The Essential NYC Quiz & Answer Key

1. MetLife is to Pan Am as Sony is to _______?

A. IBM

B. AT&T

C. Trump

D. Mutual of New York

Peter Stuyvesant

Photo: Bettmann/Corbis

2. Match the man to his NYC contribution:

ANSWERS:

Peter Stuyvesant: Established first hospital
Peter Minuit: Got a bargain for an island
Alexander Hamilton: Established first bank
DeWitt Clinton: Worked on the grid system

3. Which of the following wasn’t invented in New York?

A. The Oreo

B. Baked Alaska

C. Caesar salad

D. Pasta primavera

4. Which European modern artist never visited New York?

A. Pablo Picasso

B. Max Beckmann

C. Fernand Léger

D. Piet Mondrian

5. Which building is considered the world’s first “skyscraper”?

A. Woolworth Building

B. Park Row Building (15 Park Row)

C. Fuller (Flatiron) Building

D. Chrysler Building

6. Name the club where Madonna is seen dancing in Desperately Seeking Susan.

A. Limelight

B. Pyramid Club

C. Coney Island High

D. Danceteria

7. Which hotel restaurant has a meat locker with its own security system?

A. W Union Square

B. Waldorf-Astoria

C. Mandarin Oriental

D. The Plaza

8. What type of body of water is the East River?

A. A river

B. An inlet

C. An ocean tributary

D. A tidal estuary

9. Whose club stopped serving Cristal as a way of fighting against the Man in the wake of a champagne controversy?

A. Heavy D’s Big Ups

B. Lil’ Kim’s Jail Bait

C. Jay-Z’s 40/40

D. Diddy’s Big Ego

Williamsburg Bridge

Photo: Mimi Campbell

10. The Williamsburg Bridge is thought to have been inspired by which of the following?

A. The Colosseum

B. The Eiffel Tower

C. The Space Needle

D. The Empire State Building

1. The Cure _______

2. The Last Five Years _______

3. Spiritualized _______

4. Nando Lauria _______

5. Parliament _______

6. Ted Leo + Pharmacists _______

ANSWERS:

1. The Cure: F
2. The Last Five Years: A
3. Spiritualized: B
4. Nando Lauria: D
5. Parliament: E
6. Ted Leo + Pharmacists: C

11. What 1960s thriller and popular ’80s TV show (the exterior shots) were filmed on St. Luke’s Place?

A. Rosemary’s Baby and Growing Pains

B. Wait Until Dark and The Cosby Show

C. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and Just the Ten of Us

D. Dementia 13 and Mr. Belvedere

Woody Allen

Photo: Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis

12. Match the NYC restaurant/club with the Woody Allen movie that features it prominently:

ANSWERS:

Elaine’s: Manhattan
Carnegie Deli: Broadway Danny Ros
The Carlyle Club: Hannah and Her Sister
Pastis: Melinda and Melinda

13. Carroll Gardens bar Trout sates drunk diners with a dish unappealingly named the Garbage Plate. Which of the following is not an ingredient?

A. Cheeseburgers

B. Hot dogs

C. Macaroni salad

D. French fries

14. Sally likes Lincoln Center but she doesn’t like the 92nd Street Y. She likes Macy’s but she doesn’t like Bloomingdale’s. She likes the 1 train but she hates the 6 train. Which of these does she like?

A. Metropolitan Museum of Art

B. American Museum of Natural History

15. True or false: Foie gras will be banned in NYC restaurants starting January 2007.

A. True

B. False

16. You exit the G train at Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue and walk west on Lafayette for four blocks. You make a left and walk one more block. When you reach the corner, you see something big rising up before you. What is it?

A. The Williamsburgh Savings Bank

B. BAM Opera House

C. Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza

D. Brooklyn Borough Hall

17. Only one of these NYC-set movies was actually shot on location here. Which is it?

A. Escape from New York

B. Gangs of New York

C. Rear Window

D. Bullets Over Broadway

18. What famous cocktail, still referred to by its original name, the Red Snapper, was invented at the King Cole Bar in the St. Regis Hotel?

A. Cosmo

B. Sidecar

C. Manhattan

D. Bloody Mary

19. Which of the following people never lived at the Chelsea Hotel?

A. Mark Twain

B. Bob Dylan

C. Stanley Kubrick

D. Thomas Pynchon

20. Which fun-loving mayor served during the Jazz Age?

A. Fiorello La Guardia

B. James J. Walker

C. Abe Beame

D. Cab Calloway

21. Whose death were the patrons of the Stonewall Inn mourning on the night of the “Stonewall revolution”?

A. Judy Garland

B. John Lennon

C. Marilyn Monroe

D. Edie Sedgwick

Uttered nonsense Who said what when we put them on the Hot Seat?

1. “When you get bitten in the ear, you can’t really hear all that stuff because, well, someone bit your ear off.” D

2. “I tried a lot of cocaine. I kept trying that one over and over again. But not heroin. I don’t like needles.” C

3. “Hold on a second. I can’t find my fucking pants.” A

4. “I’m mortified that you would put me in the ass-grabber column. Do you have a friend who claims I grabbed her ass or something?” B

22. The Double Down Saloon serves a drink described by the bartender as “a little bit of everything and a whole lot of love.” What is the name of this concoction?

A. Ass Juice

B. The Infinity

C. Piss and Vinegar

D. East Village Iced Tea

23. Which gang ran Hell’s Kitchen for many decades in the 20th century?

A. The Easties

B. The Westies

C. The Dead Rabbits

D. The Gambino family

24. What is the nickname of 42nd Street?

A. Aces

B. The Deuce

C. The Four-Plus-Two

D. Disney Row

Myth match Fill in the blanks about these urban legends—and then find the one that's true.

By Noah Tarnow

1. Thanks to pet owners flushing them down the toilet, there are massive colonies of _______ living in the _______.

2. Every time city workers go on _______, folks wrap their _______ in boxes and ribbons, then leave it in unlocked cars for thieves to take.

3. When the _______ performed on The _______ Show in 1964, almost no major _______ were reported throughout the city.

4. Routinely, _______ outfit their victims with _______ and drown them in the Hudson River.

5. To make _______ look thinner, the _______ redesigned their team uniforms to include _______.

6. While growing up in the Bronx, former secretary of state _______ learned to speak a fair amount of _______.

7. Junkies and other scumbags like to hide infected _______ in the _______ of pay phones.

8. Nine months after the big _______ of 1965, local hospitals recorded an especially large number of _______.

9. By riding a piece of debris down 100 stories as if it were a _______, a police officer survived _______ with only a broken leg.

10. When a couple of _______s at JFK Airport came across a dead _______ in a cage, they freaked out and replaced it with a live specimen. Later, they found out that the owner was transporting it just to _______ it.

ANSWERS:

Number 6 is the one true myth.

1. Thanks to pet owners flushing them down the toilet, there are massive colonies of alligators living in the sewers.

2. Every time city workers go on a garbage strike, folks wrap their trash in boxes and ribbons, then leave it in unlocked cars for thieves to take.

3. When the Beatles performed on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, almost no major crimes were reported throughout the city.

4. Routinely, mobsters outfit their victims with cement shoes and drown them in the Hudson River.

5. To make Babe Ruth look thinner, the Yankees redesigned their team uniforms to include pinstripes.

6. While growing up in the Bronx, former secretary of state Colin Powell learned to speak a fair amount of Yiddish.

7. Junkies and other scumbags like to hide infected hypodermic needles in the coin slots of pay phones.

8. Nine months after the big blackout of 1965, local hospitals recorded an especially large number of births.

9. By riding a piece of debris down 100 stories as if it were a surfboard, a police officer survived the collapse of the World Trade Center with only a broken leg.

10. When a couple of baggage handlers at JFK Airport came across a dead dog in a cage, they freaked out and replaced it with a live specimen. Later, they found out that the owner was transporting it just to bury it.

25. An egg cream traditionally contains:

A. Eggs

B. Cream

C. Eggs and cream

D. None of the above

26. Which famous poet was once the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle?

A. Walt Whitman

B. Marianne Moore

C. Ezra Pound

D. Edna St. Vincent Millay

27. Which of the following is not owned by Mario Batali?

A. Casa Mono

B. Del Posto

C. Otto

D. I Trulli

28. You take the subway to Bowling Green and then board a boat. You travel five miles southwest. When you disembark, what symbol of American culture are you a few steps away from?

A. The Colgate Clock

B. TheStatue of Liberty

C. Governors Island’s Castle Williams fort

D. Richmond County Bank Ballpark

Paladium

Photo: Corbis

29. Can you match the classic defunct NYC nightclub with the structure that occupies it now?

ANSWERS:

Studio 54: The Roundabout Theatre Co.
Max’s Kansas City: A boring bodega-type deli
The Palladium: An NYU dorm
Mudd Club: Schmancy Tribeca condos

1. Babbo _______

2. Delmonico's _______

3. Gray's Papaya _______

4. 'ino _______

5. Pearl Oyster Bar _______

6. Katz's Deli _______

7. Nobu _______

8. Le Cirque _______

9. Peter Luger _______

ANSWERS:

1. Babbo: B
2. Delmonico's: D
3. Gray's Papaya: G
4. 'ino: A
5. Pearl Oyster Bar: I
6. Peter Luger: H
7. Nobu: C
8. Le Cirque: F

30. Which Italian restaurant was awarded four stars by The New York Times?

A. San Domenico

B. Il Mulino

C. Alto

D. Not one in the entire city

31. You walk south on Fifth Avenue until the road dead-ends. What do you see in front of you?

A. The original Whitney Museum

B. Jefferson Market Library

C. Washington Square Arch

D. Duane Reade

32. Where did the term getting 86-ed originate?

A. From a restaurant that had 86 items on its menu.

B. In 1887, barhoppers used it to refer to nightspots that were no longer cool.

C. It’s cop code for removing a perpetrator from the scene of a crime.

D. From getting thrown out of the speakeasy Chumley’s at 86 Bedford Street.

33. On Sundays in NYC, you are legally allowed to start drinking at what time?

A. 6am

B. Noon

C. 4pm

D. Anytime you want

34. Pretending to be out of town reporting on a story, press prevaricator Jayson Blair made calls back to The New York Times. He placed these from which bar?

A. McHale’s

B. Siberia

C. Pianos

D. Rudy’s

Phil Rizzuto

Photo: Bettmann/Corbis

35. Match the famous New York sports star to the right nickname:

ANSWERS:

The Pearl: Earl Monroe, Knicks
The Stork: George Theodore, Mets
Scooter: Phil Rizzuto, Yankees
Chocolate Thunder: Daryl Dawkins, Nets
Iron Horse: Lou Gehrig, Yankees
Starbury: Stephon Marbury, Knicks
Louisiana Lightning: G. Ron Guidry, Yankees
Broadway Joe: Joe Namath, Jets

New York profiles Guess the neighborhood by the neighbor.

1. Wall Street _______

2. Bushwick _______

3. West Chelsea _______

4. Jackson Heights _______

5. Boerum Hill _______

6. Brighton Beach _______

ANSWERS:

1. Wall Street: E
2. Bushwick: C
3. West Chelsea: A
4. Jackson Heights: D
5. Boerum Hill: F
6. Brighton Beach: B

36. Which two animals are on the official New York City seal?

A. Wolf and bear

B. Falcon and cheetah

C. Cat and dog

D. Eagle and beaver

37. How long did it take for Stella McCartney’s H&M line to sell out last year?

A. Two days

B. Three hours

C. Two weeks

D. One week

38. What is Manhattan’s oldest surviving house?

A. Morris-Jumel Mansion

B. Alice Austen House

C. Dyckman Farmhouse

D. Mount Vernon Hotel Museum

39. Which hotel does not have a restaurant?

A. The Palace

B. The Gansevoort

C. The Carlyle

D. The St. Regis

40. The letters of the IRT, the city’s first subway system, stood for:

A. Independent Rapid Transit

B. Interborough Rapid Transportation

C. Interborough Rapid Transit

D. Independent Royal Transportation

Architecture digested How well do you know your NYC buildings?

1. Perry West _______

2. The Dakota _______

3. The Eldorado _______

4. The Chelsea Hotel _______

5. Van Courtlandt Mansion _______

6. The Puck Building _______

7. Saint Bartholomew's Church _______

6. Scandinavia House _______

ANSWERS:

1. Perry West: H
2. The Dakota: F
3. The Eldorado: A
4. The Chelsea Hotel: G
5. Van Cortlandt Mansion: C
6. The Puck Building: B
7. Saint Bartholomew's Church: D
8. Scandinavia House: E

41. In the bathroom of what NYC hot spot did Lindsay Lohan scrawl nasty graffiti about fellow starlet Scarlett Johansson?

A. Bungalow 8

B. Happy Ending

C. Butter

D. The Dark Room

42. Which of the following celebrity couples recently relocated to Brooklyn?

A. Julianne Moore and Bart Freundlich

B. Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal

C. Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker

D. Paulina Porizkova and Ric Ocasek

43. Which of these chains has the most locations in the city?

A. American Apparel

B. Sephora

C. Brooklyn Industries

D. H&M

44. What was the original location of Madison Square Garden?

A. Lexington Ave and 42nd St

B. Eighth Ave and 50th St

C. Madison Ave and 26th St

D. Madison Ave and 23rd St

45. Which embarrassing error is the New York Post not responsible for making?

A. Declaring Dick Gephardt to be KERRY'S CHOICE when the Democratic nominee had picked John Edwards

B. Thanking the Boston Red Sox for beating the Yanks in the pennant race, when the Yanks won it

C. Calling the 2000 election for Bush (in a banner front-page headline) days before the recount and Supreme Court ruling

D. Running an article on authentic Seattle “grunge speak,” which turned out to be a hoax perpetrated by Sub Pop rep Megan Jasper

Where are you? Follow these crossword-type clues to figure out your location.

By Noah Tarnow

1. On the street of Bill Clinton’s office, in the place of Edge’s angel, here reigns the sun god.

2. In the only definitively articled borough, this is where Bookends says it’s all happening.

3. On the land that shares a name with Virginia’s capital, the earth is stuffed with the newly murdered.

4. On the pointy, water-locked land mass, you’ll find the storm that rotates about a center of low atmospheric pressure, advancing at a speed of 20 to 30 mph.

5. At the intersection of twice the uncola street and the way of all Tony Award qualifications, this is the equilateral polygon where we all come together.

6. Where the derogatory-female-label street meets Waters and Gilmour’s 1980 album, it’s the city’s spot for giving and taking the basis for soup.

7. Donald warned of the irrelevance of this league, located at a deca short of a deck street and the loneliest number avenue.

8. In the land belonging to Freddie Mercury and friends, these are the fields in which you open the water trap.

9. On the street of the first commander, the borough of Mr. Kotter is a repository not of earthly delights, but of scientific plants.

10. At the bottom of the region purchased for 192 bits, this public space keeps going and going and going.

ANSWERS:

1. Apollo Theater
2. Bronx Zoo
3. Fresh Kills Landfill
4. The Cyclone
5. Union Square
6. NY Stock Exchange
7. UN
8. Flushing Meadows
9. Brooklyn Botanic Garden
10. Battery Park

46. Which classic bebop-era hang was just resurrected at its original location in Harlem?

A. Small’s Paradise

B. Lenox Lounge

C. Minton’s Playhouse

D. Hammerstein Ballroom

47. Which famous actor made her stage debut at the Provincetown Playhouse in Greenwich Village?

A. Kate Burton

B. Joan Crawford

C. Bette Davis

D. Meryl Streep

48. The nickname Gotham came from a work by which author?

A. Washington Irving

B. Lewis Carroll

C. Samuel Clemens

D. Nathanael West

49. According to the Taxicab Rider Bill of Rights, which of the following are you not entitled to?

A. “A courteous, English-speaking driver who knows the streets in all five boroughs”

B. “A driver who knows and obeys all traffic laws”

C. “A clean passenger seat area”

D. “A driver who uses the horn only when necessary to warn of danger”

Tourist trap Guess where these visitors are vacationing from.

1. Finland _______

2. Colombia _______

3. New Jersey _______

4. Canada _______

5. Brazil _______

6. Virginia _______

ANSWERS:

1. Finland: E
2. Columbia: A
3. New Jersey: F
4. Canada: D
5. Brazil: B
6. Virginia: C

50. The following clubs—Area, Shelter, Quick, B2, Vinyl and Arc—were all located at the same address. Name it.

A. 30 W 21st Street

B. 77 White Street

C. 84 King Street

D. 6 Hubert Street

51. What is Manhattan’s oldest public building in continual use?

A. St. Paul’s Chapel

B. Gracie Mansion

C. Cathedral of St. John the Divine

D. City Hall

Photo: Sarina Finkelstein

52. Match the nickname to the group:

ANSWERS:

NYC’s bravest: fire
NYC’s boldest: corrections
NYC’s finest: police
NYC’s strongest: sanitation

53. Why is 212 Manhattan’s area code?

A. It’s a holdover from Morse code.

B. When area codes were assigned, New York got the one that took the least time to dial on a rotary phone.

C. 212 was a long-standing nickname for the city used by Tammany Hall politicians.

D. It’s random.

54. Before Charlotte D’Amboise was in A Chorus Line, she was an understudy for Sweet Charity, and she nearly opened the show when this person broke her foot:

A. Deborah Gibson

B. Nellie McKay

C. Christina Applegate

D. Kristin Chenoweth

55. How many times was Billy Martin hired to manage the Yankees?

A. 5

B. 4

C. 10

D. 2

Law & Order lineup Which one of the following actors has never appeared on New York's quintessential cop show?

56. Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?

A. Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent

B. Grant and his dog, Shiloh

C. Grant and his VP, Schuyler Colfax

D. No one

57. What was Mayor La Guardia’s colorful nickname?

A. Little Flower

B. Little Mayor

C. Pepe

D. Buzzy

The Apollo

Photo: Michael S. Yamashita/Corbis

58. Match the performer with the club that launched him or her:

ANSWERS:

Brazilian Girls: Nublu
The Strokes: Mercury Lounge
Nellie McKay: Sidewalk
Bob Dylan: Gerde’s Folk City
Jeff Buckley: Sin-é
The Ramones: CBGB
Sex Mob: Tonic
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott: The Bitter End
Ella Fitzgerald: The Apollo

59. Of the following parades, which is the most widely attended?

A. The Mermaid Parade

B. Puerto Rican Day Festival and Parade

C. West Indian–American Day Carnival

D. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

60. Why is New York’s hockey team called the Rangers?

A. “Ranger” used to be a defensive hockey position.

B. It’s a Canadian hockey term.

C. The team’s original owner worked for Park Services.

D. Tex Rickard owned Madison Square Garden (hence “Tex’s Rangers

61. The Soho Bloomingdale’s occupies the former spot of what iconic clothing store?

A. Canal Jeans

B. Century 21

C. Levi’s

D. The Gap

62. The headline FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD referred to what story?

A. Ford Motor Company refusing to sell its latest model in NYC

B. President Ford accusing the city of deliberately greasing a staircase during his visit to City Hall

C. President Ford refusing to back a New York State insurance plan

D. President Ford refusing to aid the city’s fiscal crisis

Waiter/_________? Guess the server's true calling.

1. Singer _______

2. Editorial assistant _______

3. Drag performer _______

4. Teacher _______

5. Ad executive _______

6. Painter _______

ANSWERS:

1. Singer: C
2. Editorial assistant: D
3. Drag performer: F
4. Teacher: B
5. Ad executive: A
6. Painter: E

63. How did the ‘21’ Club get its name?

A. You had to be 21 to enter.

B. It originally had 21 members.

C. The club’s address was 21.

D. During Prohibition, members had to knock twice and then once to gain entrance.

64. Who was the first manager of the New York Mets?

A. Clark Griffith

B. Casey Stengel

C. Yogi Berra

D. Mookie Wilson

65. Which unlikely downtown duo recently performed on Broadway?

A. Kiki and Herb

B. Leigh and Greg from MisShapes

C. The World Famous Pontani Sisters

D. Mike Bloomberg and Ed Skyler

66. Which bus line was recently documented to be the slowest?

A. B63

B. Bx19

C. M14A

D. M34

67. To be a Radio City Rockette, a dancer must be how tall?

A. under 5'2"

B. between 5'6" and 5'10"

C. between 5'2" and 5'5"

D. over 5'10"

68. When did the first NYC Marathon take place?

A. 1969

B. 1954

C. 1982

D. 1970

69. When did Babe Ruth join the Yankees?

A. 1902

B. 1920

C. 1932

D. 1925

Model citizen Match the statue with its location.

1. Port Authority _______

2. Washington Square Park _______

3. Central Park _______

4. La Guardia Place _______

5. American Museum of Natural History _______

6. Columbia University _______

ANSWERS:

1. Port Authority: E
2. Washington Square Park: B
3. Central Park: D
4. La Guardia Place: A
5. American Museum of Natural History: C
6. Columbia University: F

70. Match the following NYC-set songs to the musicians:

ANSWERS:

“I’m Waiting for the Man”: Lou Reed
“New York State of Mind”: Nas
“Fairytale of New York”: The Pogues
“Take the A Train”: Duke Ellington
“14th St”: Rufus Wainwright
“NYC”: Interpol
“No Sleep Till Brooklyn”: Beastie Boys
“Brooklyn”: Mos Def
“Christmas in Hollis”: Run DMC
“My My Metrocard”: Le Tigre

71. Who wasn’t a Warhol Superstar?

A. Ondine

B. Nico

C. Hurrah

D. Ultraviolet

72. Which kind of cockroach is the most common in NYC apartments?

A. American cockroach

B. German cockroach

C. Brown-banded cockroach

D. Oriental cockroach

73. Same question, only this time it’s a rat:

A. Norwegian rat

B. Black rat

C. Garden rat

D. Broker rat

Carnal knowledge How intimate are you with the city's seedy stats?

Lady Ace

Photo: Ian Gittler

74. Where does this dancer work?

A. Scores

B. Penthouse Executive Club

C. Headquarters

D. The Slipper Room

75. According to last year’s Get Naked sex poll, what act do readers both most frequently fast-forward to and most frequently fast-forward past when watching porn?

A. Anal sex

B. The money shot

C. Oral sex

D. Cuddling

76. According to city zoning resolutions, how far must a strip club be from a school?

A. 800 feet

B. 500 feet

C. 1000 feet

D. 10 feet

77. True or false: A bar can’t allow total nudity if it serves liquor.

A. True

B. False

78. What was backbiting basketball announcer Marv Albert wearing when he was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend?

A. Women’s panties and a garter belt

B. A Knicks uniform shirt

C. Nothing but a smirk

D. A suit

Jay-Z

Photo: Carl Posey/Corbis outline

79. Match the rap stars to his hometown hood:

ANSWERS:

Run DMC: Hollis, Queens
Nas: Long Island City, Queens
Jay-Z: Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
50 Cent: South Jamaica, Queens
Wu-Tang Clan: Shaolin
Grandmaster Flash: The “Boogie Down” Bronx

80. Which club cannot claim to have launched the career of Norah Jones?

A. Nublu

B. The Living Room

C. Makor

D. Knitting Factory

81. What alternative theater group was formed in 1975 by Elizabeth LeCompte, Willem Dafoe, Spalding Gray and others?

A. Les Freres Corbusier

B. The Wooster Group

C. La Mama Troupe

D. The P.S. 122 Players

82. Four TONY interns traveled across town at noon on a weekday by bus, subway, taxi and foot. They left from Port Authority and met up at Grand Central. In what order did they arrive?

A. subway, taxi, bus, foot

B. taxi, subway, foot, bus

C.taxi, foot, subway, bus

D. taxi, bus, subway, foot

Now that you've tested your knowledge, how about your experience? Find out the things you gotta do before you can be considered a real New Yorker