New York City is home of the Great White Way and affectionately referred to as The Big Apple. While most people will recognize the Great White Way as reference to Broadway and the city’s famous theater tradition, The Big Apple is a somewhat more ambiguous reference. Residents of Manhattan and the surrounding burroughs are extremely familiar with the reference and tourists will often boast that they are headed to the Big Apple. Fine dinging, great theater, and the best hotels Manhattan are all associated to the grand red fruit.
What is commonly accepted about the term is that it first became popular in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald. This is due to his references in the New York Morning Telegraph regarding horse racing. By 1924 he make a direct headline reference in his column, Around the Big Apple. Why this name was given to New York remains unclear, though this early source is a sound starting point for its usage. However, around the same time it was also used to describe Los Angeles, and there are theories that The Big Apple refers to any large city. However, its connection to New York became solidified in the early 1970s. At that time the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau began advertising the city as The Big Apple.
Perhaps the most significant association came about with the popular Harlem nightclub called The Big Apple Jazz Club. Many jazz musicians sought to perform at this club and it was often frequented by some of the greats in the industry. Around the nation they started referring to performing in New York as performing in the Big Apple, meaning the establishment. This eventually led to the inclusion of the greater New York area and the name became more generalized. These theories and bits of history are all interesting aspects of the mythology of New York. Whatever their origin or original significance, the name has remained and continues to be the chosen nickname of one of the greatest cities in the world.
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