For as long as we've all lived in New York City, there are still plenty of facets and tidbits about this city we don't know. 

For instance, there used to be actual cherry trees growing on Orchard Street. (You know, because the name isn't just for show.)

What other fun facts are there about the city? Well, we can't give too many of them away in the intro. But we promise you: they're crazy, fascinating, and juicy.

And don't tell us we missed some really good facts, because you probably missed our first few pieces on this exact topic. 

Because we came at you with some things you didn't know about NYC part one back in May, and those were wild. And we even told you about a few more crazy tidbits back in July. 

Now get ready for more. That's right, part three, comin' at cha! 

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1. Orchard Street used to be an actual orchard

The Delancey family owned a farm, and in the eighteenth century that farm stretched from the East River to the Hudson River over lower Manhattan. 

And yes, where Orchard Street is now is where the Delancey family's cherry orchard grew.

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Ming Fay memorialized the cherry trees of yesteryear with a mosaic of cherry trees on the Brooklyn-bound platform at the Essex Street subway station.

[via Via MTA]

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2. New York City will pay for a one-way plane ticket for a homeless person if they have a guaranteed place to stay

The Bloomberg administration has paid for more than 550 families to leave the city since 2007. 

The NYC shelter system costs $36,000 a year per family, and flights cost much, much less. Flights to Orlando cost $858.40, $6,332 for a flight to Paris, and San Juan costs $484.20.

All it takes for families to participate in this service is for a relative elsewhere to agree to take them in. The city spends $500,000 per year on the program, and uses the travel agency Austin Travel to book one-way tickets for domestic trips. 

In 2009, families were sent to 24 states and 5 continents. Families can also reject this service and stay in city shelters.

[via NY Times]

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3. Only 51% of New Yorkers speak just English at home

Data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey reported that only 51% of New Yorkers speak strictly English at home.

The second and third most spoken languages in New York City are Spanish and Chinese, respectively. Russian ranked in at fourth, and French Creole came in fifth.

Some experts believe New Yorkers speak as many as 800 languages, many of which are in danger of dying out. As a result, the Endangered Language Alliance was formed in New York City to document and describe endangered languages.

Since NYC is the most linguistically diverse city in the world, we weren't all that surprised by this information. Neither should you. 

[via NY Times and Huffington Post]

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4. Toilet paper was invented in NYC

What did people use before the invention of toilet paper? Well the ancient Greeks used stones and pieces of clay, and the ancient Romans used sponges on the ends of sticks, stored in jugs filled with salty water.

In the early American West, people most often used corncobs and pages torn from newspapers and magazines. 

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In the 14th Century, the Chinese emperors started producing paper specifically for the purpose of using it as toilet paper, and Chinese emperors would order in an 2 foot x 3 foot sheets.

In 1857, Joseph Gayetty first started producing packaged toilet paper in New York City. His toilet paper contained pre-moistened flat sheets medicated with aloe, and was called "Gayetty's Medicated Paper." The weirdest part? Gayetty's name was printed on every sheet.

Regardless, we're glad Gayetty came along.

[via Buzzfeed and Nobody's Perfect]

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5. Mice have evolved to thrive in New York City

Evolutionary biologist Jason Munshi-South said the local environment of New York City has changed the ecology of the species. While most species' populations have declined, some species like rodents have undergone population booms.

Munshi-South said that if 100 mice traps were set up in NYC, 50 could be caught in one night, whereas outside the city the same number of traps would catch about 10.

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He also found that mice have developed different genes in different areas of the city. Mice in New York City live longer, have more offspring, stronger immune systems, and survive better in urban areas.

[via Business Insider]

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6. There's a dirty patch on the ceiling of Grand Central

It used to be the way the entire ceiling looked.

The Grand Central ceiling, which is now starry and majestic, used to be replete with diesel smoke, smog, tar, and nicotine.

The terminal was renovated to its current, near magical state between 1996 and 1998 when the soot on the ceiling was cleared and the twinkling stars underneath shone at last. The patch of rectangle was left on the ceiling to illustrate how dirty it'd been before the renovation. 

[via Cnet and Gypsynester]

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7. Premature babies used to be displayed on Coney Island for cash

In 1898 the modern incubator was introduced to the United States. It was wildly popular at exhibitions, so Dr. Martin Couney set up a small display in a building on the Coney Island Boardwalk. 

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He charged a quarter for a look, which helped to fund the incubators.

It does sound absurd to profit from the premature birth of babies, but without this revenue the babies who needed filtered air and warmth inside the incubator may not have survived otherwise. 

[via Newyork.com]

Check out 9 Crazy Facts You Probably Didn't Know About 9 Major Landmarks in NYC. 

[via MTA]