With final exams all the rage this month, we thought we’d provide you with a little test of our own. Have you been paying attention this year? Grab a pencil, make your own Scantron, and let’s see how you do when we ask you a thing or two about the county.
Question One: In February, we investigated what happened to all the exit numbers on the Taconic. Turned out, there never really were exit numbers, just reference markers indicating the county and the sequence of the exit. But do you recall what four counties the Taconic runs through?
Question Two: In March, “Roads and Rails” was the theme and one reader asked where the names on the side of Metro-North trains came from. The answer: they were rider submissions solicited during two contests held by the railroad upon arrival of new train cars years ago. But which of the following was not an actual name used on a Metro-North train?
(a) Storm King
(b) Senesqua Flyer
(c) Shad Run
(d) Golden Apple
Question Three: Amidst our April fooling at Eastchester’s expense (some of you still believe the town has to change its name this month), we listed some cool factory tours in the area. Which is an actual tour offered in or around the county?
(a) Piano factory tour in Long Island City
(b) Wine bottle manufacturing “experience” in Brewster
(c) Potato-chip-making tour in Peekskill
(d) Pinball production plant in Poughkeepsie
Question Four: Perhaps unsurprisingly, our “Why Are Our Taxes So #%*! High” issue in June included an inquiry to “Ask Westchester” as to whether we are the richest county in the nation. Ah, no; no we’re not. But are we part of the richest area in the country? Which of the following has the most counties on the top-25 list for median household income?
(a) The San Francisco Bay Area
(b) The Washington, DC, Metropolitan Area
(c) The Greater Dallas Metropolitan Area
(d) The New York Metropolitan Area
Question Five: Our July “Best of Westchester” issue produced one of our “Best of Ask Westchester” questions. It was our first, shall we say, philosophical question—the inquisitor demanding answers on how anyone could refer to Westchester as “upstate.” We shared our reader’s distaste for the term when applied to our county. Assuming, as it should be, only things north of the northern tip of Westchester are considered “upstate,” which of the following are eligible for that moniker?
(a) Sing Sing Prison
(b) West Point
(c) Bear Mountain
(d) Vassar College
Question Six: During the dog days of August, we dug up the scoop on John Brisben Walker, one of the original owners of Cosmopolitan magazine. But Cosmo didn’t cover hot fashion trends and dating secrets 100 years ago when it was located in Westchester and owned by JBW. What did it cover?
(a) Literary fiction
(b) City landscaping
(c) Cocktails
(d) Westchester County
Question Seven: Also in August, we told the tale of poor Major William Francis Deegan, whose years of service to the Army Corps of Engineers earned him a nameplate right above one of America’s most congested highways. Which of the following is not actually the origin of the name of one of our packed local infrastructures?
(a) Tappan Zee Bridge—Named after the “Tappan” Indian Tribe, with the word “Zee” being the Dutch word for “sea.”
(b) Bruckner Expressway—named after U.S. Congressman and Bronx Borough President Henry Bruckner
(c) Throgs Neck Bridge—a bastardization of “frogs neck,” which describes the slim geography of the region where the bridge originates
(d) Goethals Bridge—named after Panama Canal constructor (and Deegan’s boss) George Goethals
Question Eight: On what topic have we received the most questions?
(a) Buildings/landmarks
(b) Roads/rails
(c) History
(d) Food
Continue Reading for Answers
Answers
Answer One: Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, and Columbia
Answer Two: (d) Golden Apple
Answer Three: (a) Piano factory tour in Long Island City
Answer Four: (b) The Washington, DC, Metropolitan Area (your tax dollars at work!)
Answer Five: (b) West Point and (d) Vassar College. FYI: Bear Mountain is not in Westchester, but it’s also not north of the county’s most northern point.
Answer Six: (a) Literary fiction. And it better keep its hands off (d) while we’re at it.
Answer Seven: (c) Throgs Neck Bridge. It’s actually named after an early Dutch settler, Reverend John Throgmorton.
Answer Eight: (a) Buildings/landmarks (by almost double any other category. You’ve all heard of Wikipedia right!?)
