Sights of New York

For over a hundred years the Statue of Liberty has been a symbol of the United States. It stands on Liberty Island and was a gift that France gave to the USA in 1886 as a symbol of friendship between the two countries . With its pedestal made of concrete the statue has a height of 93 metres. It represents a woman looking out over the harbour. On her head is a crown and in her hand a torch. Although tourists can go up to the observation deck in the crown, the torch itself is closed to all visitors.

Statue of Liberty
Image: "Liberty Island photo D Ramey Logan.jpg
from Wikimedia Commons byD Ramey Logan, CC-BY 4.0"

Times Square, where 42nd Street and Broadway meet, is often called Crossroads of the World. Millions of people see it on television every New Year’s Eve. It got its name because the New York Times building was originally located there. Today it is home to theatres and cinemas with many electronic billboards surrounding the square.

Times Square
Image: Terabass, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Empire State Building is one of the best known buildings in the world. Located in the middle of Manhattan, the steel framed structure has 102 storeys and a height of 381 metres. Built in 1931, it was the first building of such a tremendous height. For over twenty years it was the tallest building in the world and the tallest building of New York until the construction of the World Trade Centre in the 1970s. The building has appeared in famous films like King Kong and Superman. About 2 million tourists visit the Empire State Building every year.

Empire State Building
Image : Sam Valadi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Central Park is the largest and most important public park in Manhattan. It extends for about 4km and has an area of 340 hectares. The park includes lakes, ice rinks, fountains, playgrounds, bicycle paths and other facilities. When it was built in the 1840s the park was far away from the city’s centre. Some of it was farming area another part was swampy, wet land that had to be laid dry. It took 20,000 workers more than 15 years to remove thousands of trees and complete the park.

Central Park
Image: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brooklyn Bridge, built between 1869 and 1883 connects Manhattan with New York’s most populous borough, Brooklyn. The 1.5 km long bridge, which spans the East River, is one of the greatest engineering achievements of the 19th century.

Brooklyn Bridge
Image: Suiseiseki, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Grand Central Station is one of the most beautiful buildings of the city. It is the busiest train station in the world with about 800 000 people passing through it every day. It's well-known for its wonderful ceiling with a mural of golden leaves.

Grand Central Station
Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority from United States of America,
CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The 9/11 memorial is a place that commemorates the tragic events that happened on September 11, 2001.

9/11 memorial

Image : Dave Z a>, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Staten Island ferry is a passenger boat that brings people from Manhattan to Staten Island. It operates 25 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Staten Island Ferry
Image : InSapphoWeTrust, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons