Guess What!?? I had a thought (watch out -- the walls will come crumbling down -- hahaha!) I started thinking that if you are not familiar with the boroughs and neighborhoods that I have described in New York City and Manhattan, I should give you a quick little lesson. First off, I have to mention that there are five boroughs in New York City. They are: Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.
Manhattan Neighborhoods: My entire visit was spent mainly in Manhattan. Manhattan consists of many neighborhoods, which are not named according to any particular norm.
Some are geographical (the Upper East Side), or ethnically descriptive
(Little Italy). Others are acronyms. I mentioned in the last blog about SoHo, NoHo, TriBeCa, NoMad and DUMBO. If you are somewhat familiar with these new and upcoming neighborhood names but have never been given an explanation as to their meanings, here is a crash course. The name SoHo refers to the area being "SOuth of HOuston
(Street)," NoHo for "NOrth of HOuston Street," TriBeCa ("TRIangle BElow CAnal Street"), Nolita ("NOrth of Little ITAly"), NoMad ("NOrth of MADison Square"), and DUMBO ("Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass"), and Canal Street separates Little Italy and Chinatown. Then there is also Harlem (named after a city in the Netherlands -- Haarlem), and Alphabet City (comprised of Avenues A, B, C and D, to which its name refers).
Some neighborhoods, such as SoHo, are commercial and known for upscale shopping. Others, such as Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, Alphabet City and the East Village, have long been associated with the "Bohemian" subculture. Chelsea is a neighborhood with a large gay population, and recently a center of New York's art industry and nightlife. Washington Heights is a vibrant neighborhood of immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Chinatown has a dense population of people of Chinese descent. Koreatown is primarily a Korean business district, as few people actually live in the area. The Upper West Side is often characterized as more intellectual and creative, in contrast to the old money and conservative values of the Upper East Side, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the United States.
To orient yourself geographically, in Manhattan uptown means north (more precisely north-northeast) and downtown means south (south-southwest). This differs from that of most American cities, where downtown refers to the central business district. Manhattan has two central business districts, the Financial District at the southern tip of the island, and Midtown Manhattan.
Some neighborhoods, such as SoHo, are commercial and known for upscale shopping. Others, such as Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, Alphabet City and the East Village, have long been associated with the "Bohemian" subculture. Chelsea is a neighborhood with a large gay population, and recently a center of New York's art industry and nightlife. Washington Heights is a vibrant neighborhood of immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Chinatown has a dense population of people of Chinese descent. Koreatown is primarily a Korean business district, as few people actually live in the area. The Upper West Side is often characterized as more intellectual and creative, in contrast to the old money and conservative values of the Upper East Side, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the United States.
To orient yourself geographically, in Manhattan uptown means north (more precisely north-northeast) and downtown means south (south-southwest). This differs from that of most American cities, where downtown refers to the central business district. Manhattan has two central business districts, the Financial District at the southern tip of the island, and Midtown Manhattan.
Here is a complete listing of all the neighborhoods in Manhattan. Hold onto your hats, folks!
The Midtown neighborhoods are: Midtown, Columbus Circle, Sutton Place, Rockefeller Center (Radio City), Diamond District, Theater District, Turtle Bay, Tudor City, Little Brazil, Times Square, Hudson Yards, Midtown West, Hell’s Kitchen (a/k/a Clinton), Garment District, Herald Square, Koreatown, Murray Hill, Tenderloin, and Madison Square.
Neighborhoods between mid-town and downtown are: Flower District, Brookdale, Kips Bay, Rose Hill, NoMad, Peter Cooper Village (f/k/a Gas House District), Chelsea, Flatiron District (a/k/a Toy or Photo District), Gramercy Park, Stuyvesant Town (f/k/a Gas House District, Meatpacking District, and Waterside Plaza.
Downtown neighborhoods are: Downtown Manhattan, Little Germany, Alphabet City (Loisaida), East Village, Greenwich Village, NoHo, Bowery, West Village, Lower East Side, SoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown, Lower Manhattan (financial District), Five Points, Cooperative Village, Two Bridges, TriBeCa, Civic Center, Radio Row, South Street Seaport, and Battery Park City.
Whew!! Got all that!
I figured that as long as I am mentioning these neighborhoods in my posts, along the way I should give little tidbits of history on them, too. Now that you are (or will be) much more informed about some of the New York City boroughs or Manhattan neighborhoods, let's head back on our journey.
Starting where I left off from Day 3, Part I, as we continue on our way through Greenwich Village, we are now coming into Washington Square. One sure sign you are in Washington Square is the Arch. (See below).
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| Washington Square Arch |
Washington Square: This park in Greenwich Village, popular with students (NYU is located close by) and residents, is one of the few green spots in the area. At the northern end of the park is the arch, built in 1789 to honor George Washington, and is referred to as the Washington Square.
At 9.75 acres, it is a center for cultural activity and the park's fountain area has long been one of the city's popular spots for residents and tourists. Wading in the fountain (see picture below, right) is popular among many.
While the Park does contain many flower beds and trees, little of the park is used for plantings due to the paving. It includes children's play areas, trees and gardens, paths to stroll on, a chess and scrabble playing area, park benches, picnic tables, commemorative statuary and two dog runs.
Beatnik Riot: Since around the end of World War II, folksingers had been congregating on warm Sunday afternoons at the fountain in the center of the park. Tension and conflicts began to develop between the bohemian element and the remaining working-class residents of the neighborhood. The city government began showing an increasing hostility to the use of public facilities by the public, and in 1947 began requiring permits before public performances could be given in any city park. In the spring of 1961 the new Parks Commissioner refused a permit to the folksingers for their Sunday afternoon gatherings, because "The folksingers have been bringing too many undesirable elements into the park." What he was referencing when he stated the "undesirables" were was commonly termed as the beatniks.
On Sunday, April 9, 1961 folk music pioneer Izzy Young, owner of the Folklore Center (who had been trying to get permits for the folksingers) and about 500 musicians and supporters gathered in the park and sang songs without a permit, then held a procession from the park through the arch at Fifth Avenue, and marched to the Judson Memorial Church on the other side of the park. At about the time the musicians and friends reached the church, the New York Police Department Riot Squad was sent into the park, attacked civilians with billy clubs, and arrested ten people. The incident made the front pages of newspapers as far away as Washington D. C. The New York Mirror initially reported it as a "Beatnik Riot" but retracted the headline in the next edition. These tensions did not die down for some time.
Chess Matches and Film Fame: The park was featured extensively in the 2007 film I Am Legend. It was home to the protagonist, Robert Neville played by Will Smith. Washington Square was used as a major part of the action, especially in the last scenes of the film. Apparently, filming involved the closure of the park to make room for numerous explosions and filming equipment. Built-in outdoor chess tables on the southwest corner encourage outdoor playing which includes, of course, lots of spectators. These tables were featured in the films Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) and Fresh (1994). These tables in Washington Square form what is called Manhattan's "chess district," as the area around the park (Thompson Street, between West 3rd Street and Bleecker Street) has a number of chess shops, the oldest being the Village Chess Shop (founded in 1972), in addition to the playing location in the park. The Scrabble players at Washington Square park were featured in the 2004 documentary film Word Wars.
At 9.75 acres, it is a center for cultural activity and the park's fountain area has long been one of the city's popular spots for residents and tourists. Wading in the fountain (see picture below, right) is popular among many.
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| Fountain in Washington Square Park |
While the Park does contain many flower beds and trees, little of the park is used for plantings due to the paving. It includes children's play areas, trees and gardens, paths to stroll on, a chess and scrabble playing area, park benches, picnic tables, commemorative statuary and two dog runs.
Beatnik Riot: Since around the end of World War II, folksingers had been congregating on warm Sunday afternoons at the fountain in the center of the park. Tension and conflicts began to develop between the bohemian element and the remaining working-class residents of the neighborhood. The city government began showing an increasing hostility to the use of public facilities by the public, and in 1947 began requiring permits before public performances could be given in any city park. In the spring of 1961 the new Parks Commissioner refused a permit to the folksingers for their Sunday afternoon gatherings, because "The folksingers have been bringing too many undesirable elements into the park." What he was referencing when he stated the "undesirables" were was commonly termed as the beatniks.
On Sunday, April 9, 1961 folk music pioneer Izzy Young, owner of the Folklore Center (who had been trying to get permits for the folksingers) and about 500 musicians and supporters gathered in the park and sang songs without a permit, then held a procession from the park through the arch at Fifth Avenue, and marched to the Judson Memorial Church on the other side of the park. At about the time the musicians and friends reached the church, the New York Police Department Riot Squad was sent into the park, attacked civilians with billy clubs, and arrested ten people. The incident made the front pages of newspapers as far away as Washington D. C. The New York Mirror initially reported it as a "Beatnik Riot" but retracted the headline in the next edition. These tensions did not die down for some time.
Chess Matches and Film Fame: The park was featured extensively in the 2007 film I Am Legend. It was home to the protagonist, Robert Neville played by Will Smith. Washington Square was used as a major part of the action, especially in the last scenes of the film. Apparently, filming involved the closure of the park to make room for numerous explosions and filming equipment. Built-in outdoor chess tables on the southwest corner encourage outdoor playing which includes, of course, lots of spectators. These tables were featured in the films Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) and Fresh (1994). These tables in Washington Square form what is called Manhattan's "chess district," as the area around the park (Thompson Street, between West 3rd Street and Bleecker Street) has a number of chess shops, the oldest being the Village Chess Shop (founded in 1972), in addition to the playing location in the park. The Scrabble players at Washington Square park were featured in the 2004 documentary film Word Wars.
New York University (NYU) is a private, nonsectarian
research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is
situated in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood. Founded
in 1831, NYU is one of the largest private, nonprofit institutions of
higher education in the United States.
Did you think that NYU was just in New York? Think again. NYU is organized into 18 schools, colleges, and institutes, located in six centers throughout Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, as well as more than a dozen other sites across the world, with plans for further expansion. Interesting to note: Some of the first fraternities in the country were formed at NYU.
Did you think that NYU was just in New York? Think again. NYU is organized into 18 schools, colleges, and institutes, located in six centers throughout Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, as well as more than a dozen other sites across the world, with plans for further expansion. Interesting to note: Some of the first fraternities in the country were formed at NYU.
Honors: Among its past and present graduates and faculty, NYU counts 34 Nobel Prize winners, 3 Abel Prize winners, 10 National Medal of Science recipients, 16 Pulitzer Prize winners, 21 Academy Award winners, plus Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winners. That, my friends, is something to be worthy of advertising!
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| The Cable Building |
The Cable Building : Opened
in 1893, The Cable Building served as a power plant for the city’s
growing cable car system—but its technology was obsolete just a decade
later. Now, it houses offices, the Angelika Film Center, and Crate
& Barrel. The Cable Building is located on the line that divides SoHo and NoHo, both neighborhoods in Manhattan. (See the follow-up on SoHo and NoHo below).
In 1893, The Cable Building marked the sudden advent of a new technology, with giant basement rollers drawing cable cars along Broadway from the Battery (Park) to 36th Street -- a $12 million investment. Cable cars were first installed in New York in the mid-1880's, a promising advance over the slower, begrimed horse-drawn cars. But the city was divided into many surface-transit franchises, and the smaller companies did not have the financing to install cable mechanisms, making cable expansion lag, especially in the choked city center, where construction issues also hampered progress. It finally took something like the giant syndicate Metropolitan Traction Company to raise the kind of money it took for the expansive change.
SoHo: As long as I mentioned SoHo, let's talk a little SoHo. SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores. The area's history is an example of inner-city regeneration and gentrification.
In the 1960's, the SoHo area was to have been the location of two enormous elevated highways consisting of two branches of the Lower Manhattan Expressway which would have connected the Manhattan Bridge on the east and the Holland Tunnel on the west. After many years of trying to push this through, this project was abandoned, and the city was left with a large number of historic buildings that were unattractive for the kinds of manufacturing and commerce that survived in the city in the 1970s. The upper floors of many of these buildings had been built as commercial Manhattan lofts, which provided large, unobstructed spaces for manufacturing and other industrial uses. These spaces attracted artists who valued them for their large areas, large windows with lots of natural light and low rents. Most were also used illegally as living space, despite being neither zoned nor equipped for residential use. This widespread zoning violation was ignored for a long period of time, as the artist-occupants were using space for which there was little demand due to the city's poor economy at the time.
In 2005, the construction of residential buildings on empty lots in the historic district was permitted. Beginning in the 1980's, with no enforcement of the new zoning laws by the City, the neighborhood began to draw more affluent residents. Due to rent protection and stability created by the 1982 Loft Law, in addition to the fact that many of the artists owned their co-ops, many of the original earlier artists remained despite the popular misconception that gentrification forced them to flee. Many residents have lived in the neighborhood for decades. SoHo's location combined with the appeal of lofts as living spaces, its architecture, and its hip reputation as a haven for artists all contributed to this change, creating a pattern which is now known as the "SoHo Effect" and has been seen in several cities around the United States. It has now also became a popular tourist destination for people seeking fashionable clothing and exquisite architecture.
SoHo's boutiques and restaurants are clustered in the northern area of the neighborhood, along Broadway and Prince and Spring streets. The sidewalks in this area are often crowded with tourists and with vendors selling jewelry, t-shirts, and other works, sometimes leaving no space for pedestrians. I can certainly attest to this phenomena when on Friday when we went shopping, I bought a Coach purse on the street from a vendor. SoHo is known for its commercialization and eclectic mix of different boutiques for shopping, including Prada, Bloomingdale's, H&M, Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Victoria's Secret, Dolce and Gabbana, Urban Outfitters, Apple Store, J. Crew, and Calvin Klein. The southern part of the neighborhood, however, along Grand Street and Canal Street, still holds some of the feel of SoHo's earlier days. Canal Street at SoHo's south boundary contrasts with the former's posh shopping district in offering electronics and cheap imitation clothing.
NoHo: And, then let's not forget NoHo. This neighborhood is primarily made up of loft apartments, which in turn makes it one of the most expensive and desirable neighborhoods in Manhattan. Its small size and central location also contributes to a high demand, again keeping prices high. Historically a haven for well-to-do families, in 1999 a good portion of NoHo was designated the NoHo Historic District by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. It was again expanded in 2008. The district contains early 19th century houses, 19th and 20th century institutional buildings as well turn-of-the-century office buildings. Many of its streetscapes, therefore, now consist of marble, cast-iron, limestone, brick and terracotta facades.
Wall Street and the Financial District: Wall Street is the heart of the financial District in Lower Manhattan. Visit Federal Hall National Monument for a bit of early American history. George Washington was inaugurated on these very steps. It's right across the street from the famous New York Stock Exchange. Tours have been suspended since 9/11, but the building is impressive enough from the outside to make it worth seeing. Also in the area you can find the New York Federal Reserve Bank.
The picture at the (upper) right is not a very good picture as I was on the wrong side of the bus, but you can partially see the big bull that hangs his hat on Wall Street. One of the most iconic representations of the market prosperity is the Charging Bull sculpture. It is meant to represent the bull market economy, the sculpture was originally placed in front of the NYSE but has subsequently moved to its current location in Bowling Green at the northern end. Bowling Green is a small public park at the foot of Broadway next to the site of the original Dutch fort of New Amsterdam. Built in 1733, originally including a bowling green (hence the name), it is the oldest public park in New York City and is surrounded by its original 18th century fence. Down at the end of Wall Street is the historic Trinity Church with its great Gothic Revival architecture.
In the picture below, right, you will see Federal Hall to the right front and in the back is the Federal Hall Monument.
New York Stock Exchange: The New York Stock Exchange building, located at 11 Wall Street, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978. It is commonly referred to as the NYSE and is the world's largest stock exchange. In 2008, the average daily trading value was approximately $153 billion. Several other major exchanges have or had headquarters in the Wall Street area, including NASDAQ, the New York Mercantile Exchange, the New York Board of Trade, and the former American Stock Exchange.
In 1893, The Cable Building marked the sudden advent of a new technology, with giant basement rollers drawing cable cars along Broadway from the Battery (Park) to 36th Street -- a $12 million investment. Cable cars were first installed in New York in the mid-1880's, a promising advance over the slower, begrimed horse-drawn cars. But the city was divided into many surface-transit franchises, and the smaller companies did not have the financing to install cable mechanisms, making cable expansion lag, especially in the choked city center, where construction issues also hampered progress. It finally took something like the giant syndicate Metropolitan Traction Company to raise the kind of money it took for the expansive change.
SoHo: As long as I mentioned SoHo, let's talk a little SoHo. SoHo is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan notable for being the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and also, more recently, for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores. The area's history is an example of inner-city regeneration and gentrification.
In the 1960's, the SoHo area was to have been the location of two enormous elevated highways consisting of two branches of the Lower Manhattan Expressway which would have connected the Manhattan Bridge on the east and the Holland Tunnel on the west. After many years of trying to push this through, this project was abandoned, and the city was left with a large number of historic buildings that were unattractive for the kinds of manufacturing and commerce that survived in the city in the 1970s. The upper floors of many of these buildings had been built as commercial Manhattan lofts, which provided large, unobstructed spaces for manufacturing and other industrial uses. These spaces attracted artists who valued them for their large areas, large windows with lots of natural light and low rents. Most were also used illegally as living space, despite being neither zoned nor equipped for residential use. This widespread zoning violation was ignored for a long period of time, as the artist-occupants were using space for which there was little demand due to the city's poor economy at the time.
In 2005, the construction of residential buildings on empty lots in the historic district was permitted. Beginning in the 1980's, with no enforcement of the new zoning laws by the City, the neighborhood began to draw more affluent residents. Due to rent protection and stability created by the 1982 Loft Law, in addition to the fact that many of the artists owned their co-ops, many of the original earlier artists remained despite the popular misconception that gentrification forced them to flee. Many residents have lived in the neighborhood for decades. SoHo's location combined with the appeal of lofts as living spaces, its architecture, and its hip reputation as a haven for artists all contributed to this change, creating a pattern which is now known as the "SoHo Effect" and has been seen in several cities around the United States. It has now also became a popular tourist destination for people seeking fashionable clothing and exquisite architecture.
SoHo's boutiques and restaurants are clustered in the northern area of the neighborhood, along Broadway and Prince and Spring streets. The sidewalks in this area are often crowded with tourists and with vendors selling jewelry, t-shirts, and other works, sometimes leaving no space for pedestrians. I can certainly attest to this phenomena when on Friday when we went shopping, I bought a Coach purse on the street from a vendor. SoHo is known for its commercialization and eclectic mix of different boutiques for shopping, including Prada, Bloomingdale's, H&M, Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Victoria's Secret, Dolce and Gabbana, Urban Outfitters, Apple Store, J. Crew, and Calvin Klein. The southern part of the neighborhood, however, along Grand Street and Canal Street, still holds some of the feel of SoHo's earlier days. Canal Street at SoHo's south boundary contrasts with the former's posh shopping district in offering electronics and cheap imitation clothing.
NoHo: And, then let's not forget NoHo. This neighborhood is primarily made up of loft apartments, which in turn makes it one of the most expensive and desirable neighborhoods in Manhattan. Its small size and central location also contributes to a high demand, again keeping prices high. Historically a haven for well-to-do families, in 1999 a good portion of NoHo was designated the NoHo Historic District by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. It was again expanded in 2008. The district contains early 19th century houses, 19th and 20th century institutional buildings as well turn-of-the-century office buildings. Many of its streetscapes, therefore, now consist of marble, cast-iron, limestone, brick and terracotta facades.
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| Charging Bull Statue (partially hidden) |
The picture at the (upper) right is not a very good picture as I was on the wrong side of the bus, but you can partially see the big bull that hangs his hat on Wall Street. One of the most iconic representations of the market prosperity is the Charging Bull sculpture. It is meant to represent the bull market economy, the sculpture was originally placed in front of the NYSE but has subsequently moved to its current location in Bowling Green at the northern end. Bowling Green is a small public park at the foot of Broadway next to the site of the original Dutch fort of New Amsterdam. Built in 1733, originally including a bowling green (hence the name), it is the oldest public park in New York City and is surrounded by its original 18th century fence. Down at the end of Wall Street is the historic Trinity Church with its great Gothic Revival architecture.
In the picture below, right, you will see Federal Hall to the right front and in the back is the Federal Hall Monument.
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| Wall Street |
New York Stock Exchange: The New York Stock Exchange building, located at 11 Wall Street, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978. It is commonly referred to as the NYSE and is the world's largest stock exchange. In 2008, the average daily trading value was approximately $153 billion. Several other major exchanges have or had headquarters in the Wall Street area, including NASDAQ, the New York Mercantile Exchange, the New York Board of Trade, and the former American Stock Exchange.
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| The Sun Building |
The Sun Building: The Sun Building at 280 Broadway, is located on the east side of Broadway. Now a seven-story building, its original five-story section was completed in 1846.
The former A.T. Stewart Store was one of the most influential buildings ever erected in New York City, as its style, materials, use, and location helped determine the course of architecture and commerce in the City. In 1846, Alexander Turney Stewart opened New York's first department store. As the first Italianate commercial building in New York, it established what would become the style of choice for hundreds of stores and warehouses erected through the succeeding decades. In addition, the store was the first major commercial structure faced with Tuckahoe marble, a material that would later become common on such buildings; it was innovative also in its use of imported French plate glass for the ground-floor windows.
In 1917, the New York Sun Newspaper bought the building, giving it the name by which it is referred to today. The City took title to the building in 1966 with the intention of demolishing it, as part of the then-planned Civic Center development. That plan was later set aside. In 1995, the City utilized a unique public/private initiative to begin to restore the entire building. The renovation was completed in 2002. Retail tenants had already moved into the first and second floors, and the City's Department of Buildings now occupies the upper-level floors.
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| Street Sign indicating the 9/11 Memorial |
9/11 Memorial: The National September 11 Memorial & Museum (branded as 9/11 Memorial and 9/11 Memorial Museum) is the principal memorial and museum commemorating the September 11 attacks of 2001. The memorial is located at the World Trade Center site, on the former location of the Twin Towers destroyed during the attacks. The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation was renamed the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center in 2007.
We did not get off at the Memorial. Unbeknownst to me at first, tickets to go inside the memorial are sold out months in advance.
The winner of the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition was an Israeli-American architect whose design called for a forest of trees with two square pools in the center, where the Twin Towers once stood. In August 2006, the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation in conjunction with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began heavy construction on the memorial and museum.
A memorial was planned in the immediate aftermath of the attacks and destruction of the World Trade Center to remember both the victims and those involved in rescue. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center is a non-profit corporation with the mission to raise funds for, program, own and operate the memorial and museum at the World Trade Center site. On September 11, 2011, a dedication ceremony was held at the memorial, commemorating the tenth anniversary of the attacks. The memorial officially opened to the public on September 12, 2011, while the museum will open one year later, on or around September 11, 2012. Three months after opening, the memorial has been seen by over 1 million visitors.
St. Paul's Chapel: St. Paul's Chapel of Trinity Church is a historical church that's located near Ground Zero. This church was used during the disaster as a safe haven for first responders who needed a place to pray and sleep during the terrible events on 9/11. Although it is part of Trinity Church, it is several blocks away.
We did not get off at the Memorial. Unbeknownst to me at first, tickets to go inside the memorial are sold out months in advance.
The winner of the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition was an Israeli-American architect whose design called for a forest of trees with two square pools in the center, where the Twin Towers once stood. In August 2006, the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation in conjunction with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began heavy construction on the memorial and museum.
A memorial was planned in the immediate aftermath of the attacks and destruction of the World Trade Center to remember both the victims and those involved in rescue. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center is a non-profit corporation with the mission to raise funds for, program, own and operate the memorial and museum at the World Trade Center site. On September 11, 2011, a dedication ceremony was held at the memorial, commemorating the tenth anniversary of the attacks. The memorial officially opened to the public on September 12, 2011, while the museum will open one year later, on or around September 11, 2012. Three months after opening, the memorial has been seen by over 1 million visitors.
St. Paul's Chapel: St. Paul's Chapel of Trinity Church is a historical church that's located near Ground Zero. This church was used during the disaster as a safe haven for first responders who needed a place to pray and sleep during the terrible events on 9/11. Although it is part of Trinity Church, it is several blocks away.
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| St. Paul's Chapel of Trinity Church |
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| Cemetery at Trinity Church |
Trinity Church: Trinity Church
(also known as Trinity Wall Street) is a
historic, active parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of New York.
Trinity Church is at the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway.
Cemetery: There is a graveyard on the grounds where many wealthy and famous New Yorkers are buried. It is the burial site of Alexander Hamilton, founding father and first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Narrowly escaping destruction from the World Trade Center collapse, it is the only active cemetery remaining in the borough of Manhattan.
Cemetery: There is a graveyard on the grounds where many wealthy and famous New Yorkers are buried. It is the burial site of Alexander Hamilton, founding father and first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. Narrowly escaping destruction from the World Trade Center collapse, it is the only active cemetery remaining in the borough of Manhattan.
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| Trinity Church |
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| Trinity Church |
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| Tree Sculpture at Trinity Church |
Tree Sculpture: On September 11, 2001, as the 1st Tower collapsed people took refuge from the massive debris cloud, inside the church. Debris from the tower collapsing knocked over a giant sycamore tree that had stood for nearly a century in the churchyard of St. Paul's Chapel, which is part of Trinity Church's parish and is located several blocks north of Trinity Church. Sculptor Steve Tobin used its roots as the base for a bronze sculpture that stands next to the Trinity Church.
Zuccotti Park: Zuccotti Park, formerly called Liberty Plaza Park, is a 33,000-square-foot publicly accessible park (Privately-Owned-Public-Space) situated beside One Liberty Plaza and originally created in 1968. The park was heavily damaged in the September 11 attacks and subsequent recovery efforts of 2001. The plaza was later used as the site of several events commemorating the anniversary of the attacks. After renovations in 2006, the park was renamed by its current owners, Brookfield Office Properties, after company chairman John Zuccotti. While we were visiting, in 2011, the plaza became the site of the Occupy Wall Street protest camp. During the demonstration, activists occupied the plaza and used it as a staging ground for their protests throughout the Manhattan Financial District.
Zuccotti Park is home to two sculptures, including Mark di Suvero's Joie de Vivre, seen in the picture at left. Joie de Vivre is a French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit. This bright orangish-salmon-colored statue certainly catches the eye!
Occupy Wall Street: Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is a protest movement that began September 17, 2011, in Zuccotti Park, located in the Wall Street financial district. OWS was initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters and has led to Occupy protests and movements around the world and as you well now, even in Madison. The OWS protests are against social and economic inequality, greed, corruption and the undue influence of corporations on government—particularly from the financial services sector. Their slogan, We are the 99%, addresses the growing income inequality and wealth distribution in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population. To effect change, OWS engages in "direct action" (such as the onslaught of ongoing protesting and encampment across the nation) instead of petitioning authorities.
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| Joie de Vivre Statue At Zuccotti Park |
Zuccotti Park is home to two sculptures, including Mark di Suvero's Joie de Vivre, seen in the picture at left. Joie de Vivre is a French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life; an exultation of spirit. This bright orangish-salmon-colored statue certainly catches the eye!
Occupy Wall Street: Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is a protest movement that began September 17, 2011, in Zuccotti Park, located in the Wall Street financial district. OWS was initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters and has led to Occupy protests and movements around the world and as you well now, even in Madison. The OWS protests are against social and economic inequality, greed, corruption and the undue influence of corporations on government—particularly from the financial services sector. Their slogan, We are the 99%, addresses the growing income inequality and wealth distribution in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population. To effect change, OWS engages in "direct action" (such as the onslaught of ongoing protesting and encampment across the nation) instead of petitioning authorities.
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| "Occupy Wall Street" Protesters |
"Occupy" protesters'
political slogan, We are the 99%, originally appeared on a Tumblr page
in late August 2011. It asserts that the "99%" pay for the
mistakes of the "1%". Paul Taylor of the Pew Research Center has been quoted as saying that the slogan is "arguably the most successful slogan since 'Hell no, we
won't go,'" of Vietnam war era, and that the majority of Democrats,
independents and Republicans see the income gap as causing friction.
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| More "Occupy" Protesters |
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| Throngs of Protesters |
The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House is one fine example of this. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it was one of the earliest designations of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission for both exterior and public interior spaces. Designed by the prominent architect Cass Gilbert and constructed between 1902 and 1907, its lavish sculptures, paintings, and decorations by well-known artists of the time, such as Daniel Chester French, embellish the facade, the two-story entry portico, the main hall parallel to the facade, the Rotunda, and the Collector's Reception Room. It was built by the federal government to house the duty collection operations of the port of New York. Today it houses the New York branch of the National Museum of the American Indian. It sits on the site of the former Fort Amsterdam.
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| Sculpture at Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House |
Africa, pictured here, is located to the far right of the main entrance of the building. The figure in the center is shown sleeping on a chair of rocks. She is half nude, with fabric draped across her lower body with one elbow rests on the head of a lion, while the other rests on a crumbling sphinx. Her hair is in a long braid, falling over her shoulder. Behind her is another figure (hidden in this picture), almost completely covered in a long, flowing cloak. Only the figure's eyes are visible, and it is not possible to tell whether it is a man or a woman. The hand of this figure rests on a large jar.
Asia: The sculpture of Asia has been seen to represent the place where the world's major religions began, with the serene tiger as a depiction of the dominating power of religion on even the most wild creatures.
America: In the sculpture of America, the torch is seen as a symbol of "liberty and enlightenment," and the corn represents prosperity. The kneeling man has been named Labor, and the wheel next to him is the "Winged Wheel of Progress".
Europe: In this sculpture, the imagery of the book and the globe has been described as representing Europe as the broadcaster of knowledge. The ship shows Europe's power on the sea, and the old woman behind the throne represents history.
If only I would have gotten a picture of the other three statues! To gaze at all the architecture on the facade of this building and take it all in, is absolutely breathtaking.
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| Battery Park |
Battery Park: Battery Park is a 25-acre public park located at the Battery, the southern tip of Manhattan Island facing New York Harbor. The Battery is named for artillery batteries that were positioned there in the city's early years in order to protect the settlement behind them. At the north end of the park is Castle Clinton, the often re-purposed last remnant of the defensive works that inspired the name of the park; Pier A, formerly a fireboat station; and Hope Garden, a memorial to AIDS victims. Next to the United States Coast Guard Battery Building at the other end is Battery Gardens restaurant . Along the waterfront, ferries depart for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and there is also a New York Water Taxi stop. The park is also the site of the East Coast Memorial (you will see this later in another post) which commemorates U.S. servicemen who died in coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean during World War II, and several other memorials.
To the northwest of the park lies Battery Park City, a planned community built on landfill in the 1970s and 80s, which includes Robert F. Wagner Park and the Battery Park City Promenade. Together with Hudson River Park, a system of greenspaces, bikeways and promenades now extend up the Hudson shoreline. Across State Street to the northeast stands the old U.S. Customs House, which I spoke about earlier. You will see (and hear) more of Battery Park later in an upcoming post, when Nika and I head out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
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| Shrine of St. Seton |
Saint Seton Shrine: Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (St. Seton) was the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized (or declared a saint) by the Roman Catholic Church. She established the first Catholic school in the nation, at Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she founded the first American congregation of Religious Sisters, the Sisters of Charity.
In December 1959, Elizabeth was declared Venerable by the Sacred Congregation of Rites. A venerable is a title for an Anglican archdeacon or for a Roman Catholic who has been accorded the lowest of three degrees of recognition for sanctity She was beatified by Pope John XXIII in March 1963, and canonized by Pope Paul VI on the 14 September 1975, making her the first native-born United States citizen to be canonized. [To be beatified means to declare a deceased person to be among the blessed and thus entitled to specific religious honors.] As a condition for canonization, the Catholic Church requires that for a saint who has not been martyred, at least two miracles take place at his or her intercession. The Holy See, which is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, recognized that this condition was met when attributing three miracles to Seton's intercession: curing Sister Gertrude Korzendorfer, S.C., of cancer, curing Ann Theresa O’Neill of acute lymphatic leukemia, and curing Carl Kalin of encephalitis. Her feast day is celebrated as a memorial in the dioceses of the United States on January 4th. Elizabeth Ann Seton is popularly considered a patron saint of Catholic schools.
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| Staten Island Ferry Terminal |
Staten Island Ferry: The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island.
The ferry departs Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal, South Ferry, at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near Battery Park. On Staten Island, the ferry arrives and departs from St. George Ferry Terminal on Richmond Terrace, near Richmond County Borough Hall and Richmond County Supreme Court. Service is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Staten Island Ferry is quite a reliable form of mass transit, with an on-time performance of over 96 percent. The Staten Island Ferry has been a municipal service since 1905, and currently carries over 21 million passengers annually on the 5.2-mile run.
The five-mile journey takes about 25 minutes each way. The ferry is free of charge, though riders must get off at each terminal and re-enter through the terminal building for a round trip to comply with Coast Guard regulations regarding vessel capacity and the placeholding optical turnstiles at both terminals. Bicycles may also be taken on the lowest deck of the ferry without charge. In the past, ferries were equipped for vehicle transport, at a charge of $3 per automobile; however, vehicles have not been allowed on the ferry since the 9/11 attacks.
Can You Spare a Nickel? For most of the 20th century, the ferry was famed as the biggest bargain in New York City. It charged the same five cent fare as the New York Subway but the ferry fare remained a nickel when the subway fare increased to 10 cents in 1948. In 1970 then-Mayor John V. Lindsay proposed that the fare be raised to 25 cents, pointing out that the cost for each ride was 50 cents, or ten times what the fare brought in. In August 1975, the nickel fare ended and the charge became 25 cents for a round trip, the quarter being collected in one direction only. The round trip increased to 50 cents in 1990, but then was eliminated altogether in 1997. The ferry ride is a favorite of tourists to New York as it provides excellent views of the Lower Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty.
Staten Island: Although we did not go over to Staten Island, I thought I would give you a little information about it. (This will be for the next time I go to New York!) A borough of New York City, Staten Island is located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay. With a population of 468,730, Staten Island is the least populated of the five boroughs but is the third largest in area at 59 square miles.
Staten Island is overall the most suburban of the five boroughs of New York City. Historically, the central and southern sections of the island were dominated by dairy and poultry farms, almost all of which disappeared in the 20th century. Staten Island used to claim the largest landfill in the world. It was closed in 2001, then shortly afterward temporarily reopened to accept the debris from the September 11th attacks. The landfill is now in the process of being made into what will be New York City's largest public park.
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| 1 New York Plaza (home to Goldman Sachs) |
One New York Plaza: 1 New York Plaza is an office building in New York City, built in 1969, and is located at the intersection of South and Whitehall Streets. It is the southernmost of all Manhattan skyscrapers.
Notable occupants of One New York Plaza include Salomon Brothers, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley.
We didn't get off at the Vietnam Vet's Memorial but here is a little info on that, too.
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| Vietnam Veterans Memorial |
Vietnam Veteran's Memorial: The Vietnam Veterans Plaza is New York City’s official Vietnam Veterans Memorial at 55 Water Street. A quarter of a million New Yorkers answered the call to serve during the Vietnam War. This memorial to their bravery and sacrifice recognizes their service and preserves the names and voices of a generation.
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| Brooklyn Bridge |
Brooklyn Bridge: As our tour bus took us by the South Street Seaport, I was able to capture a few pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge. It is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. With a main span of 1,595.5 feet, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world from its opening until 1903, and the first steel-wire suspension bridge.
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| Brooklyn Bridge |
At various times, the bridge has carried horse-drawn and trolley traffic; at present, it has six lanes for motor vehicles, with a separate walkway along the centerline for pedestrians and bicycles. Due to the roadway's height of 11 feet and weight of 6,000 lbs. restrictions, commercial vehicles and buses are prohibited from using this bridge. Streetcars ran on what are now the two center lanes (shared with other traffic) until the elevated lines stopped using the bridge in 1944, when they moved to the protected center tracks. In 1950 the streetcars also stopped running, and the bridge was rebuilt to carry six lanes of automobile traffic
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| Brooklyn Bridge |
The Brooklyn Bridge has a wide pedestrian walkway open to walkers and cyclists, in the center of the bridge and higher than the automobile lanes.
Chinatown: Manhattan's Chinatown is home to the largest enclave of Chinese people in the Western hemisphere and is one of the oldest ethnic Chinese enclaves outside of Asia.
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| Entering Chinatown |
Chinese green-grocers and fishmongers cluster around many streets in Chinatown. The Chinese jewelry shop district is on Canal Street between Mott and Bowery. Due to the high savings rate among Chinese, there are many Asian and American banks in the neighborhood. Canal Street is filled with street vendors selling imitation perfumes, watches, and hand-bags. Tourism and restaurants are also major industries here. The enclave’s many restaurants also support the tourism industry with more than 200 Chinese restaurants in the neighborhood providing employment. Chinatown is also home to a number of large Chinese supermarkets.
Factories are anther contributor to the economy in Chinatown, especially with the close proximity of the fashion industry that has kept some garment work in the local area. Unfortunately, most of the garment industry has moved to China but the local garment industry concentrates now on small volume, quick production and piece-work (meaning it is paid by the piece) that are generally done at the individual worker's home. Much of the population growth is due to immigration. As previous generations of immigrants gain language and education skills, they tend to move to better housing and job prospects that are available in the suburbs and outer boroughs of New York. However, the 9/11 attacks have caused a decline in business for stores and restaurants in this neighborhood. Ten years later, it still has not recovered from the falloff in business, which continued after the lifting of travel restrictions immediately after the attack. The attacks resulted in a decline in the number of garment factories, which at its peak employed 30,000 workers.
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| Canal Street, dividing Chinatown and Little Italy |
Canal Street gets its name from an actual canal that was dug in the early 19th century to drain the contaminated and disease-ridden Collect Pond into the Hudson River. The pond was filled in 1811, and Canal Street was completed in 1820 following the angled path the canal had. The elimination of Collect Pond actually made the surrounding land even marshier, as the area had many natural springs that now had nowhere to drain. The historic townhouses and newer tenements that had been built along Canal Street quickly fell into disrepair, and the eastern stretch of Canal Street came within the range of the notorious Five Points slum as property values and living conditions plummeted.
For your information, Five Points was a neighborhood in central lower Manhattan which gained international notoriety as a disease-ridden crime-infested slum that existed for well over 70 years. Actually, the story behind Five Points is quite interesting, so if you will bear with me a moment, I will tell you the quick version.
Five Points: If you will recall the movie The Gangs of New York, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio, or if you read the book by the same name written by Herbert Asbury, you may be somewhat familiar with Five Points. The Collect Pond, which I briefly described above, was the main source of drinking water for the City of New York and freshwater fish. Beginning in the early 18th century, various commercial enterprises were built along the shores of the Collect Pond, in order to use the water. These businesses included a brewery, a slaughterhouse, a pottery works and numerous tanneries. The contaminated wastewater of these businesses flowed back into the pond, creating a severe pollution problem and environmental health hazard. A decision was made to fill in the pond. In 1811, the landfill was completed and middle class homes were built on this reclaimed land. However, the landfill was poorly done and the buried vegetation began to release methane gas, a byproduct of decomposition, and since the area was still in a depression, it lacked adequate storm sewers. The ground gradually subsided and houses shifted on their foundations, leaving some of the unpaved streets often buried in a foot of mud mixed with human and animal excrement and mosquitoes bred in the stagnant pools created by the poor drainage. Most middle and upper class inhabitants fled the place, leaving this neighborhood open to poor immigrants who started arriving in the early 1820's. This arrival was heightened by the sudden arrival of large numbers of Irish who were fleeing starvation due to the Irish Potato Famine. The Irish who had maintained a presence in the area since the 1600's, along with an onslaught of newly emancipated African-Americans (slavery ended in NY in July of 1827), this area was considered the original American melting pot, but was notorious for its a horrible combination of destitution factors such as sheer population density, disease, infant and child mortality, unemployment, prostitution, and violent crime. Five Points is alleged to have sustained the highest murder rate of any slum in the world. This infectious disease-ridden territory was besieged by cholera, yellow fever, typhus and tuberculosis which had plagued the greater New York City area since earlier eras. With its poor sanitary conditions, overcrowding and lack of simple healthcare, Five Points became an ideal breeding ground and transmission for these diseases. In June of 1832, an outbreak of cholera in Five Points spread rapidly throughout this crowded, unsanitary slum.
Not helping their dire situation was the fact that Five Points was dominated by rival gangs like the Roach Guards, Dead Rabbits and Bowery Boys. According to Asbury's book, police arrested 82,072 New Yorkers in 1862 and then in 1864, five police officers were murdered.
Dead Rabbits Riot: One gang fight in particular I would like to point out. The riot began when the Dead Rabbits destroyed the headquarters of the Bowery Boys on July 4, 1857. The Bowery Boys retaliated which led to a large scale riot which waged back and forth on Bayard Street between the Bowery and Mulberry street. Further rioting occurred on July 5 and the two gangs going at it again on Bowery Street. Then on July 6 the Bowery Boys fought the Kerryonians (Irishmen from County Kerry) at Anthony and Centre Street. All of this fighting brought about widespread looting and damage of property by gangsters and other criminals from all parts of the city due to the disorganized state of the city's police force. It is estimated that between 800 and 1,000 gang members took part in the riots, along with several hundred others who used the disturbance to loot the Bowery area. It was the largest disturbance since the Astor Place Riot in 1849, and the biggest scene of gang violence, unsurpassed until the New York Draft Riots of 1863. Order was restored only by the New York State Militia, supported by detachments of city police. Five Points became the scene of many riots during those contentious years.
Slum Clearance: Various charitable organizations and individuals made diligent efforts to attempt to improve the suffering of the poor in Five Points. The first valiant effort for clearing the slums of Five Points through demolition came in 1831 from merchants who maintained businesses in close proximity to the Five Points neighborhood. Slum clearance efforts succeeded in demolishing Mulberry Bend, one of the worst sections of the Five points neighborhood, which was turned into a park called Mulberry Bend Park, now called Columbus Park, that opened in 1897.
Little Italy: Little Italy is a neighborhood in lower Manhattan once known for its large population of Italians. Today the neighborhood of Little Italy consists of Italian stores and restaurants. But as our tour guide explained to us, much of the neighborhood has been absorbed and engulfed by Chinatown, as immigrants from China moved to the area. What was once Little Italy has essentially shrunk into a single street which serves as a restaurant area but which has few Italian residents. The northern reaches of Little Italy, near Houston Street, ceased to be recognizably Italian, and eventually became the neighborhood known today as NoLIta, an abbreviation for North of Little Italy. Today, the section of Mulberry Street between Broome and Canal Streets is all that is left of the old Italian neighborhood. The street is lined with some two-dozen Italian restaurants popular with tourists and locals.
Organized Crime: What makes Little Italy famous or more note-worthy, though, is that the residents there have seen organized crime from the early 1900's. Powerful members of the Italian Mafia operated in Little Italy. For instance, Ignazio "The Wolf" Lupo (a Morello crime family boss operated in Little Italy from late 1890's-1920's); Michele "Big Mike" Miranda (a Capo in the Genovese crime family operated in the neighborhood from the 1950's into the late 1960's); Peter DeFeo (a Genovese crime family capo who operated an illegal Italian lottery in the 1960's into 1970's); Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello (a Genovese crime family capo operated from his restaurant Umberto's Clam House in the 1970's); John Gotti (boss of the Gambino crime family operated from the Ravenite Social Club in the late 1980's into the early 1990's). If you ever get a chance to watch the History channel, do so as they recall many tales of the fortunes and misfortunes of some of the Italian Mafia's kingpins.
Okay, enough about all the neighborhoods; let's move on . . .now we are going past some of the hospitals and medical centers in the area. First up, Beth Israel Medical Center.
Beth Israel Medical Center: Beth Israel Medical Center is a 1,368-bed, full-service tertiary teaching hospital in New York City. Originally dedicated to serving immigrant Jews living in the tenement slums of the Lower East Side, it was founded at the turn of the 20th century. The main hospital location is the Petrie Division at First Avenue and 16th Street, and facing Stuyvesant Square. Other campuses included Beth Israel-Kings Highway Division in Brooklyn and Phillips Ambulatory Care Center at Union Square. It acts as University Hospital and Manhattan Campus for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. The hospital is also a teaching hospital of St. George's University and the Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing.
Beth Israel Medical Center is a member of the Continuum Health Partners, a nonprofit hospital system that includes three other institutions: Roosevelt Hospital, St. Luke's Hospital and the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. In 2011, Huguette Clark died at the hospital at age 104. Clark, an heiress, recluse and philanthropist, was the youngest daughter of former United States Senator and industrialist William A. Clark. She left one million dollars to the hospital upon her death.
Veterans Hospital: The New York Campus of the VA Harbor Healthcare System provides inpatient and outpatient services services in internal medicine, surgery, psychiatry, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, as well as emergency care. The facility has been at the forefront of clinical care and research for patients with HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic. It is the only Veterans' Health Administration facility to house both a designated clinical care unit and research center for AIDS and HIV infection.
Whew!!!! We aren't done yet on today's tour, but I should give you another break. We have a little more bus touring to do and then we are heading to MoMA and to get a little start on the Museum of Natural History. Plus, I get a phone call while I am at MoMA that makes my heart stop for a moment.
Until the next post... A presto Arrivederci! (That is Italian for "see you later" -- thought I should throw that at you, since we are or were in Little Italy!)
Oh, but I shouldn't shun the Chinese since we just left Chinatown, too, so here we go, one more time -- zai4jian4(再见.
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