The Manhattan skyline from the George Washington Bridge.
*WARNING*WARNING*WARNING*
This is a huge ass blog. Proceed with caution.
The Intrepid Sea and Space Museum
The Museum is next door to the Circle Line Tours docks, so we wandered over while we were waiting to board. It showcases the World War II aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, the submarine USS Growler, the destroyer USS Edson, and a Concorde supersonic airplane.
Docked at Pier 86 in the Hudson River at 46th Street, the decommissioned aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid is a standing symbol of America's proud military history.
The 900 foot long aircraft carrier was launched amidst World War II in 1943, carrying over 100 aircraft and 3,000 men into battle. After serving in WWII, the Intrepid was modernized and saw action in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. It's aircraft and onboard weapons shot down 650 enemy planes and destroyed 289 ships.
In 1976, the U.S.S. Intrepid was ordered to the scrap heap; however, a foundation was formed to save and restore the now obsolete ship and preserve the monument as a military museum devoted to our sea, air and space programs.
Random shot of the sidewalk outside of the Museum.
Apparently this is someone's opinion that bicycling shouldn't be prosecuted
in our court systems anymore... I wasn't even aware that it was in the first place.
Circle Line Tour around Manhattan
The Circle Line Dock is just off of 43rd Street on the Hudson River. It's a straight walk eastward to Times Square from here. The boat begins the tour by heading south on the Hudson River.
The Empire State Building
The big Art Deco spikey building is, of course, the Empire State Building, the tallest of the skyscrapers in Manhattan. With 102 stories, It was the world’s tallest skyscraper in 1931. As of 2006, the Empire State Building is still the 9th tallest building in the world.
Pier 76 is THE impound lot. This is where your vehicle can be found if it is toed away by the NYPD. Not a place you want to have to visit while in NYC.
The Chelsea Piers Golf range is the only one in Manhattan.
The White Star Line
Pier #54 is where the Titanic was scheduled to land had it completed it's maiden voyage to New York City from England. Instead the Carpathia arrived with the survivors after the Titanic struck an iceburg and sank into the ocean. Of a total of 2,223 passengers and crew, only 706 survived. 1,517 perished in the 1912 tragedy. The history of the White Star Line continued to be marked by some terrible disasters as well as a lot of bad luck. By 1958, all traces of the famed White Star Line ceased to exist.
You can see the steel archways. It's the last remnant of the original 4 pier complex. It's amazing that it has survived so long, and that the one archway that's left has such historical significance.
Ground Zero
The following pictures shows the area of lower Manhattan where the World Trade Center Twin Towers would have been standing today. Completed in 1973, they were 110 stories tall and the complex so large that it demanded it's own zip code. It became an undeniable icon of the New York City skyline. They survived a 1993 terrorist bombing but were ultimately destroyed by terrorist in attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. As of February 2005, a total of 2,749 death certificates related to the WTC attacks had been filed.
They would have been standing behind the buildings directly in the center, one on either side of the tall building with the descending staircase-like facade and domed rooftop.
The giant Colegate Clock faces Manhattan on the other side of the Hudson River, in Jersey City, marks the end of the Hudson River. It dates back to 1924 and measures 50 feet in diameter.
Ellis Island
Ellis Island is a small island in New York Harbor, sitting in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty and just minutes off the southern tip of Manhattan Island, New York.
It is likely to connect with more of the American population than any other spot in the country. From 1892 to 1954, over twelve million immigrants entered the United States through the portal of Ellis Island. It has been estimated that nearly half of all Americans today can trace their family history to at least one person who passed through the Port of New York at Ellis Island.
The Statue of Liberty
Liberty Enlightening the World is known more commonly as the Statue of Liberty. The people of France gave the Statue to the people of the United States over one hundred years ago, in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. It stands on Liberty Island in the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor as a welcome to all returning Americans, visitors, and immigrants. On October 28th, 1886 it was inaugurated by President Grover Cleveland, whom accepted the Statue on behalf of the United States and said in part: "We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen altar be neglected."
Lady Liberty holds a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left. The tablet shows the caption "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI"—July 4, 1776, the date of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. One of her feet stands on chains. There are 25 windows in the crown which symbolize gemstones found on the earth and the heaven's rays shining over the world. The seven rays of the Statue's crown represent the seven seas and continents of the world. The total weight of copper in the Statue is 62,000 pounds (31 tons) and the total weight of steel in the Statue is 250,000 pounds (125 tons). Total weight of the Statue's concrete foundation is 54 million pounds (27,000 tons). The copper sheeting of the Statue is 3/32 of an inch thick. The height from ground to the tip of the torch is 305 feet; this includes the foundation and the pedestal. The height of the statue itself, from the top of the base to the torch, is 151 feet.
The New Colossus is a sonnet by Emma Lazarus (1849-1887), written in 1883. A plaque with the text of the poem was mounted in 1903 on the inner wall of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Going Up the East River
The Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Construction began in 1869 and was completed fourteen years later. It opened in 1883. On completion, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world and the first steel-wire suspension bridge. The bridge's main span over the East River is 1,595 feet.
The Manhattan Bridge opened in 1909 and spans 1,470 feet. It has two levels that include 7 vehicular lanes, 4 subway tracks, and 2 pedestrian paths.
I have memories of watching the constant flow of people across these bridges, escaping Manhattan in the aftermath of September 11th.
The Williamsburg Bridge opened in 1903 and spans 1600 feet.
The Empire State Building, Chrysler Building,
MetLife Building & the United Nations Building
The Queensborough Bridge also opened in 1909. It spans a total of 3724 ft and passes over Roosevelt Island. It also has two levels with a total of 10 lanes for vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Completed in 1930, the Chrysler Building is a distinctive symbol of New York City, standing 1,046 feet high. The Chrysler Building is an example of Art Deco architecture, and the distinctive ornamentation of the tower is based on the hubcaps that were then being used on Chrysler automobiles.
The MetLife Building was built in 1963 and has 58 floors which make it just over 800 feet tall.
The U.N. Building has served as the United Nations's headquarters since its completion in 1952. It was built on land purchased by an 8.5 million dollar donation from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. It is a declared international zone belonging to all Member States and has extraterritoriality status like embassies do. This affects some law enforcement where UN rules override the laws of New York City, but does not give immunity to crimes that take place there.
This may look small, but the famous red Pepsi Cola sign (pictured below) that has cast its red glow on the East River across from Manhattan for almost 70 years is 120 feet long. It was constructed in 1936 and was rebuilt in 1994.
Here at the edge of the East River are two estates (pictured below) dwarfed by neighboring skyscrapers. There is the 4 story tan brick home built for Jackie Kennedy and another just across the 3 story home of Marlyin Monroe. Neither of them ever set foot in these buildings.
Roosevelt Island
During the 19th century, Roosevelt Island became the location, variously, of an asylum, a quarantine hospital and several prisons. In the pictures below, is the Renwick Hospital, which housed victims of smallpox. Thousands of patients who entered the Gothic style structure would never live to see outside it's thick stone walls again.
Renwick was abandoned in the mid 1950's. After a century of use, the magnificent building fell into disrepair and has been consumed by ivy and dense overgrowth. Fortunately the building was granted landmark status, however, it stands crumbling today for lack of funding for repairs and squabbles over what the area should become.
The oldest building on Roosevelt Island is the
Blackwell Farmhouse which dates to 1796.
New York City is one of the most expensive places to live in the world. It's the only place in America where you could make almost $200,000 a year and still be eligible for Federal financial aid. A mere $55,000 a month could get you a sublet in a modest 1 Bedroom Apartment at 1 Central Park West.
Gracie Mansion is the historic official residence of the Mayor of New York City; although now the landmark is in Carl Scharz Park and only occasionally hosts to visiting dignitaries.
Heading towards the Bronx up the Harlem River
The Triborough Bridge is a complex of three bridges connecting the New York City boroughs of the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens. The bridges span the Hell Gate (a tidal channel of the East River), Harlem River, and Bronx Kill.
Yankee Stadium is the home stadium of the New York Yankees. It opened in 1923. Yankee Stadium is often referred to as "The House that Ruth Built".
The High Bridge, a stone masonry bridge, remains the most majestic and visible portion of the Old Croton Aqueduct, which carried water from the Croton River into New York City. Completed in 1848, It is the oldest bridge in New York City. The bridge originally had 15 stone arches and originally had the appearance of a Roman aqueduct, but in the 1920s, a single steel arch was added to replace them, to accommodate the larger ships. The Highbridge Water Tower was built in the 1872.
More historical *blah*blah* here... as we come to the northern end of Manhattan Island
Colombia University, established in 1754, is a private university and a member of the Ivy League. It is the fifth oldest chartered institution of higher education in the United States. Although the campus is located further south on Manhattan, you can see some of their sports facilities from the Harlem River and on the banks is the boathouse for the University crew which uses the river for training.
On the opposite side of the river, in view of Baker Field is a large rockface with a large varsity "C" painted on it. Locals call it the "C Rock". Because of it's size (60 feet tall approx.), Columbia University students would propel down the side of the rock late at night and paint a little bit at a time. When they were done, the police were usually waiting for them at the top to arrest them for vandalism.
"C" stands for Cynthia
The Henry Hudson Parkway. This biking and walking path opened in 2004 and also marks the northern most tip of Manhattan Island.
Going back south on the Hudson River
Tenafly Nature Center and Lost Brook Preserve - The 65-acre Tenafly Nature Center adjoins the Borough's Lost Brook Preserve along the banks of the Hudson River in New Jersey. Combined they create a 378-acre tract. Most of this strip of land was a gift from John S. Rockefeller.
The Cloisters is one of the museums of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Cloisters is near the northern tip of Manhattan island on a hill overlooking the Hudson River.
The George Washington Bridge & The Little Red Light House
Construction of the bridge began in September of 1927 and finished in Ocboter of 1931. The total length of the bridge is 4760 feet.
As originally built, the bridge offered six lanes of traffic, but in 1946, two additional lanes were provided on what is now the upper level. A second, lower deck, which had been anticipated in the original plans was added and opened in 1962. The additional deck made the George Washington Bridge the world's only 14-lane suspension bridge, providing eight lanes on the upper level and six on the lower deck. It was also originally planned that the towers of the bridge would be encased in concrete and granite. However, due to cost considerations during the Great Depression and favorable aesthetic critiques of the bare steel towers, this was never done. The exposed steel towers, with their distinctive criss-crossed bracing, have become one of the bridge's most identifiable characteristics.
Traffic reporters often refer to the bridge simply as "the GW" or "GWB." The George Washington Bridge is home to the world's largest free-flying American flag, hung on 8 holidays a year, which drapes vertically for 90 feet. The flag's stripes are about 5 feet wide and the stars measure about 4 feet in diameter.
Following the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington, the government prohibited people from taking photographs on the premises of the bridge due to the fear that terrorist groups might study any potential photographs in order to plot a terrorist attack on the bridge.
The Little Red Lighthouse is a small lighthouse located on the Hudson River at the base of the eastern pillar of the George Washington Bridge. It was made famous by the 1942 children's book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward.
It is officially the Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse and stands on a small point called Jeffery’s Hook. The lighthouse was erected originally in 1880 but then it was moved and reconstructed in 1921 to its current location. The proposed dismantling of the lighthouse in 1951 resulted in a public outcry, largely from fans of Swift's book, leading to the preservation of the lighthouse by the City of New York/Parks & Recreation. The lighthouse is now a New York City landmark.
Grants Tomb and Riverside Church
Grants Tomb exists as a memorial to the Great Civil War General and the 18th US President, Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia. Known to be one of the largest mausoleums in the world work on this grand structure took place from 1892 to 1897. It's estimated that a record 1 million people showed up for General Grant's funeral which took place on August 8, 1885.
Riverside Church, completed in 1930, is famous not only for its elaborate, gothic style architecture, but also as a center for the promotion of causes related to social justice.
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument commemorates Union Army soldiers and sailors who served in the American Civil War. It was dedicated on Memorial Day, 1902.
Persistence of Memory
I'm not sure when these buildings were built, but I was told they are replicas of the Twin Towers, only 30 floors shorter.
This is the end of the Circle Line Tour.
From here we started walking towards Times Square.
A cute baby onesie inside the ESPN Zone.
After collecting some souvenirs from Times Square,
we started to make our way towards Rockefeller Center.
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
or in this case... Rockefeller Center.
An unusual piece of instillation artwork in a sidewalk window.
"All you need to have fun is a finger!" screamed this sidewalk vendor as we walked back towards Times Square. How true that is... we died laughing. I couldn't resist so much finger fun, I bought three of them. This Tiger, for myself, and a penguin and alligator to bring to important people.
