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NEW YORK
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Hi, Welcome to New York
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This is one of those cities we have wanted to visit for a very long time, so you can imagine the build up and excitement leading up to us leaving the UK and heading off for NYC. This is the only trip that Jan has planned, all other trips on this site are planned by Rick, so I (Jan) had a lot to live up to. Here is my planned itinerary which I have to say we almost did to plan.
Day 1 - Wednesday
Day 2 - Thursday
Day 3 - Friday
Day 4 – Saturday - full day excursion, provided by our good friend Gerry.
Philadelphia
Atlantic City
Empire State Building
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This skyscraper was completed in 1931 and rises 1,250 feet above
the ground for a total of 102 floors. Until 1954 it was the highest structure in
the world. It took less than two years to build. At the top are public viewing
platforms available for a fee, as well as a radio and television mast which was
added in 1951. The lighting system at the very top, is amazing, we could see
very clearly the colours at night from our hotel bedroom. Their colours are
based on an annual schedule which takes into consideration special events.
Examples are: red for Valentines Day; red, white & blue for patriotic holidays;
& even red and yellow for autumn. These are just a few, I have explained the
lights below.
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Statue of Liberty -
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Special News: The Statue of Liberty is to reopen temporarily in
the Summer of 2004.
The statue of liberty was
presented to the United States by the people of France in 1886, this great
national landmark has been a worldwide symbol of freedom to millions of people
and a welcoming beacon for millions more immigrants.
"Its formal name is 'Liberty Enlightening the World'. The statue depicts a woman
escaping the chains of tyranny, which lie at her feet. Her right hand holds
aloft a burning torch that represents liberty. Her left hand holds a tablet
inscribed with the date “July 4, 1776” (in Roman numerals), the day the United
States declared its independence. She is wearing flowing robes and the seven
rays of her spiked crown symbolize the seven seas and continents."
Visitors can again enjoy the grounds of Liberty Island, and experience the
Statue of Liberty up close, unfortunately due to Sept 11th going inside is not
an option.
Ellis Island
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Now a public museum, this island served as
an entryway for immigrants from 1892 to 1954 when its facilities were closed
because of its diminished importance due to restrictive immigration legislation
in the 1920s. It was basically an inspection centre where new arrivals were
detained and aliens deported. At one point it handled upwards of 5,000 persons
daily. All and all, "more than 16 million immigrants passed through Ellis
Island, almost three-fourths of all immigrants to the United States having
landed there."
Washington Square Park
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At the centre of Greenwich Village is this great park. At the
entrance you'll find the Washington Arch which may be considered as a replica of
Paris' Arc de Triumph. Like many other structures in this city, it was built in
celebration of George Washington's inauguration, about 100 years earlier.
Intrepid Sea-Air Space Museum -
Pier 86 - West 46th Street & 12th Avenue
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Right off the Hudson River is this great aircraft carrier. Launched on April 26,
1943, this Vessel was disposed of and donated as a Historic Memorial 37 years
later in 1982 by the US Navy. According to the US Navy, this vessel stands at a
length of 899 ft. Strange thing was, you'd think it was much longer just by
looking at it! It had accommodations for 378 Officers and 2,952 Enlisted men
plus a dead weight of 12,300 tons. Alongside the Intrepid are the Destroyer, USS
Edison, and the submarine, USS Growler.
Within the Intrepid's Hangar is quite a number of aircraft available for
viewing, a flight simulator, many educational sections, documentary style movies
(with a theatre or two) and some truly spectacular computerized consoles from
which you'll learn of the US Military's naval, air and ground forces past and
present. On the deck itself are many more aircraft. It's quite an experience to
board the Intrepid! There's so much to see!!
Times Square -
40th to 52nd Sts/Broadway, 7th & 8th Ave
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"Crossroads of the world" That's what they call it. Located at and around 7th -
8th avenues and Broadway between 40th and 52nd streets. Its absolutely brilliant
at night with all the neon's. To own a building in Time Square now you have to
display a neon sign.
Before: Times Square
was once the seediest part of the city. Actually words cannot summon up the
feeling the old Times Square instilled in a person. It was dirty, ugly, and yes,
I'll say it, almost disgusting! Peep Shows, Porn Shops, and dirty old theatre
houses lined the streets. Then Disney moved in, put a huge amount of money into
this area and Voila!! we have The Times Square we see today. There are cops on
almost every street corner and workers cleaning up repairing the sidewalks on an
almost constant basis. With the billions of dollars poured and still being
poured into its redevelopment, Times Square is just shining with Broadway hits
such as the Lion King, Beauty and The Beast, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia and many
more! Millions if not billions of neon lights shine upon the streets. It's a
spectacle! There are some 227 restaurants, over 600 stores, and plenty of street
performers.
Sphere
A sculpture designed by Fritz Koenig as a symbol of peace and
which stood in the plaza of The World Trade Centre for 30 years. Its survival
through the devastation of September 11th and its presence at Battery Park in
lower Manhattan stand as testimony and as a symbol of America's Strength, Hope
and Fortitude through the hearts and spirit of the American People.
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Grand Central Terminal
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Located between 42nd & 45th St, within Vanderbilt & Lexington
Ave. is Grand Central Terminal. NYC's Great Transportation hub. Here is where
the Metro North Trains and many others depart. The structure itself, both within
and outside is quite something to look at, grandeur comes to mind. It
wasn't as bustling as we had been led to believe which was good if you just
wanted to stand in the centre and really just look around taking it all
in.
Raging Bull
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Location: Exchange Pl. & Broadway
This 7,000 pound bronze statue is a good luck piece for investors, traders and
brokers. Soho artist Arturo DeModica originally placed the statue in front of
The New York Stock Exchange. Arturo did not have permission so it was removed to
an impound lot. Later, the NYC Parks Department placed it here. A speeding car
once hit it and it was moved a few inches back, the car however was a complete
loss. It is said if you rub the back of the bull, then good fortune should soon
be coming your way.
The Lion king
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The Show is absolutely amazing. We had brilliant seats and
it left me gob smacked! The characters really do come alive. Giraffes
strut, birds swoop, gazelles leap! The entire savannah comes to life and, as the
music soars, Pride Rock slowly rises out of the stage. Then you are just in awe
of the whole performance. The music is amazing as are all the characters.
They really did make the film version of The lion Ling come alive on stage.
- a show not to be missed.
Flat Iron Building, NYC
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The "First Skyscraper."1902 The Fuller Building, now universally
known as the Flat Iron (two words) Building was built in 1902. The architectural
firm was Burnham and Root. The building was 20 stories with a height of
285 feet. It is faced in limestone and the depth of the triangle's apex is a
mere 6 feet. From the side it seems a wall. No prize for guessing why it is
called The Flat Iron Building! ha ha
The New York City Fire Museum
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The New York City Fire Museum houses one of the nation's most
important collections of fire related art and artefacts from the late 18th
century to the present. Among its holdings are painted leather buckets, helmets,
parade hats and belts, lanterns and tools, pre Civil War hand pumped fire
engines, horse drawn vehicles and early motorized apparatus. The New York City
Fire Museum is located in a renovated 1904 firehouse at 278 Spring Street in the
Soho district of Manhattan. The museum has a collection of over 2,000 fire
marks, the fire insurance company advertising emblems. They have so many that
only a small portion are on exhibit, the rest are held in storage for use in
temporary exhibits or for study by historians and other researchers.
There is also a display showing
the devastating day of 9/11 - very moving.
Chrysler building
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History of The Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building by designed by architect, Mr. William van Alen (Born in
Brooklyn in 1883, Died 1954), for contractor William H. Reynolds. The plan was
then sold to Walter P.Chrysler, the owner of Chrysler Motors, who wanted "a bold
structure, declaring the glories of the modern age". When you see this building
you will see that he got what he wanted. The building had originally been
designed to have a facade treatment which called for a Middle or Far
Eastern-like patterning of its white, grey and black brickwork. Height to the
top of spire: 1,046 ft (319 m)77 floors
Construction started in 1928
Construction finished in 1930
At night this building looks
amazing with the lights shining all around the structure and the building can be
seen far away.
We had a wonderful time, five full days of sightseeing and
lots of great memories to take home with us. We were fortunate enough to be
taken to Philadelphia for the day which is only two hours drive from New
York City. Enough time for us to enjoy a philly cheese steak from
Pats Steak House
Philadelphia
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