City trip to Manhattan in the summer of 1999

In 1609 Henry Hudson sailed on the Hudson looking for a northwest entrance. In 1614 Adriaen Block called the area "Nieuw Nederland". In 1625 the West Indian Compagnie created "Nieuw Amsterdam" and in 1626 Governor Minuit bought Manhattan Island from the Indians for only $ 24 and some goods.
In 1664 the English conquered "Wall Street" wall en renamed the island "New York" to the brother of Carel II, the duke of York. In 1763 the English got the sovereignty over 13 American colonies. In 1776 the battle for independence started, while New York was the headquarter of the English. The declaration of independence came in 1776 on Bowling Green and in 1785 New York became the capital of the US until 1790.

The population of New York City (NYC) is 7,4 million people. In Manhattan live 1,6 million people. Almost half of the New Yorkers is Catholic. About 11 percent is Jewish. New York is 782 square km big. Manhattan is 59 square km big and is 21,5 km long and 1,3 till 3,7 km broad. New York has 10 300 km street and 1050 km subway. There are 12 000 registered Yellow Cabs. The cab-drivers are often new come immigrants. There knowledge about Manhattan is very poor.

You first visit to New York is like loosing your virginity. Although you've seen the city often in movies and heard a lot about it, you should visit New York yourself to experience it. Manhattan has a great attraction on people with an affinity to speed, change, adrenaline and chaos.

In the summer of 1999 I've visited New York City with two good friends of mine. We've had a great time in New York! We stayed in a big hotel in midtown across Madison Square Garden, close by the Penn Station and the Empire State Building.

Use the link NYC Tourist Information for a quick orientation on Manhattan.

Skyline of Manhattan This picture was made on the first day in New York. I'm standing on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty with a beautiful view on the skyline of Manhattan.

About the history of the Statue of Liberty, the symbol of the American dream of freedom: In the 60's of the 19 th century a sculpture maker Frederick-Auguste Bartholdi dreamed of placing a monument of liberty on a prominent place. A French historian Edouard-Rene de Laboulaye had a wish to give the American people a statue to celebrate the liberty and the friendship of both nations France and the US. One other reason was to shame the French government who was very repressive. Finally the statue was opened by president Cleveland on 28 October 1886 in a ceremony where no women were allowed.

Before the Statue of Liberty In the pedestal is engraved the poem "The New Colossus" of Emma Lazarus, while on the memory plate is written "July IV MDCCLXXVI", the date of the declaration of independence. The top of the Statue of Liberty, including the pedestal, is 93 meter above sea level. The statue is supported by a iron- and steel construction existing of 1700 parts. The green statue weights 225 ton, is 46 meters high, has fingers of 1,5 meter long and is covered with 300 copper sheets. Under her enormous feet she steps on the broken chains of the tyranny and the 7 point crown points to the 7 continents and the 7 oceans.

Close by Liberty Island lies Ellis Island. Only the poor arrived at Ellis Island after a terrible boot trip. They searched for a new future in a land were they could live and work in freedom. The first immigrants arrived here in 1892 followed by 16 million founding fathers. They were here weighted, marked on there skins etc. before they could enter America. Half of the American population is an offspring of an Ellis Island immigrant. Ellis Island is called the island of Hope / Island of Tears.

On this picture I'm waiting for the ferry to Ellis Island, with the Statue of Liberty on the background. We've visited Liberty Island and Ellis Island in one day. Early in the morning we left Manhattan from Battery Park South Ferry with a boat and arrived on Liberty Island. In the afternoon we went to Ellis Island.

View from Ellis Island The picture on the left is made from Ellis Island with a view on the financial district / Lower Manhattan.

On Ellis Island is the National Monument with a big exhibition of the fear and frustrations of the immigrants in the past. The tour in the National Monument is the same route as the immigrants took; from the Baggage Room, where the immigrants had to leave there luggage, to the enormous Registry Room, now empty, where the registration of the immigrants took place, to a series of rooms where the immigrants were submitted to medical and mental tests. Also there political status was examined. The visit to Ellis Island can be combined with a visit to the Statue of Liberty. The boat goes from Battery Park South Ferry to both islands. It is necessary to wear a pear of strong shoes and don't forget your lunch packet!


View from the World Trade Centre Here I'm standing on the roof of the World Trade Centre.
The view is amazing; I'll never forget how high it is. The Statue of Liberty is far below you. On the picture you can see the Empire State Building in the distance, on the left the Hudson and on the right the East River. There's a Helicopter landing place on the roof and you can walk around there. The elevator was on top in 58 seconds. The 2 towers are more than 400 m high and there are 50 000 people working. Every day about 80 000 people are visiting tower 2.
The two towers attracted a lot of unusual visitors. In august 1974 a line walker Philippe Petit walked from top to top. He was arrested and sentenced to give shows in Central Park for children. Owen Quinn once jumped with a parachute from the tower.

In the beginning nobody was glad with the twin towers that would in the years '70 dominate the total skyline of Lower Manhattan. In 1993 a terrorist attack let the World Trade Centre I shake on its fundaments. More than 1000 people were injured. On September 11th 2001 two planes hit the two towers of the World Trade Centre and totally destroyed these buildings. About 3000 people were killed by this terrorist attack.

Before the Flatiron Building

The Flatiron Building was one of the first buildings with a steel frame, which was the distinguishing feature of all later sky crabbers. This sky crabber was build in 1902. The Flat-iron Building (de strijkbout) based his name on it's amazing shape, a triangle building where the sharp point is directed uptown.

This is me walking in front of the building with a Yellow Cab driving behind me. The sun was shining on this beautiful day, although during our visit the evening was falling.
In the late sixties and seventies many film stars were walking in front of this building. The Flatiron Building is located on 175 fifth Avenue and E22-23rd Street.

The highest building in the world is the Sears Roebuck Tower in Chicago, but for a very long time the New York skyscrapers were the highest. The Park Row Building is 118,5 meters high and was build in 1899 - 1908. The Chrysler Building is 319,5 meter, build in 1929 - 1930. The World Trade Centre is 411,5 meter high and was build in 1972 - 1979. The Flatiron Building was never the Highest building.

The term 'Big Apple' arose when Jazz musicians in the 30's used the name of a nightclub in Harlem for Harlem and then for the whole city. It became the official nickname for New York.

Standing in the Empire State Building

On the picture left I'm standing with my two friends Ronald and Sybren in the entrance of the Empire State Building, before going up with the elevator. It takes a little bit longer than one minute to go up by the fastest elevator, which is 365 meter per minute. On the top the view is magnificent by day, in the evening and at night. We went in the evening and enjoyed the view. We saw the Chrysler Building very good. Millions of lights from Manhattan were shining in the night. A lot of small cars / Yellow Cabs were driving in the streets. New York is a city that never sleeps.

The frame of the Empire State Building is made of 60 000 ton steel and there are 10 million bricks used for the outside. The fastest runner in the yearly Empire State Run-up climbs 170 stairs per minute and it takes him 11 minutes to climb 1860 stairs, while it usually takes half an hour to walk down. The Empire State Building is located in Midtown, 350 Fifth Avenue and W34th Street. It is near the Chrysler Building, the NY Public Library and Macy's. Macy's is a famous store, partly because it occurs in movies like "Miracle on 34th Street" but especially because it is the biggest store.

The Empire State Building is 381 meter high. It was the highest building mankind made, until the World Trade Centre was build in the '70. In 1929 the building was started and in 1931 the top was reached. At that time they build four floors a week. There were few people interested in renting rooms, because Wall Street was crashing hard these days. This is why the building was called "Empty State Building". Only the popularity of the views kept the building going on these hard days. Today the Empire State Building attracts 35 000 people every day. Many visitors remain at the first stop, where a nice attraction is. A simulated flight over New York with an almost crash on Wall Street, with a guide nobody less then James Doonan, "Scottie" from Star Trek. You can enjoy the view over Manhattan from the Empire State Building.

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