe Stadium

Hopefully you caught the "August" hint...Arthur Ashe Stadium hosts the U.S. Open tennis tournament every summer. It is part of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is located within Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, within view of Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. You don't even need to get on the subway or bus to go from one to the other! The other choices are all located in New York City, but in other boroughs.

2. I'm coming into Manhattan on the Long Island Railroad, so I am arriving into Penn Station. I've already spent a New York hour in commute from the suburbs, so I'd rather not go underground or sit in traffic in a taxi. Which of these venues is adjacent to Penn Station?

Answer: Madison Square Garden

Both Madison Square Garden and Penn Station are located between 7th/8th Avenues, and 33rd/34th Streets. You can get from one to the other without even crossing the street! Penn Station is the key hub of New Jersey Transit and the Long Island Railroad as well. Radio City Music Hall is near Rockefeller Center, north and east of Penn Station and MSG. Both the Met and Museum of Natural History are located further uptown.

3. Although the subway system can take you to almost any location in New York City, it can't quite go anywhere. Three of these locations are directly served by at least four subway lines. Which is the odd one out?

Answer: Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

With the way cities develop, transportation infrastructure can precede buildings. The Javits Center was opened in 1986 and has not directly been served by any subway station. The Javits Center is home to many conventions, including the annual auto and boat shows.

4. Accessible from nearly any point in New York City is a planned, rectangular tract of greenery. It runs from 59th to 110th Streets south to north, and from 5th to 8th Avenues east to west. Perhaps you've been one of its 37.5 million annual visitors. Quite "centrally" located, what is the name of this park?

Answer: Central Park

Central Park is called the most filmed location in the world, and the most visited urban park in the United States. Home to over 25,000 trees, it initially opened in 1857, on 778 acres of city-owned land (later 840 acres). In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park. Construction began the same year, continued during the US Civil War, and was completed in 1873.

Interesting little factoid (call it "strange but true"): more gunpowder was used to clear the area than was used at the battle of Gettysburg during the US Civil War.

5. Here are four prestigious universities. Three of them can be reached in less than a New York Hour - they're located within New York City. The fourth is outside both New York City and New York State. Which is the odd one out?

Answer: Wharton School of Business

All four are among the finest institutions the US has to offer. The Wharton School of Business is part of the University of Pennsylvania, while the other schools are in Manhattan. Mailman is the public health school of Columbia University. Cardozo is the law school of Yeshiva University, and Stern is the business school of New York University.

6. If I were to take the longest subway line (the A train) from 207th Street in upper Manhattan to its southern terminal, it may take a New York Hour or two. The line winds down Broadway, Central Park West and 8th Avenue in Manhattan, en route to Brooklyn along Fulton Street and then to Queens. Where is the end of the line?

Answer: Far Rockaway

The A train has three southern terminals: Lefferts Boulevard in Ozone Park, Queens; Rockaway Park, Queens (rush hours only); and the most common destination, Far Rockaway, Queens. Unfortunately, much of the subway infrastructure in the Rockaways was damaged or washed away during Hurricane Sandy in November 2012, and reopened in May 2013.

The E train runs along 8th Avenue from Jamaica Center to World Trade Center, but does not continue into Brooklyn, and thus, is substantially shorter than then A.

7. At the southwestern end of Central Park (59th Street and Central Park West), we find one of the world's most famous intersections. It is directly served by six subway lines and five bus lines. It is also the point from which all official distances from New York City are measured. Can you name it?

Answer: Columbus Circle

Columbus Circle is an actual traffic circle, controlled by traffic lights and with a large pedestrian plaza in the middle. American architect William Phelps Eno designed Columbus Circle, which was built in 1905. It is easily accessible by bus, train, and even by hansom cab.

But interestingly, the Broadway express train lines (2 and 3) bypass Columbus Circle, except for late nights, when both the 1 and 2 trains line run local.

8. Haunted? This highway has two narrow lanes and is curved for much of its short (4.95 miles or 7.97 km) distance between Grand Central Parkway in Queens, and Jamaica Avenue in Brooklyn. There are large, historic cemeteries on either side of the highway, where many famous New Yorkers are buried. One of these, Cypress Cemetery, houses the grave of the highway's namesake. Can you name the highway?

Answer: Jackie Robinson Parkway

In May 1997, the Interborough Parkway was renamed the Jackie Robinson Parkway to honor the 50th anniversary of Robinson's entrance into Major League Baseball as the first player to break the color barrier. Major League Baseball subsequently "retired" the uniform number 42 in honor of Jackie; the Yankees' longtime closer Mariano Rivera is the last player to wear number 42.

Since Jackie Robinson Parkway is relatively short, has cemeteries on either side, passes through Forest Park, and does not directly serve transportation hubs or airports, it does have something of a haunted/isolated feel, especially after dark. Still, it can be a quick and effective way to travel between central Queens and central Brooklyn, and for that reason, it has its fans.

9. The Queensboro Bridge (also known as the 59th Street Bridge) was renamed in December 2010 in honor of an iconic mayor of New York City. After which mayor was the bridge named?

Answer: Ed Koch

The decision to rename the Queensboro Bridge was not without controversy, particularly from the people of Queens. New York City Council member Peter Vallone, Jr. (a scion of an established political family from Queens) vowed to remove Koch's name from the bridge. "Never in a million years would they think to rename the Brooklyn or Manhattan bridges," said Vallone. "But for some reason, it was OK to slap Queens around."

The Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge is a cantilever bridge over the East River that was completed in 1909. It connects the neighborhood of Long Island City in the borough of Queens with Manhattan, passing over Roosevelt Island.

Koch served in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and then three terms as mayor of New York City through 1989. He is credited with leading the city from fiscal insolvency to economic boom and is one of the most popular politicians the city has known. After the end of his political career, Koch was a radio show host, author, and outspoken political commentator. He was also an arbitrator ("judge") on the television court show "The People's Court" from 1997 to 1999. Koch passed away on February 1, 2013, of congestive heart failure.

10. So perhaps we've had enough of New York City with its many sights, complex bridge crossings and transportation hubs. Fair enough. But I still have a few dollars on my MetroCard! Which town in New Jersey is directly accessible via the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH) rail system? And I can pay for the ride with a MetroCard, just like the subway!

Answer: Hoboken

Hoboken is a neat, trendy town right on the Hudson River. The population was just over 50,000 in the 2010 Census, representing an increase of just over 50% since 1990. With wealthier, professional people moving out of New York City, the character of Hoboken has changed from a blue collar town to one of upscale shops and condominiums. And it is just a few minutes from lower Manhattan via the PATH. Hoboken is believed to be the "birthplace" of baseball and was also the birthplace of many famous people, including singer and actor Frank Sinatra, actor Joe Pantoliano, and G. Gordon Liddy, Watergate conspirator and radio talk show host.

Source: Author robert326

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

In a New York Hour Trivia Quiz

Thanks to kyleisalive for the challenge! Here's a quick primer for what people can accomplish and see in New York City, especially if they're short on time. Grab your MetroCard and let's go!

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