The City That Never Sleeps Trivia Quiz

Answer: 102

When the ESB was first opened, it was planned that airships would use it for docking. This turned out to be rather too difficult, however, and the idea was abandoned. There is a public observatory on the 86th floor. The building has 73 elevators, and the journey from street level to the 86th floor takes less than a minute.

The Empire State Building is frequently lit up with appropriate coloured lights. For example, during the run up to 4th July, and following the September 11th tragedy, the top of the building was red, white and blue.

Answer: 5th Avenue

Numbering on the streets starts at 5th Avenue. So 1 East 34th Street is slightly east of 5th Avenue, and 1 West 34th Street is slightly west of 5th Avenue. The higher the address number, the further from 5th Avenue the address is. Ignore this information when it comes to Greenwich Village though, as logic appears to vanish here! Broadway cuts through the downtown tip of Manhattan on a diagonal line.

Answer: Liberty Enlightening the World

She was sculpted in 1886 by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. She is 152ft high, and stands on a 89ft pedestal. 'The New Colossus' is the name of the sonnet by Emma Lazarus quoted on the base. ('Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses...') The statue must have been an awe-inspiring sight to the millions of immigrants who had spent days in squalor in ships travelling to new lives in the USA.

The copper covering was initially bright and shiny, and only turned into the tarnished green we recognise now after many years' weathering.

Answer: Avenue of the Americas

Madison, Lexington and Park are all east of 5th Avenue, while 6th is to the west.

Answer: Harlem

The Bronx was once a symbol of urban decay, but is a fascinating place to visit. It is also home to Yankee Stadium, a real American classic. Queens is the location of JFK airport. For the best views of the Statue of Liberty, take the free Staten Island ferry. Harlem is an area of Manhattan, just uptown from Central Park. The fifth borough is of course Brooklyn.

Answer: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The ceiling is a 92ft high glass dome. Take the elevator to the top, and walk down the quarter-mile ramp through the spiral structure past the changing exhibits. (Don't try rollerskating down though!)

Answer: True

In fact, Times Square is not really a square, but the intersection of Broadway with 7th Avenue. It was called Longacre Square, but when the headquarters of the 'New York Times' was moved here on April 9, 1904 the name was changed. The Times Square Ball, which features in the New Year celebrations, weighs 1,070 pounds and is six feet in diameter.

Answer: Grand Central Terminal

Lex Luthor had a secret headquarters in the flooded basements of the station. Grand Central Terminal, (or Station) is a breathtaking sight, having been fully restored to its Beaux Arts glory. The central concourse has marble floors and sweeping staircases, based on those at the Paris Opera.

It was opened in 1913, and is the busiest rail terminal in the United States. It has featured in many movies. Try some oysters at the beautiful Oyster Bar downstairs, or eat in one of the many other restaurants.

It beats a British Rail egg sandwich any day!

Answer: Tiffany's

'Breakfast at Tiffany's' is perhaps the quintessential New York movie. Audrey Hepburn starred as Holly Golightly, and is still seen as a style icon today. Tiffany's jewellery store (more properly called Tiffany & Co.) has been open since 1837, and is famous for stunning window displays, extravagant jewels and the classic Tiffany-Blue gift wrapping, which has also existed since 1837.

The store moved to its current 5th Avenue location in 1950.

Answer: down under the Manhattan Bridge overpass

It's true! It's an artistic community right under the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. There is also NoLita, which is 'north of Little Italy'.

Answer: it was coined by an author in 1909

The use of the term was popularised by jazz musicians in the 1920s and 30s, but it was first used by author Edward S. Martin in his 1909 book 'The Wayfarer in New York'. He said that New York was 'merely one of the fruits of that great tree whose roots go down in the Mississippi Valley, and whose branches spread from one ocean to the other ...

But the big apple, New York, gets a disproportionate share of the national sap.'

Answer: Algonquin

The Manhattan Indians were part of the Upper Delawaran groups of Native Americans. These included the Munsee, Unalachtigo, and Unami of the Algonquin speaking tribes. The word 'Manhattan' is the earliest known Munsee place name.

Answer: mid 17th century

New Amsterdam was attacked and conquered by the British forces of the Duke of York, later King James II. The city was renamed in his honour. At the time the population was a mere 1500, of whom many were slaves.

Answer: New York City Ballet

Kirstein wanted to set up a school and a company, so that he could show the full wealth of talent that the US had to offer. The School of American Ballet trains young dancers from the US and other countries for the NYCB. Jerome Robbins was one of the NYCB's key choreographers, and famous dancers who have performed with the company have included Mikhail Baryshnikov, Suzanne Farrell, Merrill Ashley and Melissa Hayden.

Answer: Kander and Ebb

John Kander and Fred Ebb have written many musicals, most notably 'Cabaret' and 'Chicago'. This famous song has been recorded by many singers, including Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli and even Queen.