Interesting Facts about New York

• Chittenago, New York is the home of L. Frank Baum, author of the "Wizard of Oz." It features a yellow brick inlaid sidewalks leading to Aunti Em's and other Oz-themed businesses. Chittenago is the location of an annual Munchkins parade.
• New York was the first state to require license plates on cars.
• While being constructed in 1929, the Chrysler Building and the Bank of Manhattan Building (now the Trump Building) in New York City were locked in a "race for the sky" to become the world's tallest building. The Bank of Manhattan Building was finished first, at 927 feet — just 2 feet taller than the announced height of its rival. However, Chrysler Building architect William Van Alen had concealed a 27-ton, 185-foot steel spire inside the structure. When it was raised into place, it brought the total height to 1,046 ft, more than 100 feet taller than the Bank of Manhattan Building.
• Of the 70 largest cities in 2004. New Orleans, LA, ranked as the place where U.S.-born residents were most likely to also be natives of their state -- 88% were. Of ail states, Louisiana and New York had the highest percentage of U.S.-born residents still living in the state where they were born-82%. The states with the lowest percentage of U.S.-born residents who were also state natives were Arizona and Nevada, each with only 28%.
• The Empire State Building turns 75 this month! The famous New York City landmark opened on May 1, 1931. President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington, D.C., to turn the building's lights on for the first time! Not including its antenna, the skyscraper is 1,250 feet tall--among the 10 tallest buildings in the world!