The Citys Most Famous Nickname
Among the many nicknames for New York City, the best known is "The Big Apple." The phrase has become so closely tied to the city that it appears on souvenirs, signs, and tourist campaigns around the world.
A Surprising Origin
The nickname has nothing to do with growing apples. It became popular in the 1920s through a sportswriter named John J. Fitz Gerald, who wrote about horse racing for a New York newspaper. He reportedly heard stable hands refer to New Yorks racetracks - the biggest prize in the sport - as "the big apple," and he began using the phrase in his columns. To horsemen, New York was the ultimate destination, the big apple worth reaching for.
From Jazz Clubs to Tourism
In the decades that followed, jazz musicians picked up the term, using it to mean New York City as the top stage for music. The nickname later faded, but it was revived in the 1970s by a tourism campaign designed to brighten the citys image during difficult times. Bright red apples appeared on pins and posters, inviting visitors to take a bite out of the Big Apple - and this time the name stuck for good.
Source
This article was written using information from Wikipedia.