New York, NY —

Queens Councilman James Gennaro wants the city council to pass a resolution to name the "Newtown Pippin" the city's official apple. The Newtown Pippin is a tart green apple that was first harvested in Elmhurst, Queens about 300 years ago. It's said to have been a favorite of both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, who grew the apple on their farms in Virginia. Gennaro says that even though the state government traditionally declares official symbols, the city council should start a new trend with this storied apple this holiday season.

"There's the state tree and the state bird and the state muffin and the state beverage, and I think that we in the New York City Council ought to get into the naming business, other than streets, which we already do. So we should get into apples, we should get into produce," Gennaro says.

The Newtown Pippin now grows in public spaces in all five boroughs and is available in greenmarkets throughout the city.