There are 8 million (more like 8.6 million) stories in this city -- so it's probably not surprising that many different languages are spoken here. But it surprised even a supposedly jaded, sophisticated New Yorker like myself that there are over 630 languages spoken within the five boroughs -- more languages than there are countries on Earth.
But it's one thing to read that there are approximately 637 languages spoken in NYC but it's another thing to see where in NYC they are spoken.
And now you can!
An organization called the Endangered Language Alliance recently published a map that shows exactly where in NYC these six-hundred-something languages are spoken -- over 1000 locations in all. It's a scannable, zoomable PDF map so you can really drill down into different boroughs and neighborhoods to see where these langauges -- some you've probably never heard of like Chavacano in Queens or Hausa in Brooklyn -- are spoken, probably right next door to you.
Just another amazing fact about this amazing town!
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