Why New York Is Called "The Big Apple" — Three Theories

The nickname "The Big Apple" emerged in the 1920s–30s and was revived by a 1970s tourism campaign. Three leading origins:

1. Horse Racing (1920s) — Most Cited

• African-American stable hands in New Orleans called NYC tracks **"the big apple"** — the biggest prize money, the major leagues.
• Turf writer **John J. Fitz Gerald** (NY Morning Telegraph) heard it, used it in his column "Around the Big Apple" (1924).
• "Apple" = racing purse; "Big Apple" = NYC circuit (Aqueduct, Belmont, Jamaica, Saratoga).

2. Jazz Musicians (1930s)

• Jazz players called gigs **"apples"** (maybe from "apple" = city, or "big apple" = big payday).
• Harlem was the **"Big Apple"** — the ultimate gig.
• Cab Calloway, 1930s: "I'm going to the Big Apple."
• 1930s Harlem nightclub: **"The Big Apple"** (on 135th St).

3. Depression-Era Street Vendors (1930s)

• Vendors sold apples for 5¢: **"Big apples, five cents!"**
• Symbolized NYC as place where even in crisis, you could hustle a living.
• Less documented; likely a colorful retrofitting.

Revival: 1971 Tourism Campaign

• Charles Gillett (NY Convention & Visitors Bureau) launched **"The Big Apple"** ads (red apple logo) to counter 1970s crime/grime image.
• Volunteers handed out real apples to tourists.
• Stuck globally.

What About "Prize Apples"?

No historical evidence for "prize apples" as a phrase. Likely a conflation of "big apple = big prize" (racing) + "apple = desirable thing." The nickname is **metaphorical**, not about fruit quality.

Summary: Racing slang → jazz slang → tourism brand. Now = global shorthand for NYC's scale, ambition, and cultural centrality.