The origin of "The Big Apple"


Surely if you hear the term "the big apple" you think of an impressive city: NY. Why is it called so? According to different research On the subject, New York's first citation as "the big apple" can be found in the book The Walker in New York, written in 1909 by Edward Martin, however, the reference seems rather metaphorical. Later, on February 18, 1924, a sports journalist from New York wrote an article titled "Near the Big Apple."

He wrote an article on horse racing and used the term when he learned that riders from New Orleans, of African-American origin, dreamed of competing at the racetracks in New York, because the awards they would receive here would be much better than the typical apples they used to receive. A few years later, in the 1930s, jazz musicians began calling New York «the big Apple«, So the term began to become much more frequent.

In the world of showNew York was the most coveted place and it was where all the artists wanted to succeed. Thus appeared a popular nightclub in Harlem called "The Big Apple," where jazz was played. The public that attended these performances was very sophisticated. Playing in "The Big Apple" meant you were going to make a name for yourself soon. In fact, the artists they always said, "There are many apples on the tree, but only one Big Apple."

It was in 1971 when the name was officially accepted by New York in a tourism campaign. The city had begun to lose its splendor and was becoming a very famous place for high crime rates, blackouts and strikes. The Bell focused on using red apples to project the image of a bright and cheerful city.

Why is New York City Called the Big Apple? (March 2024)


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