It turns out New York City is home to many American firsts.
"There's so much that happened in New York," said John Fria, New York City historian. "It was the first capital of the United States. We got the first cappuccino served in America here."
And that's just the beginning.
Fria pointed to another distinction that often sparks debate: America's first subway.
"The first subway in America, not Boston. People think it's Boston. I'm going to dispute that," he said.
Congestion was overwhelming in the 1800s, with horses, carriages and crowds making travel difficult. Fria explained that inventor Alfred Beach proposed an underground solution after being inspired by London's transit system.
The Beach Tunnel opened in February 1870, charging 25 cents per ride.
"This subway was not the subway we're used to today," Fria said. "They had very plush chandeliers, a fish tank as well, but it only took you 300 feet from Murray Street to right here on Warren Street. So you really weren't getting that far, but the idea was that this was a possibility. I'm going to say that we had it first, not Boston."
The next stop highlighted another retail milestone.
Standing in front of a white cast-iron building in Lower Manhattan, Fria described it as America's first department store.
"It was opened by Alexander Turney Stewart in the 1840s," he said. "This is the guy who actually created the departmentalized shopping experience that we know today."
From there, the tour moved to the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, where Fria shared the history of a site tied to the nation's first president.
Before the bridge existed, the location was home to the Samuel Osgood House, where George Washington lived while New York served as the nation's capital.
"This was the site of the first presidential home," Fria said. "George Washington moved in there, and this is really where the executive branch got its start."
Washington even welcomed members of the public.
"He had public business hours, so people could just walk up and do business with the president," Fria said. "That actually happened."
The home was demolished in 1856, eventually making way for another engineering first.
"The Brooklyn Bridge also holds a first," Fria said. "The world's first suspension bridge with steel cables opened in 1883."
The final destination was Delmonico's, often credited as America's first fine-dining restaurant.
"I have to bring you to America's first fine-dining restaurant, Delmonico's," Fria said.
He pointed to the restaurant's iconic columns and shared a bit of local lore.
"Legend has it they are from Pompeii," he said. "If you touch them, you're touching the same columns Marilyn Monroe, Gypsy Rose Lee and so many other celebrities who graced Delmonico's touched when they walked in."
Inside, the restaurant's long list of historical distinctions continued.
"This place is older than the Statue of Liberty," Fria said. "It had running water before the White House. It holds a lot of firsts, the first restaurant to have printed menus and the first restaurant to welcome women unaccompanied by men."
Delmonico's is also associated with several iconic dishes.
"We have the dishes it's known for as well, Eggs Benedict, Lobster Newberg and the New York strip steak," Fria said.
The restaurant says it created all three.
After a day spent exploring New York City's contributions to American history, there was one final takeaway.
"As I always say, you never know what you're going to learn when you're with me," Fria said.
Or, apparently, what you're going to eat.
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Coverage continues all night and as day breaks on Saturday-- David Muir traces our nation's amazing history.
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At 5, ESPN's SportsCenter celebrates sports stories that shaped America and after a special edition of World News Tonight-- join Ryan Seacrest for "Nashville's Star Spangled Bash." Music's biggest stars will perform live and one of the largest fireworks celebrations in the nation. Again-- it all starts Friday night on Channel 7.
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