Local Knowledge · Editorial deck
New York
Five boroughs, harbor crossings, immigrant food traditions and city landmarks
Your path through the deck
Learn it chapter by chapter.
Start with a chapter that catches your eye, or mix a few together in your round.
- 01Local names and everyday life5 cards · ~1 min
- 02Land and water3 cards · ~1 min
- 03History and neighborhoods3 cards · ~1 min
- 04Arts and landmarks3 cards · ~1 min
- 05Food and everyday life3 cards · ~1 min
- 06Movement and civic life3 cards · ~1 min
Taste it
Three cards to begin.
Searchable preview
The questions inside.
01New Yorkers use this Dutch-derived word for the steps outside a townhouse.RECALL
StoopRaised entrances are common on brownstone streets.
Share this card ↗Source: Stoop (architecture) ↗02On Manhattan transit, this direction generally means traveling north.RECALL
UptownDowntown generally indicates the opposite direction.
Share this card ↗Source: Uptown Manhattan ↗03New Yorkers pronounce this downtown Manhattan street HOW-stun, unlike the Texas city's name.RECALL
04New Yorkers use this collective term for Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.RECALL
Outer boroughsManhattan is excluded from the expression.
Share this card ↗Source: Boroughs of New York City ↗05On New York's subway, this service skips selected stations that local trains serve.RECALL
Express trainService patterns can differ by time of day.
Share this card ↗Source: New York City Subway ↗06This river separates Manhattan from New Jersey.RECALL
07Bethesda Terrace and the Great Lawn sit within this large Manhattan park.RECALL
Central ParkFrederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the park.
Share this card ↗Source: Central Park ↗08Despite its name, this waterway between Manhattan and Brooklyn is a tidal strait.RECALL
East RiverThe strait connects New York Harbor with Long Island Sound.
Share this card ↗Source: East River ↗09This Manhattan neighborhood gave its name to a flowering of Black arts in the 1920s.RECALL
10This New York Harbor island processed millions of arriving immigrants between 1892 and 1954.RECALL
Ellis IslandThe main building now houses an immigration museum.
Share this card ↗Source: Ellis Island ↗11Coney Island and Prospect Park lie in this New York City borough.RECALL
BrooklynBrooklyn was an independent city before consolidation in 1898.
Share this card ↗Source: Brooklyn ↗12France gave this torch-bearing monument in New York Harbor to the United States.RECALL
Statue of LibertyFrédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue.
Share this card ↗Source: Statue of Liberty ↗13This museum's main building faces Fifth Avenue beside Central Park.RECALL
Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe museum was founded in 1870.
Share this card ↗Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art ↗14This Art Deco Manhattan skyscraper has a stainless-steel crown and eagle ornaments.RECALL
Chrysler BuildingWilliam Van Alen designed the skyscraper.
Share this card ↗Source: Chrysler Building ↗15Boiled before baking, this ring-shaped bread became a New York staple through Jewish food traditions.RECALL
16New Yorkers often use this Spanish-derived word for a small neighborhood convenience store.RECALL
BodegaThe name comes from a Spanish word used for a storehouse or wine cellar.
Share this card ↗Source: Bodega (store) ↗17A foldable, large, thin slice defines the pizza style associated with Manhattan and Brooklyn.RECALL
New York-style pizzaThe style developed from Italian immigrant pizza traditions.
Share this card ↗Source: New York-style pizza ↗18This passenger service links Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan with St. George across New York Harbor.RECALL
Staten Island FerryThe service connects two of the city's five boroughs.
Share this card ↗Source: Staten Island Ferry ↗19This Manhattan rail terminal has a celestial ceiling and a four-faced clock above its information booth.RECALL
Grand Central TerminalThe present terminal opened in 1913.
Share this card ↗Source: Grand Central Terminal ↗20Flushing and Jackson Heights, linked by the 7 train, are neighborhoods in this New York borough.RECALL
Ready when you are
Flip the first card.
Study at your pace, or test what stayed with you. Your local progress is saved as you go.