Our day's journey consisted of visiting three monumental landmarks in NYC. The first, The Empire State Building, located on what seemed the heart of the city skyline (it is the tallest building now since the destruction of the World Trade Centers). This building retains the charm of old world craftsmanship. Upon entering the building you are greeted by doormen dressed in bell boy uniforms of the 1930s. The interior has been partially upgraded with modern stores and businesses, but the art deco architecture is still very dominant. The anticipation of the greatest view of the city was dampened with winding lines of tourists waiting patiently to get on the two elevators to the 86th floor viewing deck. The sweeping bird's eye view of New York is worth the wait. From the south side of the deck you can even see the Statue of Liberty (on our to see soon list). To grasp the grand scale of NYC, you need to see for yourself all the breathtaking views the Empire State has to offer.
From this north view, you can see Central Park in the background of this picture:
View of the Chrysler Building (right side of this picture):
A few train stops into downtown, we visited the site of the former World Trade Center. From a few blocks away you can see the cloud of dust and noise erupting from the construction site. The sadness overtook me once I got to see the gigantic scale of what was once the iconic World Trade Center. Visuals of that horrible day were hard to shake off. God Bless.
A few blocks away was our next journey, the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge was opened for use in 1883, after taking 13 years to construct. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the U.S. and is now one of the major arteries into Brooklyn. We were fortunate enough to walk the bridge under sunny skies in less than 30 minutes. The bridge itself holds one of the greatest views of the Manhattan skyline. The construction has a strong maritime influence with its wooden planks and sail-like hanging suspension. A spectacular walk with monumental views. A word to the wise: bring a bottle water and stay out of the bike lane.
From this north view, you can see Central Park in the background of this picture:
View of the Chrysler Building (right side of this picture):
A few train stops into downtown, we visited the site of the former World Trade Center. From a few blocks away you can see the cloud of dust and noise erupting from the construction site. The sadness overtook me once I got to see the gigantic scale of what was once the iconic World Trade Center. Visuals of that horrible day were hard to shake off. God Bless.
A few blocks away was our next journey, the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge was opened for use in 1883, after taking 13 years to construct. The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the U.S. and is now one of the major arteries into Brooklyn. We were fortunate enough to walk the bridge under sunny skies in less than 30 minutes. The bridge itself holds one of the greatest views of the Manhattan skyline. The construction has a strong maritime influence with its wooden planks and sail-like hanging suspension. A spectacular walk with monumental views. A word to the wise: bring a bottle water and stay out of the bike lane.
