• New York is called the "Big Apple" as in 1803 Evelyn Claudine de saint-Evremond was forced to flee France. She opened up a salon that became a place where men could enjoy the pleasures of beautiful women and high stakes gambling. The men that went to this such place lovingly nicknamed her "Eve" as to the biblical reference, and she would refer about the establishment and the women inside it as her "irresistible apples hence the name "The Big Apple."
• I don't know if it's correct but I'm told that from above New York with both its harbors is in the shape of an apple with the Statue of Liberty being the stalk.
• It is sometimes said that New York City is called The Big Apple because Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch colonial governor back when the city was called New Amsterdam, planted a long-lived apple tree in it.

(For a detailed history on the origin of the nickname, click on the Related Link below.)

New York got its name from the Duke of York, who gained control of the land in the 17th century. Originally it was called "New Amsterdam" by the Dutch settlers but when control of this area was taken over by English, its name was also changed to "New York," to honor the Duke of York. There is an "Old York" (or just York) back in England.
New York was named for the Duke of York, later King James II of England. It had originally been called New Amsterdam by the Dutch, who founded the city.

• The duke of york named the country after himself just so he could own New York for good

Well, it depends on whether you're starting out from East 31st Street or West 31st Street. But either way, if you don't have luggage to carry, you should seriously consider just walking, instead of taking the subway, especially if you're starting out from the East Side. The walk is only 0.5 to 1.5 miles. From East 31st, it's about half a mile to a mile, and from West 31st, it's about a mile to a mile and a half.

Grand Central Station is at East 42nd between Park and Lexington. In New York City, 17 to 20 street blocks (north/south blocks) equals a mile, and 5 to 10 avenue blocks (east/west blocks) equals a mile. So, from 31st to 42nd Street is half a mile. The distance east or west could be anywhere from 0 to 1 miles.

If you really want to take the subway, here are your options:

1) West Side: take the Uptown 1-2-3 (the red line) or the Uptown A-C-E (the blue line), one stop, from Penn Station (34th Street & 7th Avenue on the 1-2-3, and 34th and 8th Avenue on the A-C-E) to 42nd Street (Times Square). At the Times Square Station, transfer to the S shuttle train (color code grey) east across 42nd Street, from Times Square (West 42nd) to Grand Central (East 42nd).

2) Center of Manhattan: take the Uptown N or Q (of the N-R-Q-W, the yellow line), one stop, from Herald Square (34th & Broadway) to Times Square. Again, transfer at Times Square for the S shuttle train east across 42nd to Grand Central.

3) East Side: take the Uptown 4-5-6 (the dark green line) one stop, from 33rd Street to Grand Central.

See the Related Link below for a complete New York City subway map.

The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld, by Herbert Asbury

Gotham: a history of New York City to 1898, By Edwin G. Burrows, Mike Wallace

A city of immigrants: dreams and realities of life in New York, 1840-2007, By LaGuardia Community College. LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, Richard K. Lieberman

German New York City, By Richard Panchyk

The Promised City: New York's Jews, 1870-1914, by Moses Rischin

Shutting Out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York, 1880-1924, by Deborah Hopkinson

Tenement: Immmigrant Life on the Lower East Side, by Raymond Bial

(Some of the books I took off this list are very good books on their topic, but are not relevant to the 19th century experience.)

Also see the link below.

Mr. Mullins stated that the Five Points existed at the intersection of "Worth, Baxter, and Park Row". This would lie in today's Chinatown. He was close! There is no such intersection. Park Row does not intersect with Baxter.

The Five Points can be found where Baxter intersects with Worth (formerly known as Anthony St). If you follow Worth east, you'll hit Park (formerly known as Chatham).

Original 5 pts was the intersection of Worth, Baxter, Mosco, and Pearl Street, which use to run through the Federal Court House. The location is presently known as Columbus Park in China Town.

Only two of the three streets that made up the Five Points intersection still exist--Worth and Baxter. The third is not Park Row, but the now-buried Park Street, which used to run from the Five Points, across Pearl Street and to the intersection of Lafayette and Centre streets. It ran under what is now a courthouse.

Five Points was made by the intersection of three streets: Worth, Baxter, and Park (now Mosco).

Around 1900, the tenements were torn down to make way for Mulberry Bend Park (now Columbus Park) and several courthouses.

At Old World NYC there is a digital map showing where the old streets were and what the present area looks like.

Here are a few ideas:

• Some insurers write new companies, but not all of them will. You may have trouble obtaining insurance until you have a "loss record" or track history for an insurer to examine. DO NOT CONFUSE tow insurance with repo insurance as they are different for example, if you have a tow policy you are not covered for things like wrongful repossession.
• You are required to have wrongful repossession, commercial liability and auto insurance, as well as a dishonesty bond in most states when operating a repo business. Most insurance companies provide both bonding and insurance. It is usually best to use an agent that you are familiar with or one that was given as a referral by someone that you trust. If you are new to the insurance world, call your membership organization (if you belong to one) or your local chamber of commerce for a list of names of reputable agencies. Shop around from there. Make sure all quotes that you receive are provided to you in writing.

  Be certain that any insurer with which you do business is authorized (licensed) to transact insurance in the state in which the policy is issued. There are many entities that look like real insurers, but are fake and which only exist to take premium dollars. The only way to be sure is to verify with your Department of Insurance.

  You need a insurance broker that specializes in this line of insurance.

Few companies will give the coverages that are required by the banks to run a Reposession company. Many companies that do towing risks will tell you that they will look at the risk and quote it for you but will not offer the Drive away coverage, wrongful tow coverage.

Yes, you can take the A train to Harlem. Actually, the A train will take you to Morningside Heights, which is the neighborhood west of Harlem, but it's only one block east from there to Harlem.

First, you take the shuttle, called the AirTrain, from inside the JFK terminals to the Howard Beach Station of the A train (of the A-C-E, the blue line). Then take the Manhattan-bound A train to 125th Street. The station is at 125th Street and Amsterdam, and from there it's just one avenue block east to the western end of Harlem: Amsterdam Avenue ---> Morningside Avenue ---> St. Nicolas Avenue. Morningside Avenue forms the western border of Harlem.

You could also take the A train to 34th Street-Penn Station, then transfer to the Uptown 2 or 3 trains (of the 1-2-3, the red line) to 125th Street, at 125th Street and Lenox Avenue/Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue becomes Malcolm X Boulevard at 125th Street).

The 125th Street stop on the 2 and 3 is several avenue blocks east of the 125th Street stop on the A. It drops you off in the middle of Harlem.

The typical railway metro runs an electric powered motor fixed at every wheel of the train, it's motor have two coils inside it, the first one gives high power to start the train and moves it and the second one is for high speeds, the train brakes with special braking pads the same way the car brakes.

Second answer:

"Metro" is a generic name for an urban railway system. Many cities have a Metro. For example: Paris Métro, Rome Metro, Madrid Metro, Amsterdam Metro, Newcastle Metro, etc., etc.

All the comments in the first answer are true, but they are also true of all electric multiple unit trains, from trams to the ICE high speed train I was on earlier today.

Typical for a Metro are fixed routes with high frequencies on each route (one train every 2-5 minutes).

Not necessarily all wheels have a motor on them.