by 
The Curious Bag
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The Mile High City, Denver, is officially one mile high in elevation, and the Big Peach, Atlanta, is known for peaches. But the origin of and reason for the nickname the "Big Apple" for New York is not entirely clear.
Misconceptions
There have been inaccurate speculations and hoaxes spread about the origins, including that it was named for a prostitute named Eve.
First Use
In 1909, Martin Wayfarer called New York "the big apple." It was not used in print again until John J. Fitz Gerald, a writer for the New York Morning Telegraph, began using it in 1921.
Horse Racing
Fitz Gerald said he first heard the term "big apple" referring to New York from stable hands at a race track in New Orleans in 1920.
Speculations
Since the stable hands already knew the term, the actual origins are not known. Fitz Gerald thought the apple was linked to feeding horses apples.
Common Usage
By the mid-1920s, there are many references to New York as the Big Apple by others, including entertainers and mobsters.
Source:
"Why is New York called the Big Apple?"
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