1. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
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| Image by durbdk2 from Pixabay |
The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World; French: La Liberté éclairant le monde) is a massive neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City. A gift to the United States from the people of France, the bronze-clad statue was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, and its metal frame was constructed by Gustave Eiffel. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886.
The statue is of Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. In a classic contrarian pose, she holds a torch above her head in her right hand, and in her left hand she holds a tabula ansata inscribed with July IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals), the date of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. . With her left foot she steps on a broken chain and shackle, [8] recalling the national abolition of slavery after the American Civil War. A crown of seven spikes on her head represents the seven continents and seas of the enlightened world.[8] After its dedication, the statue became an icon of freedom and the United States, and was later seen as a symbol of welcome to immigrants from the sea.
The idea for the statue was conceived in 1865 when French historian and abolitionist Édouard de Laboulaye proposed a monument to commemorate the upcoming centennial of US Independence (1876), the perseverance of American democracy and the emancipation of the nation's slaves. The Franco-Prussian War delayed progress until 1875, when Labouille proposed that the people of France finance the statue and that the United States provide the site and build the pedestal. Bartholdi completed the head and the torch-bearing arm before the statue was completely created, and these pieces were displayed for publicity at international exhibitions.
The hand holding the torch was displayed at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876 and at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan from 1876 to 1882. Fundraising was particularly difficult for the Americans, and by 1885 the lack of funding for the pavement work was threatening. . Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World, began a drive for donations to complete the project and attracted more than 120,000 contributors, many of whom gave less than one dollar (equivalent to $34 in 2023). The statue was built in France, shipped overseas in crates, and assembled on the finished plinth in what was then known as Bedlois Island. The statue's completion was marked by New York's first ticker tape parade and a dedication ceremony presided over by President Grover Cleveland.
The statue was administered by the United States Lighthouse Board until 1901, then by the War Department; Since 1933, it has been maintained by the National Park Service as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and is a major tourist attraction. A limited number of visitors can access the rim of the pew and the interior of the statue's crown; Public access to the torch has been banned since 1916.
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| Image by Tom Kranz from Pixabay |
Liberty Island is a federally owned island located in upper New York Bay in the United States. Its most prominent feature is the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World), a large statue by Friedrich Auguste Bartholdi, dedicated in 1886. The island also contains the Statue of Liberty, which was unveiled in 2019 and displays the statue's original torch.
Long known as Bedloe's Island, it was renamed in 1956 by an act of the United States Congress. Part of New York State, the island sits just outside of New York City's bay in Manhattan, surrounded by the waters of Jersey City. New Jersey. There were a number of disputes over the island's jurisdiction before the Supreme Court settled it in 1998.
Liberty Island was inaugurated in 1937 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt became part of the National Monument through Presidential Proclamation 2250. In 1966, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of Liberty National Monument, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty Island.
2. Central Park
Image by Leonhard Niederwimmer from Pixabay
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City and was the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the sixth largest park in the city, covering 843 acres (341 ha), and is the most visited urban park in the United States, with 42 million visitors annually as of 2016.
The creation of a large park in Manhattan was first proposed in the 1840s, and a 778-acre (315 ha) park was approved in 1853. In 1858, landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition for their park. Greensward Plan". Construction began in 1857. Existing structures, including a predominantly black settlement called Seneca Village, were seized and destroyed through public domain. The first areas of the park were opened to the public in late 1858. Additional land at the north end of Central Park was purchased in 1859. and the park was completed in 1876. After a decline in the early 20th century, New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses began a program to clean up Central Park in the late 20th century, creating the Central Park Conservatory in 1980. , since the 1980s, many parts of the park have been renovated.
The park's main attractions include the Ramble and Lake, Hallett Nature Sanctuary, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir and Sheep Pasture; entertainment venues such as Wallman Rink, Central Park Carousel, and Central Park Zoo; formal spaces such as Central Park Mall and Bethesda Terrace; and the Delacorte Theater. The biologically diverse ecosystem has hundreds of species of flora and fauna. Recreational activities include horse-drawn carriage and bicycle tours, cycling, sports facilities, and concerts and events such as Shakespeare in the Park. Central Park is traversed by a system of paths and walkways and served by public transport.
Its size and cultural location make it a model for urban gardens in the world. Because of its influence, Central Park was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963 and a New York City Scenic Landmark in 1974. Central Park is owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation but has been managed by the Central Park Conservancy since 1998. An agreement with the municipal government in a public-private partnership. The Conservancy, a non-profit organization, raises Central Park's annual operating budget and is responsible for all of the park's basic care.
3. Times Square
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| Image by Andreas H. from Pixabay |
Times Square is a major commercial thoroughfare, tourist destination, entertainment center, and neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is located at the intersection of Broadway, Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street. Along with adjacent Duffy Square, Times Square is a five-block boat-shaped plaza between 42nd and 47th Streets.
Times Square is brightly lit by numerous digital billboards and advertisements, as well as businesses that provide 24/7 service. One of the world's busiest pedestrian areas,[3] it is the center of the Broadway Theater District[4] and a major center of the world's entertainment industry.[5] Times Square is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, attracting 50 million visitors annually. Approximately 330,000 people pass through Times Square each day, many of them tourists, and over 460,000 pedestrians pass through Times Square on its busiest days. The Times Square-42nd Street and 42nd Street-Port Authority bus terminal stations consistently rank as the busiest in the New York City subway system, transporting more than 200,000 passengers per day.
Formerly known as Longacre Square, it was renamed Times Square in 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the then newly constructed Times Building, now One Times Square. It is the site of the annual New Year's ball drop, which began on December 31, 1907, and attracts over a million visitors to Times Square each year, in addition to a global audience of a billion or more on various digital media. platforms. Times Square, specifically the intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street, is the eastern terminus of the Lincoln Highway, the first route through the United States for motor vehicles. Times Square is sometimes called the "Crossroads of the World" and the "Heart of the Great White Way."
4. The Metropolitan Museum
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| Image by Public Co from Pixabay |
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially known as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. It is the largest art museum in America and the fourth largest in the world. With 5.36 million visitors in 2023, it is the most visited museum in the United States and the fourth most visited art museum in the world.
By 2000, its permanent collection had more than two million works; It currently lists 1.5 million objects. The collection is divided into 17 custodial departments. The main building, located at 1000 Fifth Avenue along the Museum Mile on the eastern edge of Central Park on Manhattan's Upper East Side, is one of the world's largest art museums by area. The first part of the approximately 2 million square foot (190,000 m) building was constructed in 1880. A much smaller second location, The Cloisters at Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan contains an extensive collection of art, architecture and artifacts. From medieval Europe.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 with the mission of bringing art and art education to the American people. The museum's permanent collection consists of works of art from the ancient Near East and ancient Egypt through classical antiquity to the contemporary world. It includes paintings, sculptures and graphic works by many European Old Masters, as well as an extensive collection of American, modern and contemporary art. The Met also holds extensive collections of African, Asian, Oceanic, Byzantine and Islamic art. The museum is home to musical instruments, costumes and decorative arts and textiles, as well as encyclopedic collections of antique weapons and armor from around the world. Several remarkable interiors from 1st century Rome to modern American design are installed in its galleries.
5. The Empire State Building
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| Image by Olga Fil from Pixabay |
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon. It was built from 1930 to 1931. The building has a roof height of 1,250 feet (380 m) and a total height of 1,454 feet (443.2 m) including its antenna. The Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world until the first tower of the World Trade Center went up in 1970. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Empire State Building was the tallest building in New York City until it was overtaken by One World Trade Center in 2012. As of 2022, the building will be the seventh tallest building in New York City, the ninth tallest completed skyscraper in the United States, and the 54th tallest building in the world.
The design of the Empire State Building was modified fifteen times until it was confirmed as the tallest building in the world. Construction began on March 17, 1930, and the building opened thirteen and a half months later on May 1, 1931. Despite the favorable publicity surrounding the building's construction due to the Great Depression and World War II, its owners did not make a profit. Until the early 1950s.
The building's Art Deco architecture, height and observation decks have made it a popular attraction. About four million tourists from around the world visit the building's 86th and 102nd floor observatories annually; An additional indoor observatory on the 80th floor opened in 2019. The Empire State Building is an international cultural icon: it has been featured in more than 250 TV series and movies since the release of the movie King Kong in 1933. Building Size Global standard for describing the height and length of other structures. A symbol of New York City, this building has been named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 2007, it topped the American Institute of Architects' list of America's Favorite Architecture. In addition, the Empire State Building and its basement interior were designated as City Landmarks by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1980 and were added. National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
6. Broadway and the Theater District
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| Image by Andrzej from Pixabay |
Broadway theater, or Broadway, is a genre of theater in New York City, consisting of theatrical performances presented in 41 professional theaters, each with 500 or more seats, in the theater district along Broadway in Midtown Manhattan and at Lincoln Center. Broadway and London's West End together represent the highest level of commercial live theater in the English-speaking world.
The Broadway intersection is named after the district, and is closely identified with Times Square. There are only three theaters located on Broadway, the Broadway Theatre, the Palace Theatre, and the Winter Garden Theatre. The remainder are located at numbered cross streets, extending from the Nederlander Theater south of Times Square at West 41st Street, north to 53rd Street on both sides of Broadway, and the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center at West 65th Street. While there are exceptions, the term "Broadway theater" is primarily used to describe venues with seating for at least 500 people. Small theaters in New York City, regardless of location, are called off-Broadway, and very small venues with fewer than 100 seats are called off-off-Broadway, which can also apply to non-commercial, avant-garde. or productions held outside traditional theaters.
The Theater District is a leading international tourist attraction in New York City. According to the Broadway League, total attendance for the 2018-19 season was 14,768,254. Broadway shows grossed $1,829,312,140, with attendance up 9.5%, revenue up 10.3% and weekday play up 9.3%. The Broadway Museum on West 45th Street opened to the public in November 2022, becoming the first museum to document the history and experience of the Broadway theater and its profound influence on shaping Midtown Manhattan and Times Square.
Most Broadway shows are musicals. Historian Martin Shefter argues that "Broadway musicals, culminating in Rodgers and Hammerstein's productions, became enormously influential forms of American popular culture" and helped make New York the cultural capital of the world.
7. The Brooklyn Bridge
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The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City that spans the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Bridge, opened on May 24, 1883, was the first fixed crossing of the East River. It was also the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its opening, with a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m) and a deck 127 feet (38.7 m) above normal high water. The span was originally called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge or the East River Bridge, but was officially named the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915.
Proposals for a bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn were first made in the early 19th century, and eventually John A. The project's chief engineer, his son Washington Roebling, assisted by his wife, Emily Warren Roebling, contributed to further design work. Construction began in 1870 and was overseen by the New York Bridge Company, which was controlled by the Tammany Hall political machine. Numerous controversies and the novelty of the design dragged the project out for thirteen years. After opening, the Brooklyn Bridge underwent several renovations until 1950, carrying horse-drawn carriages and elevated railroad tracks. To accommodate the increased traffic, additional bridges and tunnels were built across the East River. After gradual deterioration, the Brooklyn Bridge was renovated several times, including in the 1950s, 1980s, and 2010s.
The Brooklyn Bridge is the southernmost of four toll-free bridges connecting Manhattan Island and Long Island, with the Manhattan Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge, and the Queensboro Bridge to the north. Only passenger vehicles and pedestrian and bicycle traffic are allowed. A major tourist attraction since its opening, the Brooklyn Bridge has become an icon of New York City. Over the years, the bridge has been used as a location for various stunts and performances, as well as several crimes and attacks. The Brooklyn Bridge has been designated a National Historic Landmark, a New York City Landmark, and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
The Brooklyn Bridge, an early example of a steel cable-stayed suspension bridge, uses a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge design, with vertical and diagonal suspender cables. Its stone towers are neo-Gothic and have characteristic pointed arches. The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), which maintains the bridge, says its original paint scheme was "Brooklyn Bridge Tan" and "Silver," but other accounts say it was originally entirely "Rollins Red."
8. One World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum
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| Image by A.V. Flores from Pixabay |
One World Trade Center, also known as One World Trade, One WTC, and originally known as the Freedom Tower, is the main building of the renovated World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the United States, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the seventh tallest building in the world. The superstructure bears the same name as the North Tower of the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The new skyscraper sits on 16 acres (6.5 hectares) at the northwest corner of World Trade Center. Center site, the site of the original 6 World Trade Center. It is bounded by West Street on the west, Vesey Street on the north, Fulton Street on the south, and Washington Street on the east.
On April 27, 2006, construction began on underground utility transfers, footings, and foundations for the new building. One World Trade Center became New York City's tallest structure on April 30, 2012 when it surpassed Empire Heights. State building. The tower's steel structure was raised on August 30, 2012. On May 10, 2013, the final component of the Sky Palace's spire was installed, bringing the building's total height to 1,776 feet (541 m), including its tower. Its height in feet is a deliberate reference to the year the United States' Declaration of Independence was signed. The building opened on November 3, 2014; One World Observatory was inaugurated on May 29, 2015.
h 26, 2009, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) confirmed that the building would officially be known by the legal name "One World Trade Center" rather than the colloquial name "Freedom Tower". The building has 94 floors and the top floor is number 104.
The new World Trade Center complex will eventually include five high-rise office buildings along Greenwich Street, as well as the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, located just south of the original Twin Towers. Construction of the new building is part of an effort to commemorate and rebuild the original World Trade Center complex after its destruction.
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum (also known as the 9/11 Memorial and Museum) is a memorial and museum part of the World Trade Center complex in New York City, created to commemorate the September 11, 2001 attacks. 2,977 people died, six more than the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The memorial is located on the site of the World Trade Center, the former site of the Twin Towers, which were destroyed in the September 11 attacks. The World Trade Center site is operated by a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise funds to program and operate the memorial and museum.
A memorial to the victims and those involved in rescue and recovery operations was planned soon after the World Trade Center was hit and destroyed. The winner of the World Trade Center Memorial competition was Israeli-American architect Michael Arad of Handel Architects, a firm based in New York City and San Francisco. Arad worked with landscape-architecture firm Peter Walker and Partners on the design, creating a forest of marshy white oak trees with two square reflecting pools in the center marking the site of the Twin Towers.
In August 2006, the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began heavy construction on the memorial and museum. The design conforms to Daniel Libeskind's original master plan, which called for the monument to be 30 feet (9.1 m) below street level—originally 70 feet (21 m)—in a plaza, the only finality Libeskind ignored. The need to overcome the footprint of the building twin towers. The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation was designated the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in 2007.
A dedication ceremony was held at the memorial on 11 September 2011 to mark the tenth anniversary of the attack, and it was opened to the public the following day. The museum was dedicated on May 15, 2014, with remarks from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and President Barack Obama. Six days later, the museum opened to the public.
9. Fifth Avenue
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| Image by tookapic from Pixabay |
Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in Manhattan, New York City, United States. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world.
Fifth Avenue carries two-way traffic from 142nd to 135th Street and one-way traffic southbound for the remainder of its route. Until 1966, the entire street carried two-way traffic. From 124th to 120th Street, Fifth Avenue is cut off by Marcus Garvey Park, and southbound traffic is diverted around the park through Mount Morris Park West and north onto Madison Avenue. Most streets have a bus lane, but not a bike lane. Fifth Avenue is the traditional route for many of New York City's festive parades and is closed on a few Sundays a year.
Fifth Avenue was originally only a narrow thoroughfare, but the section south of Central Park was widened in 1908. The midtown blocks between 34th and 59th streets were largely residential until the early 20th century when they were developed as commercial areas. In the 1950s, the stretch of Fifth Avenue consistently ranked among the most expensive shopping streets in the world, and the stretch between 59th and 96th streets across Central Park was nicknamed "Millionaires' Row" in the early 20th century due to its high concentration of mansions. there The section of Fifth Avenue that runs from 82nd to 110th Streets near Central Park is nicknamed the Museum Mile because of its large number of museums.
10. The High Line
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| Image by Noel from Pixabay |
The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) elevated linear park, greenway, and rail trail built on a former New York Central Railroad line on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The design of the High Line is a collaboration between James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Piet Oudolf. The abandoned spur has been reimagined as a "living system" drawing from multiple disciplines including landscape architecture, urban planning and ecology. The High Line was inspired by a similar project completed in Paris in 1993, the 4.7 km (2.9 mi) long Coulée verte (tree-lined walkway).
The park was built on a section of the abandoned South Viaduct of the New York Central Railroad's West Side Line. Beginning in the Meatpacking District, the park runs from Gansevoort Street—three blocks below 14th Street—through Chelsea to the northern edge of the West Side Yard at 34th Street near the Javits Center. The West Side Line formerly extended south to a train terminus at Spring Street, north to Canal Street and north to 35th Street to the site of the Javits Center. Due to declining rail traffic on the rest of the viaduct, it was effectively abandoned in 1980 when the north end of the viaduct was required to be demolished to build the Javits Center. In the late 20th century, the southern section of the viaduct was demolished in parts.
A non-profit organization called Friends of the High Line was founded in 1999 by Joshua David and Robert Hammond, advocating for its preservation and reuse as a public open space, elevated park or greenway. Prominent New Yorkers came together to raise funds and support the concept. Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration announced plans for a High Line park in 2003. The redevelopment of the railway into an urban park began in 2006 and opened in phases in 2009, 2011 and 2014. The spur is an extension of the originally connected hyaline. Along with the Morgan General Postal facility at Tenth Avenue and 30th Street, which opened in 2019. The Moynihan Connector, east of the spur to Moynihan Station, opened in 2023.
Since opening in June 2009, the High Line has become an icon of American contemporary landscape architecture. The success of the High Line has inspired cities across the United States to redevelop outdated infrastructure as public space. The park became a tourist attraction and spurred real estate development in adjacent neighborhoods, increasing property values and prices along the way. As of September 2014, the park had nearly five million visitors annually, and as of 2019, it was eight million visitors per year.
11. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
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| Image by StockSnap from Pixabay |
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The institute was conceived in 1929 by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Lillie P. Bliss and Mary Quinn Sullivan. Originally located in the Heckscher Building on Fifth Avenue, it opened days after the Wall Street Crash. America's first museum dedicated solely to modern art, its first director was Alfred H. It was headed by A. Conger Goodyear as president with Barr Jr. and Abby Rockefeller as treasurer. Under Barr's leadership, the museum's collection expanded rapidly, beginning with an inaugural exhibition of works by European modernists. Despite financial challenges, including opposition from John D. Rockefeller Jr., the museum moved to several temporary locations in its early years, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. eventually donated the land for its permanent location.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, MoMA gained international recognition with important exhibitions such as Barr's influential "Cubism and Abstract Art" in 1936, the works of Pablo Picasso organized in 1939-40, and the "Exhibition of Indian Art in the United States". In 1941, Abby Rockefeller's son Nelson, who became the museum's president in 1939, played a major role in its expansion and publicity. His brother David Rockefeller joined the board in 1948 and continued his close association with the family museum. Important events during this period included a major fire in 1958, which destroyed a painting by Claude Monet and led to the removal of other works of art. The sculpture garden was redesigned by Philip Johnson and opened in 1939 by the Philip L. The museum's architectural evolution also continued with the move to its current home designed by Goodwin and Edward Durrell Stone.
In later decades, the controversial decision to withdraw funding from the anti-war poster "And Babies" in 1969, and the protests that followed, highlighted the museum's involvement in contemporary sociopolitical issues. During the Cold War, it was among several agencies that aided the CIA in engaging in cultural propaganda.[2] Major expansions in the 1980s and early 21st century nearly doubled MoMA's space for exhibitions and programs, including the selection of Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi for a significant renovation. The 2000s saw a formal merger with P.S. 1 Center for Contemporary Art, and another major renovation in 2019 added significant gallery space.
In 2022, MoMA was the 17th most visited art museum in the world and the 4th most visited museum in the United States. MoMA's collection spans from the late 19th century to the present, and includes over 200,000 works of architecture and design, drawings, paintings, sculptures, photography, prints, illustrations, and artists' books, films, as well as electronic media. The museum is considered one of the most influential cultural institutions globally dedicated to modern and contemporary art. At the same time, MoMA has long faced criticism for developing and perpetuating Eurocentric narratives of modernism and not paying enough attention to expanding access to socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. The museum has been controversial over its labor practices, and the institution's labor union, founded in 1971, has described it as the first of its kind in the U.S. MoMA's library includes about 300,000 books and exhibition catalogs, over 1,000 periodical titles. and more than 40,000 files of ephemera about individual artists and groups. The archive houses primary source material related to the history of modern and contemporary art.
12. American Museum of Natural History
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| Image by just-pics from Pixabay |
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park across the street from Central Park, the museum complex consists of 21 interconnected buildings with 45 permanent exhibits in addition to a planetarium and library. The museum's collection contains approximately 32 million specialized collections of plants, animals, fungi, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, human remains, and human cultural artifacts, as well as frozen tissue and genetic and astrophysical data. Only a small portion can be displayed at any time. The museum covers more than 2,500,000 square feet (232,258 m2). AMNH has 225 full-time scientific staff, sponsors more than 120 special field expeditions each year, and averages about five million annual visits.
AMNH is a private 501 organization. Naturalist Albert S. Bickmore developed the idea for the American Museum of Natural History in 1861, and after many years in the making, the museum opened on May 22, 1871, in the Armory in Central Park. The park includes Calvert Walks and J. Designed by Ray Mold, it opened on December 22, 1877. Wings have been added over the years, including the main entrance pavilion (named for Theodore Roosevelt) in 1936 and the Rose Center for Earth and Space 2000.
13. Rockefeller Center
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| Image by Herve Borg from Pixabay |
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89,000 m) between 48th Street and 51st Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The 14 original Art Deco buildings, commissioned by the Rockefeller family, spread across the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, divided by a large sunken square and a private street called Rockefeller Plaza. Later additions include 75 Rockefeller Plaza across 51st Street at the north end of Rockefeller Plaza and four International Style buildings on the west side of Sixth Avenue.
In 1928, Columbia University, the site's owner, leased the land to John D. Rockefeller Jr., the man behind the complex's construction. Originally envisioned as the site for a new Metropolitan Opera building, the current Rockefeller Center came about after the Met was unable to move into the proposed new building. Various plans were discussed before the present one was approved in 1932. Construction of Rockefeller Center began in 1931 and the first buildings opened in 1933. The core of the complex was completed by 1939. Described as the largest project of the Great Depression. era, Rockefeller Center became a designated New York City landmark in 1985 and a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The complex and associated land has been owned since 2000 by Tishman Speyer, which purchased the property for $1.85 billion.
The original center has several parts. Radio City, along Sixth Avenue and centered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, includes the Radio City Music Hall, which was built for RCA's radio-related enterprises, such as NBC. The International Complex along Fifth Avenue was built for foreign tenants. The remainder of the original complex originally hosted print media as well as Eastern Airlines. 600 Fifth Avenue, located on the southeast side of the complex, was built on private property in the 1950s and acquired by the Center only in 1963. The complex is known for the large amounts of art present in all its buildings. Its extensive underground concourse, ice skating rink and annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
14. Coney Island
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| Image by Bruce Emmerling from Pixabay |
Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment district in the southwest part of Brooklyn, New York City. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to the north, and includes the subdivision of Sea Gate to its west. More broadly, the Coney Island Peninsula consists of Coney Island proper, Brighton Beach, and Manhattan Beach. This was formerly the westernmost of the outer barrier islands on Long Island's south shore, but in the early 20th century it was connected to the rest of Long Island by land.
The origin of the name Coney Island is disputed, but the area was originally part of the colonial town of Gravesend. By the mid-19th century it had become a seaside resort and by the late 19th century amusement parks had also been built on the site. In the early 20th century, attractions reached a historic peak. However, they fell out of favor after World War II, and after years of neglect, several structures were torn down. From the 1970s to the 2000s, various redevelopment projects were proposed for Coney Island, but most of them never materialized. The area was revitalized with the opening of what is known as Maimonides Park in 2001 and several amusement rides that started in the 2010s.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Coney Island had about 32,000 residents. The neighborhood is ethnically diverse, and the neighborhood poverty rate of 27% is slightly higher than the city as a whole.
Coney Island is part of Brooklyn Community District 13 and its primary ZIP code is 11224. It is patrolled by the New York City Police Department's 60th Precinct. Fire service is provided by the New York City Fire Department's Engine 245/Ladder 161/Truck 43 and Engine 318/Ladder 166. Politically, Coney Island is represented by the 47th District of the New York City Council. The area is well served by the New York City subway and local bus routes and contains several public elementary and middle schools.
15. The Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo (historically Bronx Zoo and Bronx Zoo) is a zoo located within Bronx Park in the Bronx, New York. It is one of the largest zoos in the United States by area and the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States by area, consisting of 265 acres (107 ha) of parkland and natural habitat separated by the Bronx River. On average, the zoo receives 2.15 million visitors each year as of 2009. The zoo's original permanent buildings, known as Astor Court, were designed as a series of Beaux-Arts Pavilions grouped around a large circular sea lion pool. The Rainey Memorial Gates were designed by sculptor Paul Manship in 1934 and were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The zoo opened on November 8, 1899 and housed 843 animals in 22 exhibits. Its first director was William Temple Hornaday, who served as director for 30 years. Since its inception, zoos have played an important role in animal conservation. In 1905, the American Bison Society was created in an effort to save the American bison from extinction, which had dwindled from tens of millions to hundreds of animals. Two years later, they were successfully reintroduced into the wild. In 2007, the zoo successfully introduced three Chinese crocodiles into the wild. The breeding marked a milestone in the zoo's 10-year effort to reintroduce the species to China's Yangtze River.
16. Grand Central Terminal
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| Image by Fernando González from Pixabay |
Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also known as Grand Central Station or simply Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus of the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven Line of the Metro-North Railroad serving the northern parts of the New York metropolitan area. It also contains a connection to the Long Island Railroad via Grand Central Madison Station, a 16-acre (65,000 m) rail terminal under the Metro-North station, built from 2007 to 2023. The terminal also connects to New York City. Grand Central - Subway at 42nd Street Station. The terminal is the third busiest train station in North America after New York's Penn Station and Toronto's Union Station.
The distinctive architecture and interior design of the Grand Central Terminal Station House has earned it several unique designations, including as a National Historic Landmark. Its Beaux-Arts design includes many works of art. Grand Central Terminal is one of the ten most visited tourist attractions in the world, with 21.6 million visitors in 2018, excluding rail and subway passengers. The main concourse of the terminal is often used as a meeting place and is especially featured in movies and television. Grand Central Terminal contains a variety of shops and food vendors, including upscale restaurants and bars, a food court, and a grocery market. The building is also known for its library, ballroom, tennis club, control center and offices for the railways and sub-base station.
Grand Central Terminal was built for the New York Central Railroad; It served the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and later the successors of the New York Central. Opened in 1913, the terminal was built on the site of two similarly named predecessor stations, the first of which dates back to 1871. Grand Central Terminal served intercity rail until 1991, when Amtrak began running its trains through nearby Penn Station.
Grand Central covers 48 acres (19 hectares) and has 44 platforms, more than any other railway station in the world. Its platforms, below ground, serve 30 tracks on the upper level and 26 on the lower. In total, there are 67 tracks, including a railway yard and sidings; Of these, 43 tracks are used for passenger service and the remaining two dozen are used for train storage.
17. The Frick Collection
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The Frick Collection (colloquially known as the Frick) is an art museum on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, established in 1935 to preserve the art collection of industrialist Henry Clay Frick. The museum features European paintings from the 14th to 19th centuries, as well as European fine and decorative arts. It is located in the Henry Clay Frick House, a Beaux-Arts mansion designed for Henry Clay Frick. The Frick also owns the Frick Art Reference Library, an art history research center established in 1920 by Frick's daughter Helen Clay Frick, which contains sales catalogs, books, periodicals, and photographs.
The museum dates back to 1920, when the trustees of Frick's estate established the Frick Collection Inc. to care for his art collection, which he bequeathed for public use. After Frick's wife Adelaide Frick died in 1931, John Russell Pope turned the Frick House into a museum, which opened on December 16, 1935. Over the years the museum acquired additional works of art, and in 1977 it expanded the house. . After fundraising campaigns in the 2000s, another expansion was announced in the 2010s. From 2021 to March 2024, during the renovation of the Frick House, Frick Madison operated at 945 Madison Ave. The Frick House is slated to reopen in late 2024.
Frick will have about 1,500 pieces in its collection by 2021. Artists whose works are in the collection include Bellini, Fragonard, Gainsborough, Goya, Holbein, Rembrandt, Titian, Turner, Velazquez, Vermeer and Whistler. The museum has gradually acquired additional pieces over the years to supplement the paintings in Frick's original collection. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum hosts small temporary exhibitions on narrowly defined topics, as well as academic conferences, performances and classes. The Frick Collection averages up to 300,000 visitors annually and has an endowment fund to support its programming. Commentary on the museum over the years has been largely positive, particularly regarding the works and their association with Freak House.
18. Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
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| Image by Brent Connelly from Pixabay |
The Brave Museum (originally the Brave Sea, Air and Space Museum) is an American military and maritime history museum in New York City. It is located at Pier 86 on 46th Street along the Hudson River in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood on the West Side of Manhattan. The museum consists mostly of exhibits, aircraft and spacecraft, on display on the museum ship USS Intrepid, a World War II-era aircraft carrier, as well as the USS Growler, a cruise missile submarine, and on display at Pier 86. The Intrepid Museum Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1979, operates the museum.
The museum was proposed in the late 1970s as a way to preserve the Intrepid and opened on August 3, 1982. The Intrepid Museum Foundation filed for bankruptcy protection in 1985 after struggling to attract visitors. Although it was unprofitable by the 1990s, the foundation acquired the USS Growler and USS Edson in the late 1980s to attract visitors and raise money. A minor renovation was done in 1998 after the museum began to make a profit. Between 2006 and 2008, the Intrepid Museum was closed entirely for a $115 million renovation. A new campus for the Space Shuttle Enterprise opened in 2012.
The Brave Museum spans three floors of the carrier; From top to bottom, they are flying, hanging and gallery floors. Most of the museum's collection consists of aircraft, which are displayed on the flight deck. Among the museum's collections are the Concorde SST, a Lockheed A-12 supersonic reconnaissance aircraft, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise. The hanging and gallery floors contain various attractions, such as exhibition halls, a theater and flight simulators, as well as individual objects such as a cockpit and a wind turbine. Several vessels and other objects have been sold or removed from the museum's collection over the years. The museum serves as a space for community and national events such as Fleet Week and awards ceremonies.
19. New York Botanical Garden
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| Image by ADD from Pixabay |
The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is a botanical garden in Bronx Park, Bronx, New York City. Established in 1891, it sits on 250 acres (100 hectares) of land and contains a landscape of over a million living plants; the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, a greenhouse containing several habitats; and the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, which contains one of the world's largest collections of books on botany. As of 2016, over a million people visit the New York Botanical Garden annually.
NYBG is a premier educational institution, teaching visitors about plant science, ecology and healthy eating through NYBG's interactive programs. Nearly 90,000 of the annual visitors are children from underserved neighboring communities. An additional 3,000 are teachers in the New York City public school system who participate in professional development programs that train them to teach science courses at all grade levels. NYBG operates one of the largest plant research and conservation programs in the world.
The NYBG was established in 1891 and the first structures on the grounds opened at the end of that decade. Since 1967, the park has been listed as a National Historic Landmark, and several buildings have been designated as official New York City landmarks.