Places I Remember - NYC Trivia Quiz

Answer: Riverside Park

Riverside Park lies along the Hudson River and has several levels that have squash courts, skating ovals, hills, trees, bike paths--anything a city kid could need. There were great hills for sledding and many statues around the park, such as the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial (dedicated to the 'Defenders of The Union 1861 to 1865'), and the Louis Kossuth (19th century Hungarian freedom fighter) statue, on whose lap we used to sit. Grant's Tomb and Riverside Church were not far.

Morningside Park was east of Broadway and built on the site of the Battle of Harlem that occurred during the Revolutionary War. This lovely park is almost thirty acres of gardens, grass, walking trails, playing fields, family oriented activities and a waterfall. It runs from 110th to 123rd St, through Morningside Heights and Harlem.

Central Park is in the center of Manhattan, running from 59th St. north to 110th St., and west from 5th Avenue to Central Park West. It defines north, south, east and west for New Yorkers. The park features a zoo, lakes, footpaths, statues, bike riding, concerts and plays amidst the greenest spot in Manhattan.

Answer: The Cathedral of St. John the Divine

St. John the Divine is quite impressive with very large stained glass 'rose' windows and high Gothic style. There was also a 'Poet's Corner'. St. Patrick's is in downtown Manhattan. There are several cathedrals around the world named Notre Dame, the most famous probably the one on the Ile de la Cite, in the heart of Paris. New York abounds in all styles of architecture, from high Gothic to ultra modern, Buddhist temples and statues galore. St. Paul's Chapel is the oldest church building in the city.

Answer: Guggenheim and Metropolitan

Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim was built in the 1950s, and resembles a strange layered bowl of concrete. The older, monstrous Metropolitan Museum is two blocks south on the Central Park side. The huge Museum of Natural History is a quick ride through the park to the west side.

The Frick Museum is a private collection opened to the public in 1935 on east 70th street. The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) is downtown between 53rd and 54th St., and exhibits Van Gogh's "Starry Night". The painting is behind glass, and there is no touching of anything on the walls or exhibits on the floor.

In fact, if you even touch the wall a guard will materialize from nowhere and very politely inform you that you must not touch! If there is a second infraction, I believe you will be unobtrusively escorted from the museum. New York abounds in all sorts of museums, so bear that in mind, except for a 'hands-on' exhibit or some science museums.

Answer: False

Cornell University is in Ithaca, in upstate New York, but it has a satellite campus on the east side of Manhattan, close to the East River. Columbia University was seven blocks from us, and we often went to its football games to cheer on The Lions. Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, a teaching hospital, merged with Cornell's Weill Cornell Medical College, and is further uptown than Columbia University. Barnard College, sister to Columbia, was across Broadway.
Other notable schools in the city were NYU {New York University}, Yeshiva, Hunter, and Brooklyn Colleges.

Answer: Hudson River

The Hudson was not dependable and rarely froze over completely from New York to New Jersey. It was accessible from the stone banks at the bottom level of Riverside Park, via great rat-infested boulders and rocks. The Hudson also had a lot of traffic, and was, at that time {1940s to 1950s}, quite polluted. One of the landmarks we could see in New Jersey was the Palisades {high ridges along the Hudson} and the amusement park named for them.

The famous roller coaster was torn down in 1971, the amusement park closed and luxury apartments were built.

The George Washington Bridge was just north of Palisades Park, and spanned the Hudson from New York to New Jersey.

Answer: The Empire State Building

It was the tallest building in the city at its completion (1931). There seemed to be a race to the sky when the Chrysler and the Empire State buildings were being built in the early 1930s. The Chrysler building was 1046 feet tall in Art Deco style, and the Empire State was 1250 feet including the dirigible mooring mast.

In 1945, a B-25 bomber accidentally hit the building in a dense fog, killing 14 people and injuring 26; it also created a million dollar hole.

Answer: Alan Freed

Alan Freed hosted the show we teenagers listened to most. He also composed the song "Sincerely", a drippy love song typical of the period. The dances then were the Grind, the Lindy, and, of course, the Twist. The Penguins, Platters, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and many more legends appeared at this theater. Gerde's Folk City in Greenwich Village also featured some soon-to-be-famous stars such as Bob Dylan. We went to a performance there in 1960 and concluded that he wasn't going anywhere as he mumbled and had a very nasal voice.

He also appeared to be a bit 'high'. He did write some good songs, such as "The Bear Mountain Boat Ride Blues" that he sang that night; scalpers had sold fake tickets to the boat ride that traveled from lower Manhattan to Bear Mountain in the Catskills and back.

The boat was so swamped with people getting on at the 125th St. pier that it began to sink, and rioting ensued. It was a tragedy that Dylan captured very well.

Answer: Idlewild

Islip Airport is on Long Island, and LaGuardia was a former mayor who had an airport named for him. It's only about five miles from JFK to LaGuardia, in Queens, but it seems to take forever because of heavy traffic. These two and Newark Airport are considered the three major airports serving New York, despite Newark being in New Jersey. Newark also offers a much better view of the New York skyline than the others. Robert Wagner was a mayor for three terms from 1954 to 1965.

Answer: The United Nations

Opened in 1950, the U.N. building is considered International Soil. There are four major buildings in this 18 acre complex: the main building, a 39 story green glass modern one, is called The Secretariat; and the others are The General Assembly Building, The Conference Building, and the Dag Hammarskjold Library. The land was donated by the Rockefeller family, and the complex has its own security force, fire department and post office.

The International Red Cross is in Geneva, Switzerland; the International Court of Law, or World Court, is in The Hague, Netherlands; the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation {NATO} is in Brussels, Belgium. Norfolk, Virginia, houses the Allied Command of NATO.

Answer: True

Even back in the 40s and 50s, when one could actually buy something for a nickel {and even a penny!}, the Ferry was always a great ride, and a tradition as an after prom trip for some schools. It's not a nickel anymore though - in 1997 it became free. Opened in 1817, the ferry runs 24/7 from Battery Park in lower Manhattan and the 25 minute ride to Staten Island affords a view of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, New Jersey, and sometimes large ships coming into New York Harbor.

At night the skyline view is majestic.

The ferry used to carry cars at a nominal charge, but this service stopped after 9/11.

Answer: The Rockettes

The Rockettes were a dazzling act and always performed in absolute precision at Radio City Music Hall. There was a special show and a movie as well. It was one of my favorite places to go. In the same neighborhood was Rockefeller Center and the Fifth Avenue stores elaborately dressed for the holidays, which alone was enough reason to go exploring.

Answer: "Practice, practice, practice!"

The natives love telling out-of-towners that there is only one way to get there. The one and only time I was there was in 1954, and it was one of Toscanini's last conducting performances as he was rumored to be ill. In the lobby I met Peter Freuchen, an easily recognizable man, as he had a wooden leg, was quite tall, and possessed a fine beard.

He was an explorer and writer of some renown; we spoke in Danish briefly and he proved to be as charming and interesting as his writing. Both he and Toscanini died in 1957.

Answer: Fulgencio Batista

The 'great revolutionary', Fidel Castro, had many supporters back then, and some of them actually went to Cuba to help overthrow Batista. Most volunteers were sorely disillusioned in coming years, and the U.S. no longer allowed its citizens to travel to Cuba, although it could be done from other countries if one really wanted to go. Writer Hemingway enjoyed himself there in the 1950s, and there is a scene in one of the "Godfather" movies showing Michael and Fredo Corleone in the streets of Havana when the coup began.

Many of the A.S.L. students went on to become illustrators for books and magazines, or got involved in other art-related careers.

Answer: Wall Street

Wall Street is the financial district, and has a bronze statue of a ferocious bull on the street. "The Charging Bull" was a gift from sculptor DiModica, who left it under an outdoor Christmas tree in 1989, an inspiration for the people of New York. The people balked when it was removed by the police, and insisted it come back.

The bull is 16 feet long, 11 feet high and weighs 7,100 pounds. Gracie Mansion is home to New York's mayor and was built in 1799 on 88th St. at East End. Coney Island is on the south shore of Brooklyn.

The Apollo Theater is in uptown Manhattan on west 125th St. in Harlem. In 2005, The Fulton Fish Market moved to Hunt's Point in the Bronx.

Answer: The Cloisters

Fort Tryon Park nestles around The Cloisters, and is a beautiful, well-tended nature area. The Cloisters was constructed of stones shipped from France and is dedicated to medieval art and architecture. It houses many Flemish tapestries and illuminated manuscripts. John D. Rockefeller contributed greatly to the museum, which has about 5,000 works of art.

As it is almost at the northern tip of Manhattan island, the Cloisters can be reached by subway from the 190th St. station.

Answer: MTA

The MTA was in Boston, and since 1964 has been called the MBTA - Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. In the 1950s, The Kingston Trio had a big hit with "Charlie on the MTA" about a rider who was doomed to "ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston" on the train because he didn't have the exit fare.
In New York, the IRT was Interborough Rapid Transit, the BMT was Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit, and IND was Independent. Using the IRT and BMT we could easily get to the beaches at the end of the line, Coney Island, the Rockaways, and Jones Beach. In 1968 the NYCTA - New York City Transit Authority - became the MTA - Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Coney Island was popular for the amusement park, especially The Cyclone roller coaster, and for Nathan's Hot Dogs. Coney referred to the population of rabbits in the area. If we couldn't get down there, we went to Tar Beach - a name for the roof of any high building when used for sunbathing.

Answer: The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo was a wonderful place to spend the day. Brooklyn - Kings County - had a lot of parks and cemeteries, as well as Prospect Park Zoo, which opened in 1935. Queens County did not have a zoo until 1968, the last borough to acquire one; it features an aviary in the form of a geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller, that houses forty or more bird species. Central Park had a well filled zoo in Manhattan which started as a menagerie in the 1860s.

The sea lions had a big round pool and were the first attraction to be seen on the way in. All the New York zoos have undergone renovations, primarily to dispose of the old cages and confinements and create a larger and more natural habitat for the animals.

Some of the zoos have joined together to help protect endangered species such as American Bison, and have also succeeded in breeding them. Manhattan also has a large aquarium at Battery Park.

Answer: Sammy Davis, Jr.

Sammy Davis was a wonderful performer, a great dancer and singer, a comedian and one of the best entertainers of his day. He was part of the 'Rat Pack', but had unique talent in many venues, above all comedy. He guest-starred on an episode of t.v.'s "All In The Family" and managed to kiss 'Archie Bunker' as a photo was being taken.

Answer: Public school

The public schools were scattered all over the five boroughs and generally went from first through sixth grades. After that, it was a choice of junior and senior high school: prep school, college prep, vocational, trade or private. There were some excellent {boys only then} schools such as Aviation H.S., Stuyvesant H.S. and Brooklyn Tech. There were all girl schools such as Julia Richman and Hunter College H.S. At the time many believed that girls and boys in those formative years would learn more and concentrate better without the opposite sex to distract them. There were also co-ed schools, of course.
Precincts were the police stations in their designated areas.

Answer: Ebbets Field

Most of the kids in my neighborhood were staunch Dodger fans - the underdogs of New York, they had never won a Series. Our catchphrase was, "Wait till next year!" When they finally did win, they left town, leaving behind all of us loyal supporters. If only I still had all those baseball cards we used to trade!

Answer: Riker's Island

The isle of Manhattan has over 30 islands around it. Riker's is one of the largest and is a city unto itself, having its own schools, stores, medical facilities, ball fields, chapels, gyms, and a power plant. Only about ten miles from The Statue of Liberty, Riker's can hold about 15,000 inmates.

Answer: True

The industry is now closed, but there remain marinas and yacht clubs, and the island itself is prime real estate, affording some great views of the city. City Island lies off the west end of Long Island Sound, and had a 2011 population of a bit over 4,000 people. Manhattan commercial real estate is generally sold by the square foot.

Answer: Gotham

The Gotham Rowing Club used the Harlem River, which connects the Hudson to the East River. Many people referred to the city as 'Gotham' during those years, and the name was also used for hotels and other businesses.
Holy Hamsters, Batman! Stuyvesant and Minuet were early governors of New Amsterdam, and Haarlem was named after a Dutch city, the second 'a' being dropped later. Or maybe it was the first...

Answer: False

Governor's Island is only a mile from Wall Street, and was a military base for over 200 years. The cannons point toward Manhattan. The rest of the island is parkland. Ellis Island is the place where 12 million immigrants passed through between 1892 and 1954.

Answer: True

The name of the island was later changed to Liberty Island. The climb to the crown was about 22 stories, and often took two to three hours because of the heavy volume of visitors, including school classes. At that time the staircase was a metal helix. It was not recommended for anyone with health problems.
If you can make it to the top, you can enjoy a great view through the windows in the crown, although it does not face Manhattan directly. The Torch was open off and on over the years, but had to be replaced in the 1980s while the entire statue was undergoing costly repairs, cosmetic work and reinforcements. The Statue is reachable by ferry from Battery Park.

I once read that New Yorkers, among their other peculiarities, use the term to 'stand ON line' rather than to 'stand IN line'. There's a difference?