[VIDEO] New York: Skyscrapers, Spies, and Seriously Strange Surprises

View Full

Weird & Interesting State Facts Playlist

View Full

Weird & Interesting State Facts Playlist

New York: Skyscrapers, Spies, and Seriously Strange Surprises

Transcript:

Welcome to New York—the Empire State! Known for the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and Niagara Falls, New York is also filled with weird laws, forgotten history, and surprising oddities that make it one of the most fascinating states in America.

Let’s start with some weird laws. In New York City, it’s illegal to wear slippers after 10 p.m.—apparently to prevent “loafing” or nighttime disturbances. Another strange one? In the town of Greene, you can be fined for eating peanuts and walking backward on sidewalks during a concert. And across the state, it’s technically illegal to greet someone by “putting your thumb to your nose and wiggling your fingers.” Yes, that’s actually written down.

Now for the strange and unusual. Did you know New York has its own “UFO capital”? Pine Bush, a small town in the Hudson Valley, has had so many sightings that it hosts an annual UFO Festival complete with costumes and alien parades. The state also hides something unexpected underground—New York City has a secret Cold War fallout shelter inside the Brooklyn Bridge, stocked with 1950s survival supplies that weren’t discovered until 2006.

What makes New York truly unique? It’s home to more than 700 miles of underground subway tracks and over 200 waterfalls in Ithaca alone. It’s also where espionage legend Benedict Arnold tried—and failed—to hand over West Point during the American Revolution. And here’s a fun one: Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, and the Grand Canyon combined.

From outlawed slippers to peanut-walking fines and alien parades, this state proves it’s more than just a city—it’s a world of weird. Like, comment, and subscribe for more weird and interesting facts from all 50 U.S. states!