The Hudson Yards is an extremely ambitious urban development project on the west bank of the Hudson River. There are 15 skyscrapers built or under construction. The shopping center and the theatre are already open. The walk-in artwork called Vessel has soon become a tourist hot spot. The sculpture by Thomas Heatherwick consists of stairs that open up to the top. The 154 stairs together with 80 landings form an open Vessel. You can enter the sculpture and climb up the stairs. The Vessel is so incredible, you can not imagine this thing until you hav seen it yourself. Within a short time, the Vessel has become a tourist magnet. To visit the Vessel, you have to register online and get a time-specific ticket, same-day tickets are free, other tickets are for sale (see link). Best time to visit is the late afternoon, when the sun is already low.
How to get there?
Subway Line 7, Station: 34 Street-Hudson Yards
One World Trade Center also known as "Freedom Tower", measures 417 m (1.370 feet) without antenna. With antenna the tower reaches a height of 1776 feet (date of the US Independence). This symbolic figure was the idea of Daniel Liebeskind, who won the architectural competition. But the building was designed by the architects of Skidmore Owings & Merrill from Chicago. The observation deck was opened in 2015.
On September 11, 2001, two fully occupied airplanes chrashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The 400 m high buildings collapsed and more than 3,000 people were buried under the rubble. Responsible for the attacks was the Islamists of "al-Qaeda" under the rule of Osama bin Laden. On September 11, 2011, the memorial was opened to the public. The memorial consists of two deep water basins, which are like footprints, exactly at the place of the destroyed twin towers.
The Rockefeller Center is a building complex which extends over several city blocks and consists of 21 high-rise buildings. The tallest building is the General Electric Building with 259 m. From the observation deck you have the best view of Manhattan. Architect Raymond Hood was the chief designer of the Art Deco complex, wich was built between 1931-1940. The Rockefeller Center was financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr., the son of the founder of Standard Oil.
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931, since then it is an american icon. The prototype of the skyscraper was until 1972 the tallest building in the world. The Art Deco tower measures 381 m, with an antenna even reached the building at an altitude of 443 m. The architects Schreve, Lamb and Harmon changed last minute plans the spire to the Chrysler Building to surpass, which had just acquired the altitude record with a sensational metal tip.
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The Times Square with its colorful neon signs, is the epicenter of the Big Apple. In the near 42nd Street you will find the large theater and musical shows. 1905 the New York Times Building was erected here, which gave its name to the crossing.
5th Avenue is one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world. Here one can find the brands and flagship stores, that can afford the high rents on this street. "Breakfast at Tiffanys" with Audrey Hepburn was filmed on "5th Avenue".
After the predecessor was destroyed by a fire, the construction of the neo-gothic St. Patrick's Cathedral began in 1858. The Catholic church was inaugurated in 1868. The cathedral is the seat of the archbishop of New York City. Because of the skyscrapers churches in Manhattan don't stand out by their height. St. Patrick's is lucky to be on 5th Avenue and thereby gets it's well deserved attention as a place of rest in this hectic city.
www.saintpatrickscathedral.org
The Chrysler Building was built by William Van Alen in the 1930 art deco style. The slender skyscraper with the stainless steel tip is 318.9 meters high and was for a short time the tallest building in the world, until it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. The spire is illuminated at night like a crown and has become a symbol of New York. The building was only financed by Chrysler, but never used as Company Headquarter.
The "Grand Central Station" was opened in 1913 and is with 44 railway tracks on the upper floor and 26 tracks on the lower level, the largest railway station in the world. It is a monument of transportation and therefor a sight of New York City.
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The Fuller Building is because of its triangular shape, also called Flatiron Building. Daniel H. Burnham designed the building in 1903. The building is planned as a steel skeleton structure with a curtain wall facade made of ceramic elements, in order to increase the usable floorspace on the narrow site.
Only a few italians still live in "Little Italy" but at the Festa di San Gennaro on September 19, the neighborhood transforms into an italian town. As the neighboring Chinatown continues to grow, Little Italy will probably be take over one day.
New York "China Town" is the biggest chinese community on the east cost. Here you will find original Chinese food, for an affordable price. It is also a kind of market place with fruits, fish and other stuff. It is a bit like traveling to China.
The City Council of New York City was built in 1812 and is still used by the City Council and the Mayor. This makes it the oldest town hall of the United States, still used for this purpose. Since 1960 the building bears the title "National Historic Landmark".
With a hight of 241 m, the Woolworth Building 0f 1913 was the highest building in the world. 1930 the record was taken by the Bank of Manhattan Building with a hight of 283 m. Cass Gilbert designed the tower as a reminiscent of a Gothic cathedral. He also planned the Life Insurance Building in New York. Woolworth had become rich with cheap department stores and used the building as headquarter.
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The New York Stockexchange NYSE is the largest stockexchange in the world. The stock market emerged shortly after the independence of the United States in 1792. On the 24 October 1929, the Wall Street Crash called "Black Thursday" triggered the "Great Depression". The massive losses at the stock markets led to a global economic crisis.
The suspension bridge on East River connects Manhattan with Brooklyn. The "Brooklyn Bridge" was erected in 1883 by the German engineer Johann Augustus Röbeling. The bridge with gothic pointed arches has a hight of 84 m (280 feet). The approximately 486 m (1.600 feet) long bridge is one of the most famous landmarks of New York City.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States to commemorate the independence. The statue was erected in 1886 on the Liberty Island. Since 1984 it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 46 m high statue was created by Frederic Bartholdi.
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Welcome to New York City
New York is the most exciting city in the world, where all the peoples and languages are mixed and still remain rooted in their neighborhoods. "Big Apple" is with some 8.5 million inhabitants no longer the largest city in the world. However, there is no other city in the world with as much international flair as New York City.
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