New York City was first nicknamed ‘Big Apple’ in the 1920s. Historians trace the usage to horseracing, since the city’s races were seen as a big deal. Horses love apples, so the link could be there. But September onwards, the name seems especially appropriate because the city floods with apples from orchards across the northeast.
You find them piled in the farmers’ markets in the city’s squares, in varied sizes and colours. They have names like
