New York City was an interesting stop on our journey. Covering over three hundred square miles, it is the most densely populated city in America, as well as the center of the largest metropolitan area in the world, by urban land mass.

Before we had embarked on our travels, we had never visited this megalopolis; curiously, since it was only a four hour drive from our home base in Boston. All our lives, we had heard tales of the wonders of New York, but never availed ourselves of a visit (at least until now).

What a contrast of images New York presented; tall skyscrapers and occasionally littered streets; old history and newer attractions; enthusiastic nationalism surrounding an immigrant past and an urban life-style of disinterest in one’s surroundings. Now, that’s a kaleidoscope!

We were fortunate to have our base for this visit right in the center of it all (Midtown). No matter which direction we went from our apartment, there was something interesting or informative (sometimes both) to see. The United Nations Headquarters were one block West; Grand Central Terminal was two blocks East; Central Park and the Metropolitan Art Museum was an easy half-hour walk North; while a plethora of other attractions (such as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Bowery, Wall Street, the World Trade Center Memorial, etc.) were within an hours walk South. In between, we discovered a number of “hidden gems” (St. Agnes Church, Teddy Roosevelt’s birth-home, and all those glorious parks). Of course, we can not forget, watching our granddaughter, Lucy, singing at Carnegie Hall (which was up near Central Park). It just could not have become much better than this! In a certain way, we were glad it took us so long to visit New York. We appreciated it more.

And now; Next stop, Berlin.

Built between the late 1920’s and the early 1930’s by Walter Chrysler (head of the Chrysler Cirporation), for 11 months, this was the world’s tallest building (eventually surpassed by the Empure State Building).

Situated near the southern end of Central Park, most people will recognize this sculpture of Planet Earth as a backdrop for much of CNN’s broadcasts.

New York City’s Central Library (opposite Bryant Park) is part of the second largest public library system in the United States (after the Library of Congress).

On the west side of Central Park, opposite the Dakota hotel where he lived, is this memorial to John Lennon.

In 1660, Peter Stuyvesant purchased this lot of land for a farm (or Bowery) and built a family chapel, now known as St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery. This is the oldest site of continuous religious practice in New York.

New York City Hall, located in City Hall Park (opposite the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge), is the oldest city hall in the United States that still houses its original governmental functions.

No image better personifies Wall Street than the “Charging Bull” in the heart of the Financial District.

What better way to say goodbye to New York City than with the first image that immigrants had upon arriving in America.

It is not much to look at from the exterior, but the Church of Saint Agnes on East 43rd Street in midtown New York is one of those “hidden gems” to which we so look forward. Just a half block from Grand Central Terminal and across the street from the Chrysler building, St. Agnes’ was originally constructed to provide spiritual comfort to the Italian laborers working on Grand Central Terminal. The building was constructed between 1873 and 1877, but once the basement area was completed in 1874, it immediately was used as a chapel.

The Church of St. Agnes now is considered most famous for having played host, for half a century, to Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s radio and television broadcasts on behalf of the “Society for the Propogation of the Faith” (the oldest of the mission societies of the Roman Catholic Church). Featured at one time on the cover of Time Magazine (April 14, 1952), Archbishop Sheen twice won an Emmy award for “Most Outstanding Television Personality.” He was so popular, that at the height of his broadcasts, Bishop Sheen was receiving 8500 fan letters per week and his show had an estimated 30 million viewers per week (the Archdiocese of New York had a hard time meeting the demand for tickets to his broadcasts). On October 7, 1980, Mayor Edward L. Koch designated the portion of East 43rd Street around the church as “Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Place.” For local New Yorkers, this is known as the “...busiest pedestrian street in the World.”

A devestrating Fire in 1992 destroyed most of St. Agnes’s Church. It was eventually rebuilt by 1998. Today, the Church is under the pastoral care of Opus Dei - not the distorted version in Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” but rather a Roman Catholic institution devoted to the “Work of God.” This is only the second such parish church in the United States administered by Opus Dei (the first being St. Mary’s of the Angels in Chicago).

To think that we almost passed up visiting this hidden gem because of its plain exterior. We were so glad that we decided to explore it.

Tucked away between other buildings, The Church of St. Agnes on East 43rd. Street in midtown New York is opposite the Chrysler Building.

Its interior (to us) was much more attractive than its exterior...

...especially the murals behind the main altar.

A devastating 1992 fire destroyed most of the interior of the church, which, by 1998, was totally rebuilt.

St. Agnes is most famous for hosting Archbishop Fulton J.Sheen’s fifty years of radio and television broadcasts...

...which earned him two Emmy awards for “Most Outstanding Television Personality”...

...and an April 14, 1952 spot on the cover of Time magazine.

We have visited some of the best art museums in the world during our travels(e.g. the Louvre, Prada, Boston Museum of Fine Art, British Museum, etc.). So, it will be no surprise that, while in New York City, we made a stop at the largest art museum in the United States; the Metropolitan Museum of Art (colloquially known as “The Met”). With over seven million appreciators of art per year, this is the third most visited art museum in the world.

Incorporated on April 13, 1870 “... for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in (New York City) a museum and library of art...”, it first opened to the public on February 20, 1872 with a personal collection donated by railroad executive John Taylor Johnston. By the following year, it’s collections had outgrown its original available space. While additions were being made to the building, the museum’s collections moved to temporary quarters in the Cruger Mansion (also known as the Douglas Mansion) in West 14th Street. By 1879, the Met had opened its schools for classes in fine art. The New York legislature, in 1893, passed legislation stipulating that the museum’s collections “...shall be kept open and accessible to the public free of charge throughout the year” (although, in 2018, this was amended to exclude out-of-State and foreign visitors who now had to pay a $25 admission fee). The founders of the Met had developed a philosophy of wanting to bring art and art education to the citizens of the United States.

During the 1960’s, the estate of American Banker Robert Lehman (of Lehman Brothers fame) donated three thousand works of art to the museum. This bequest was described as “...one of the most extraordinary private art collections ever assembled in the U.S.”

Now measuring about a quarter mile long and encompassing over two million square feet of floor space, the Met is more than twenty times the size of the original building, and it contains more than two million works of art - from classical antiquity, ancient Egypt, European/American Masters, to modern art. While the city of New York owns the building, the collections belong to a private corporation of 950 persons. In 1986, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s main building was designated a National Historic Landmark. We were thrilled that visiting the Met became part of our memories.

Located along Fifth Avenue, opposite Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest museum of its type in the United States.

This place is massive! If we lived in New York City, we most likely would be visiting the Met every day.

There is just so much to see...from the hall of Roman and Greek statuary...

...to the first century B.C. Wall paintings from the villa of P. Fannius Synistor...

...to the intricate “Malagan” wood carvings of of northern New Ireland (Pacific Oceania).

Some of the World’s great art is on display here ( such as Claude Monet’s 1899 “Bridge over a Pond of Water Lillies”)...

...and Vincent van Gogh’s 1890 “Irises.”

It is very hard trying to pick out images of what is here to post in the blog. There is just so much. One of my favorites is this mantelpiece that dominated the entrance hall of Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s New York residence. Can you imagine what the rest of the house looked like?

Lori was particularly drawn to this Tiffany window (entitled “Autumn Landscape” - 1923-24). We could go on-and-on with images like these (there are over two million works of art in the museum).

Of the several bridges crossing both the Hudson and East Rivers in New York City, one stands out as a pop culture icon; the Brooklyn Bridge. At just over one mile in length (with the longest span reaching close to 1600 feet) it was the first steel-wire suspension bridge, and one of the oldest roadway bridges, in the United States.

The idea of a suspension bridge across the East River, connecting Manhattan with Brooklyn, was first conceived by German architect, John Augustus Roebling, in 1852 (he had already designed and built shorter bridges in Pennsylvania and Cincinnati). He spent the subsequent fifteen years trying to convince New York authorities that his idea was feasible. In February of 1867, the New York Senate finally passed a bill to build the bridge. Two months later, the “Brooklyn Bridge Corporation” was formed to begin the construction process. When Roebling died in 1867, his son, Washington, took over supervision of the project. Washington Roebling became paralyzed after suffering from “caisson disease” (more commonly known as the “bends”) from his time supervising construction down in one of the deep bases for the towers. While he was still the Chief Engineer on the project, supervising from an apartment overlooking the construction site, his wife, Emily Warren Roebling, an accomplished field engineer in her own right, provided a critical link between her husband and the construction process. Actual work on the bridge began in 1869 and lasted until 1883. When the bridge opened on May 24, 1883, it was the only land passage between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Because of its length, some were critical of its stability. In an effort to squelch some of these doubts, as well as to promote his circus, P.T. Barnum led a 21 elephant parade across the bridge with his famous elephant “Jumbo” at the front. For several years after its opening, the Brooklyn Bridge (which in the beginning was known as the “New York and Brooklyn Bridge,” as well as the “East River Bridge” until New York formally changed the name in 1915) was considered the longest suspension bridge in the world. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972. A four year $508 million renovation project began on 2010.

On average, 10,000 pedestrians and 3500 bicyclists cross the bridge on a daily basis. Of course, being such an iconic attraction, you know we just HAD to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. This added to the list of world attractions that we’ve had the good fortune to be able to explore (including having walked across the Golden Gate Bridge on the West Coast) What a thrill!

Tourist promotional photo of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Walking across this mile long (plus) tourist attraction was certainly something we will always remember. As you can see, we were not alone.

1883 chromolithograph of the “East River Suspension Bridge” (later named the Brooklyn Bridge) by Currier and Ives.

German immigrant/architect John Augustus Roebling was the driving force behind getting the bridge built, beginning in 1852...

...when he died, his son Washington took over the project.

Emily Warren Roebling, Washington’s wife, assumed day-to-day field supervision of construction when her husband became paralyzed due to caisson disease (i.e. the bends).

Views of the New York skyline from the bridge were amazing.

A short distance up river is the Manhattan Bridge.

On the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge you can make out another New York icon, the Statue of Liberty.

Plaques on the bridge’s towers provide information about its history.

Two of the 10,000 daily pedestrians crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.

New York City plays host to over 1700 parks, totaling more than 30,000 acres, across the five boroughs. The original park system was founded back in 1856, but at that time, the city park commission was only responsible for administering Central Park. However, by 1870, the Tweed Charter gave the commission responsibility for all the parks in Manhattan, while each of the other boroughs had its own parks commission. All of these were unified in 1934 under Robert Moses (who served as superintendent until 1960). In previous postings, we have blogged about Central Park and Bryant Park (our favorite). While we obviously can not blog about all 1700 New York City parks, we do have a couple that are worthy of highlighting;
GRAMERCY PARK; At one time, this whole area was in the middle of a swamp. Now, “Gramercy” (which in archaic English meant “many thanks”) refers to a two acre fenced in private park, as well as the surrounding neighborhood. It is one of only two “private” parks in New York City (the other being Sunnyside Gardens in Queens) and is the only park in the city which has remained unchanged in 80 years.
Mayor James Duane acquired the site in 1761 and named it “Gramercy Seat.” In 1831, developer Samuel B. Ruggles bought the property (at that time 22 acres) from the heirs of James Duane, which he named “Gramercy Square.” Ruggles drained the swap and brought in one million horsecart loads of earth. He then deeded his “Square” to the owners of 66 parcels of land he had plotted to surround it. By 1833, the Park was surrounded by a fence and ownership was held in common by the 39 peripheral structures ( the original 66 lots having been reduced in number by creation of the side streets). As a private park, only the neighboring land owners, members of the “Players Club”, the “National Arts Club”, and guests of the Gramercy Park Hotel had key access, provided they paid an annual fee. The only time the park is open to the public is on Christmas Eve.
Among some of Gramercy Park’s more famous neighbors were Julia Roberts, Thomas Edison, Booth Tarkington, Alfred Ringling, Gregory Peck, and John Steinbeck.We

Gramercy Park is one of only two private parks within New York City, being “owned” in common by neighbors who pay an annual fee for key access.

This beautifully landscaped area is only open to the general public on Christmas Eve.

Some of the original 19th century townhouses (built between 1844 and 1860) surrounding Gramercy Park.

Members of the Players Club (a social club founded by Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth in 1888) also have key access to the park.

STUYVESANT SQUARE; In 1836, Peter Gerard Stuyvesant (great-great-great grandson of Peter Stuyvesant) set aside four acres of his family farm as a public park and then sold it to New York City for a token five dollars. It was originally called “Holland Square.” By 1847, the city had installed a 2800 foot cast-iron fence around the property (now considered the oldest cast-iron fence in the city). Even though Second Avenue divides the park into east and west (each surrounded by the cast-iron fence), by 1900 this was considered to be among the city’s most fashionable addresses.

Stuyvesant Square (East) Second Avenue’s main entrance with its original cast-iron fencing.

In the middle of the Park is this memorial statue to Peter Stuyvesant (great-great-great grandson of the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherlands until it was ceded to the English in 1664 and renamed New York).

One of the beautiful features of the Square is this fountain.

A popular feature for locals is the dog park portion of Stuyvesant Square.

MADISON SQUARE PARK; Named for the fourth United States President, James Madison, this 6.2 acre sits at the northern end of the Flatiron District, at the intersection of Fifth Avenue, Broadway, and 23rd Street. Originally a swampy hunting ground, the first public space was opened here in 1686. By the turn of the next century, it had become a Potters Field. The current park opened in 1847. Thirty years later, it was surrounded by aristocratic brownstone Row houses and mansions (with owners such as novelist Edith Wharton and Winston Churchill’s mother). During the 1863 New York City Draft Riots, 10,000 Federal troops, brought in to control the chaos, encamped in the Square. When Broadway was widened in 1870, some of the park’s acreage was lost. From 1876 until 1888, the arm and torch of the Statue of Liberty was on display in the Square in an effort to raise funds for the construction of the statue. America’s first community Christmas tree was illuminated in Madison Square Park in December 24, 1912.

Madison Square Park (most famously known for the sports complex Madison Square Gardens), was named for James Madison, 4th U.S. President.

While it is a favorite respite spot for locals during the summer...

...children also love its playground.

We thoroughly enjoyed exploring these three parks tucked into unique neighborhoods surrounding them.

While exploring Lower Manhattan, we came across another of those hidden gems that we enjoy discovering; the birthplace of Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. Located on East 20th Street, just past the famed Gramercy Park, it is a National Historic Site administered by the National Park Service.

The original three-story brownstone, one of six built in the neighborhood at the time, was constructed in 1848. Teddy’s family purchased the home in 1854, while his uncle, Robert (a publisher), bought the one next door. The future president was born here on October 27, 1858 as the second of four children born to his parents. During his childhood, Teddy suffered from asthma and allergies, which pretty much confined him to the house. Teddy’s father ( who was one of the founders of the American Museum of Natural History) felt that exercise would cure his sickly son. So he built a gymnasium for Teddy off one of the second floor bedrooms. While being home-schooled (although he went on to earn a BA from Harvard University and a JD from Columbia University), he developed two strong interests; one of natural history (to the point of becoming a somewhat successful taxidermist) and one of reading (avidly consuming every book he get his hands on). When his parents felt the neighborhood was becoming too commercialized,, they moved the family uptown in 1872. By 1912, The Roosevelt home had been sold and torn down to make room for a retail establishment. Following the death of the 26th President in 1919, a preservation group bought the property and had Teddy’s house rebuilt, using his uncle’s house next door as a model (the uncle’s home eventually became part of the museum), to resemble what it looked like in the mid-1860’s. The building was eventually donated to the National Park Service in 1969 as a National Historic Site.

As with all of the other happenstance occurrences we’ve discovered, this was a fun and informative location.

Stock photo of number 28 East 20th Street is the birth home of Teddy Roosevelt...

...although this is not the original 1848 building; that one was torn down in 1912, only to be rebuilt seven years later, using his uncle’s home (at number 26 East 20th Street) as a model.

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, lived in this house from his birth (October 27, 1854) until the family moved uptown to West 57th Street in 1872.

Facing the street so as to take advantage of sunlight, the parlour was used to entertain guests and for Sunday family get-togethers.

Next to the parlour, this room, known as the library, had no widows, so it was darker.

Since Teddy’s father was a publisher and his mother was a socialite, many formal diners were held at the house.

Theodore Roosevelt Sr., Teddy’s father, often worked at his publishing business from this office on the upper floor of the family home.

Across the hall was the parents’ bedroom.

Publicity photo of the children’s bedroom before the white section of the wall was opened up to the upper level balcony where Teddy’s father had created a gymnasium for his sickly son.

The lower level Museum is replete with
​old documents and photos depicting most of Teddy Roosevelt’s life...

...including the shirt he wore on October 14, 1912, when an attempted assassination occurred. Much of the bullet’s impact was absorbed by the book (lower right portion of the photo) which contained the speech he was to give that evening in Milwaukee.

Also on display in the museum is Teddy’s “Rough Rider”uniform he wore during the Battle of San Juan Hill, Cuba (July 1, 1898).

Teddy Roosevelt with his second wife Edith (his first wife Alice died in 1884 after four years of marriage).

Built by philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, in 1891, Carnegie Hall is one of the most prestigious classical and popular music venues in the World.

The Main Hall (officially known as the Stern Auditorium - after violinist Isaac Stern in recognition of his efforts to save the Hall from demolition in the 1960’s) can accommodate close to 3000 people in five levels.

Stock photo of the Isaac Stern Auditorium from one of the upper levels...

...and looking from the stage out towards the audience seating areas.

One of the official photos of the New World singers (Lucy is in the front row , second from the right).

Official playbill poster announcing the concert just outside the entrance to the Stern Auditorium.

Publicity photo of Jeanne Wohlgamuth, artistic director of the Columbus Children’s Choir since 2012.

Once the performances, by the choir alone, the symphony alone, and then in combination, photos were not allowed. This was taken during the final bows.

Once the choir’s solo performance was over, they joined the audience to listen to the Columbus Symphony’s music.

Following the performance, families were able to spend a few moments with the choir before they had to return to their hotel. What a wonderful night! We were so fortunate to be able to share this time with Lucy.

Ellis Island was the busiest U.S. immigration inspection station for over 60 years and a gateway to America for more than 12 million immigrants. Officially opened on January 1, 1892, and expanded to six acres by land reclamation projects over the years, Ellis Island has been part of the Statue of Liberty Monument since 1965.

Much of the western shore of New York Bay (where the island is located) was originally just tidal flats and oyster beds (which were a major food source for the Lenape Native Americans who inhabited the area prior to the arrival of the Europeans). A number of the islands in this area never completely submerged during high tide (including what is now Liberty, Ellis, and Black Tom Islands). Since oysters remained a major food source, even after the Dutch arrived, the name “Oyster Islands” was given to the three mentioned above by the settlers from the Netherlands. During the Colonial period, Little Oyster Island became known as Dyre’s island and then Buckling Island. In the 1760’s, after a number of pirates were hung from scrubby trees on the island, it became known as Gibbet Island ( “gibbet” being an instrument of public execution).

Around the time of the American Revolution, merchant Samuel Ellis, acquired the island. Not much documentation was found as to what Ellis did with the property, except that he unsuccessfully tried to sell it in 1785. The state of New York leased the island from Ellis in 1794 in order to build a fort on it for the defense of the harbor. By the turn of the century, with ownership of the island now in question, New York formally took possession of Ellis Island by “An Act of Acquisition by Condemnation” (1802). Six years later, New York ceded it to the U.S. government, which used it as a federal arsenal until 1814. It remained as a military post of one sort or another for another 80 years, before it was turned into a federal immigration station( prior to this, immigrants were processed by the state at a depot in lower Manhattan). On April 18, 1890, the United States assumed control over all immigration efforts and began construction of America’s first immigration inspection station on Ellis Island. Material taken from the construction of the New York subway system was used to double the size of the island to six acres. When the station opened in 1892, the three story immigration station processed 700 applicants arriving from Europe on three large ships. A major fire on June 15, 1897, destroyed the main building, along with most of the immigration records dating back to 1855. Plans were immediately initiated to build a new station, constructed with red bricks ( thought to be more fire proof) and designed in the French Renaissance Revival style. The new building reopened on December 17, 1900. Descriptions indicated the new building was so large that the dining room alone could accommodate 1000 folks. Additional buildings were added to the grounds as the number of immigrants, trying to escape political and economic oppression, persecution, poverty, and/or violence, increased. An estimated 5000 immigrants per day were examined by officials. Passage of the Immigration Act of 1924 strove to restrict these numbers. In spite of this, it is estimated that 40% of today’s U.S. population can trace their ancestry to those immigrants processed on Ellis Island. The average processing time was from two to five hours, with the government expecting each applicant to have enough money to support themselves (at that time, considered to be 18-25 dollars - or $600 in 2015 adjusted for inflation).

Those who were sick were held at the island’s hospital - staffed by military doctors - with more than 3000 dying from their illnesses while on the island. Around 2% of all immigrants were rejected for admission to the U.S. because of serious chronic diseases or criminal backgrounds, and were returned to their homelands. During World War II, the Island was used to hold German Mariner prisoners of war and “enemy aliens”(those from Axis countries thought to be spies).

Among the 12 million immigrants processed on the island were Annie Moore (aged 17) from Cork Ireland, the first immigrant to be admitted in 1892, and Arne Petersen, a Norwegian Merchant seaman, as the last person processed in 1954.

We know that Lorraine’s family did not pass through Ellis Island (her paternal side came by way of Canada, while her maternal side arrived in Boston). Likewise, my ancestors came to America through the port of Boston. Never-the-less, this was an important stop for us during our travels. We learned a lot and had a great time here.

Archival aerial view of Ellis Island (once known as Little Oyster Island by the Dutch settlers).

The National Museum of Immigration is housed in what was the main reception building.

Taken from the second floor balcony, the reception room today looks rather large...

...but, as this archival photo shows, during its peak times, it could get pretty crowded.

Once applicants were examined and accepted for immigration to the U.S., they would often be met by relatives and/or friends who had preceded them, here at “The Kisding Post,”

Those who were sick were held at the island’s hospital opposite the main reception building. If they were successfully treated, then they could be admitted to the U.S. if their illnesses were thought to be too serious or chronic, they would be sent back to their homeland (unless they died in the hospital).

If criminal backgrounds were discovered, applicants would be sent back.

While the U.S. received immigrants from all over the world, during the early days of Ellis Island, most came from Europe...

...and brought with them all manner of dress and traditions.

Much of the island’s facilities are in need of renovation , such as this baggage and dormitory building...

...but rehab efforts are underway, once sufficient funding is obtained.

Annie Moore, aged 17 from Cork, Ireland was the first immigrant processed through Ellis Island and has been immortalized by this bronze statue.

Officially known as “Liberty Enlightening the World”, this copper statue was a gift to the American people from the citizens of France. Designed by French sculptor Frederick Auguste Bartholdi and built by Gustav Eiffel, it is a figure of a robed woman representing the Roman goddess “Libertas.”

The first idea for the statue was proposed in 1865 during a conversation between Bartholdi and Eduouard Rene de Laboulaye (although, some claim this was a myth and the actual idea was not formulated until 1870). In any event, in 1871 Bartholdi traveled to the United States in order to gain support for the project from “influential Americans.” Bartholdi’s plan immediately focused on Bedloe’s Island because ships had to sail passed it while arriving in New York. Laboulay’s and Bartoldi’s concept for the statue was based on two early American female figures that had been used as cultural symbols - i.e. “Columbia” and “The Goddess of Freedom” (widely used in Rome). They finally settled on “Libertas.” By 1878, the head of the statue had been completed and was on display at the Paris World’s Fair. Six years later, the whole statue was finished and presented to Levi P. Morton, U.S. Ambassador to France, at a ceremony in Paris. Eiffel’s structure was one of the earliest examples of “curtain wall” construction, meaning its exterior was not load bearing, but rather, the statue was supported by an interior framework. The pedestal for the statue in New York was almost finished by June of 1885, so the statue was disassembled and shipped to New York in crates.

The pedestal was constructed in Fort Wood, a disused army base on Bedloe’s Island, and was situated so that “Liberty” would be facing Southeast, thus, greeting ships arriving from the Atlantic Ocean. Even though the statue was complete, fund raising to pay for it had run into problems throughout the construction process. However, with a challenge to the American People by “New York World’s” publisher, Joseph Pulitzer, the $120,000 needed to complete construction of the pedestal was raised by August of 1885, with 80% of the total received in sums of less than a dollar.

Once the statue had been completely installed, famed landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted (noted for his work on Central Park), was hired to supervise the cleanup and landscaping of the island. “Liberty” was dedicated on October 28, 1886. As a parade marking the occasion passed the New York Stock Exchange, traders threw ticker tape from the windows. Thus, began the tradition of the “Ticker Tape Parade.” As the popularity of the statue rapidly grew, it soon became recognized as a landmark. During World War I, on July 30, 1916, sympathizers of Germany tried to sabotage the statue by setting off nearby explosives destined for Britain and France. While causing minor damage to the statue, seven people were killed in the incident. Once the United States had entered World War I, images of “Liberty” were used on recruitment posters. In 1924, the statue was declared a National Monument by Calvin Coolidge. Seven years later, the National Park Service assumed administration of Bedloe’s Island. An Act of Congress in 1956 officially renamed the island “Liberty Island” and in 1984, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following the World Trade Center attacks, the island was closed to the public for safety reasons, but was reopened by the end of 2001.

Liberty and neighboring Ellis Island now comprise the “Statue of Liberty National Monument.” Since this is such an important part of our history, we felt compelled to visit it while in New York and we encourage anyone who travels to the city, to take the time to to explore this iconic image of freedom. It is well worth it!

Designed by Frederick Auguste Bartholdi and constructed by Gustav Eiffel, the Statue of Liberty faces southeast so that it can greet vessels sailing into New York from the Atlantic Ocean.

From a point in Brooklyn, where the East and Hudson Rivers converge, you can get a decent view of the statue.

While admission to the island and the statue is free, you do have to pay for the ferry ride over and back...

...and during the ride, you can get a wonderful view of the Manhattan skyline...

...as well as from the island itself.

As the ferry arrives at the island, you can get a good perspective of how much the statue dominates the scene.

The Island was once the site of Fort Wood, an eleven-point star shaped fortification, which operated from 1811 until around 1880. By the time the site was chosen for the statue, the fort had become obsolete and was in disuse.

A portion of the area behind the statue is being renovated for a flag pole circle and a new museum.

Taking the walkway around the front of the statue, there are plenty of opportunities for a “selfie.”

One of our favorite pictures taken from the island was this view of a ferry passing the American Flag with all the little sail boats in the background...

...of course there were slightly larger ones also.

Emma Lazarus’ sonnet “The New Colossus” was cast onto a bronze plaque and mounted inside the pedestals lower level.

The original torch located (for now) in the museum inside the base of the Statue (a new museum is being constructed outside, behind Liberty.

If you are in good shape, and have the desire for a super workout, there is a 354 step spiral staircase (the equivalent to climbing 20 stories) leading to the crown.

Archival photo of ladder inside the arm.

Located on the far side of the Arno river from the Duomo, situated at the base of the Michaelangelo hill, is the home of Rodolfo Siviero, noted art collector and historian of the twentieth century. For a period of his life, he served in the Military Intelligence Service of the Italian Army. During World War II, he became an anti-Fascist and secretly began working with the Allied Command's "Monuments Men" to recover much of the art removed from Italy by the Germans. He had been imprisoned by the Germans and tortured for three months in 1944, in order to discover information about Italian resistance. He was able to resist the torture and was eventually freed by help from Fascist officials who were actually working for the underground. After the war, he was named by the Italian government to head the Office of Recoveries (thus continuing his work of recovering stolen art works). This work of his earned him the nickname of the "007 of art".

Silviero died in 1983. In his last will, Silviero left his home and his collection of art, to the Region of Tuscany, as long as it was used as a museum in tribute to his life long principle of the love of art. Depicted in picture number 3 is Stefano, our guide, and his lovely wife. The last picture shows a decorative stairway to the side garden.

Yesterday, we visited the Casa Martelli. The Martelli's were quite rich and powerful in Florentine history for approximately 500 years (the last member dying in 1986). They first made money in the wool guilds, later on becoming silk merchants.Their house (on via Zanetti) is only two blocks from the Duomo, but the family at one time owned a lot of property in the area. The Martelli's had developed close ties with the Medici family from the time of Cosmos the Elder, with Carmilla Martelli later becoming the second wife of Cosmos I. Like the Medici's, the Martelli's were great art lovers and collectors, hiring Donotello as their primary sculptor ( he created the Martelli Coat of Arms depicted in the first picture). As can be seen in the following pictures, they adorned their home with various forms of art, including the Michaelangelo bathtub depicted in the last picture ( the three rings on the tub were considered Michaelangelo's signature, indicating his work in marble, painting, and wood).  Interestingly, this tub is situated in a room they called their "...winter garden"  as the walls were decorated with flowers and vines, while the floor was covered in sand and small stones, as if on a beach.

Art surrounds us wherever we turn here in Florence: on the ceilings, on the walls, on easels in the square, and even on the roadways themselves. Talented artists are not limited to the "...old masters". There are a multitude of very talented modern day artists as well.

Life has a habit of leveling the playing field. The first ten days we were here was filled with bright sunshine and warm temperatures. What little rain that did occur happened overnight and was gone by the next morning. Weeeelllll, now the past few days the rain has started to creep into the daylight hours. I guess "Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows" can not last forever.

Wherever you may turn, Florence is a city full of history, dating back several centuries. Medieval art and sculpture,  the lives and dealings of the rich and powerful, even the many "turf wars" between the city-states that once made up Italy are everywhere. There did seem to us, however, to be a missing gap in this historical picture of Florence, i.e. What happened to the city and surrounding countryside, during World War II. As if to read our minds, a free exhibit depicting Florence during these war years just opened at the Medici-Ricardi and Pitti palaces. Room after room are filled with photographers and stories of what went on in Florence just before and throughout World War II. Like other parts of the world during the war, there was shortages of food and essential goods, as well as much suffering from bombings. The following pictures are but a small sampling of this exhibit, which continues to grow, as the curators continue to seek out individuals' recollections of that time period.

“Times Square!” Just the sound of that name evokes images of massive crowds, neon signs, and Dick Clark’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” Known as “The Great White Way,” it sits at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and runs from 42nd to 47th streets. With over a 100 million visitors per year, it is one of the world’s busiest pedestrian areas, as well as the heart of the Broadway theater district.

When Manhattan was first settled by the Dutch, three small streams converged at what is now tenth avenue and 40th Street (a perfect spot for a settlement). The tiny hamlet that sprouted up here soon became a center for carriage making. The area just south and west was known as “Longacre” (this will be shown to be important in a moment). Around the time of the American Revolution, this area belonged to John Morin Scott, a General in the New York Militia, who used the property for breeding horses and farming. By 1892, as the area was developing its carriage industry, the city began calling it “Longacre Square.” With commerce increasing, residential inhabitants were pushed north and Longacre Square earned the nickname of “Thieves Lair” because of the rowdiness that was developing. At the turn of the 19th century, this became the property of John Jacob Astor, who made a fortune buying and selling lots to hotels and real estate firms. In 1904, New York “Times” publisher, Adolph Ochs, moved his newspaper operations here and persuade the mayor to rename it “Times Square.” The newspaper moved its offices in 1913 to larger quarters just one block west. The Old Times Building is now known as “One Times Square” and is famous for its “Times Square Ball Drop” on New Year’s Eve ( the first one occurring on December 31, 1907). The same year that the “Times” offices moved, the first road across America, the Lincoln Highway, had its eastern terminus at the southeast corner of Times Square.

“The Great White Way” grew dramatically after World War I as a cultural hub of theaters, music halls, and upscale hotels. But the Great Depression changed the atmosphere of the Square quickly. Residents moved uptown enmass and were replaced by saloons, brothels, and vaudeville stages, giving the area an image of a “seedy” neighborhood. Between the 1960’s and 1980’s, this seediness look became even worse. In 1990, the state of New York took possession of six of the nine historic theaters in the district and began restoration efforts. Two years later, the Times Square Business Improvement District (later to be known as the Times Square Alliance) began a serious effort to revitalize the area, resulting in new office buildings, hotels, and tourist attractions moving in. Among these were the ABC television studios (home of “Good Morning America”), as well as the Hershey’s and M&M stores. While the rest of America was putting restrictions on animated neon and LED signs, Times Square was unique in encouraging them, creating its now iconic image.

Times Square has been featured countless times in literature, television, films and videos, and, with over 300,000 visitors per day, is the most visited place in the world (greater than each of the Disney Theme Park’s worldwide). As two of those daily visitors, we were amazed by its look and activities.

One Times Square was once the home of the New York Times newspaper...

...But is more popularly known for the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop.

Sitting on the stair-style seats in the middle of Times Square gave us a true perspective of just how many folks pass through here each day.

Sensory overload is definitely an issue.

ABC’s television studios (home to “Good Morning America”) is a top attraction in the Square...

...but there are others...

...including those promoting the Broadway show “The Waitress”...

...as well as one of the more famous street performers, “The Naked Cowboy” (aka Robert John Buck), who has been doing this since 1998...

...even the “McDonald’s” is glitzy.

Typically, while we’re exploring a city, we come across sites that pique our interests and result in our spending more time with them. While walking around Rockefeller Center, we happened upon the NBC studios (home of “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show,” and “NBC Nightly News”), and found that it offered tours.

This Art Deco building is the centerpiece of the Rockefeller Center complex. From 1933 until 1988, it was known as the RCA building, then the GE building (1988 until 2015), and finally, the Comcast building. In May of 1930, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), parent company of NBC and RKO, agreed to lease one million square feet of studio space in 30 Rockefeller Center. NBC was one of the first tenants, and one of the largest ( for instance, it took 1500 miles of utility wiring to construct the studios). By the mid-1950’s, much of the street-level space was transformed into the “Today Show” studio. In 1996, NBC bought the space it had been leasing since 1933 (allowing it to renovate it to suit its needs, as well as to upgrade its technology). Studio 8H, now home to Saturday Night Live, was once the largest radio studio in the world and was the home of the NBC Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Arturo Toscanini. It was converted into a television studio in 1950.

For me, personally, one bit of interesting trivia I learned was that from 1960 until 1993, the building’s mezzanine level housed the New York City’s weather forecast office of the National Weather Service (which later was moved to Brookhaven).

Tours of the studio, which some might think is a bit pricey, give a behind-the-scenes look of the NBC operations center. Many consider this the most famous tour in television history. This 60-75 minute timed tour takes visitors to the Saturday Night Live and Tonight Show studios, past the control rooms, and even into a special studio set up specifically for tourists, where each person can take a role in creating a simulated talk-show. Afterwards, an email is sent to each participant with a recorded copy of this experience.

Now, one of the disappointments of this tour is that photography is not allowed. With that being said, the photos presented below are professionally done stock pictures. Too bad. In any event, this was a fun experience.

Just off of the famous Rockefeller Center Plaza are the NBC studios, home of the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Saturday Night Live, and the Tonight Show.

The building’s Art Deco main lobby is a top tourist attraction.

The tour begins at the upper level studio lobby.

Saturday Night Live is broadcast from studio 8H...

...which, at one time, was the largest radio studio in the world and played host to the NBC Symphony Orchestra with Arturo Toscanini conducting.

Broadcast from studio 6B, the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon is the seventh version of the long-running franchise (its most famous host having been Johnny Carson).

The operations center control room not only determines what goes out over the air , but also monitors what competitor networks are transmitting.

Visitors are given an opportunity to create a simulated talk-show, including running the control room. A recorded copy of this experience is then emailed to all participants.

”And here are the new hosts of the Today Show...”

Our favorite New York City green space (after Central Park) was the 9.6 acre privately managed Bryant Park. Bounded by 5th and 6th avenues, as well as 40th to 42 streets, the Park is built entirely over the subterranean stacks of the New York City library’s main branch (which forms the eastern boundary of the Park).

Back in 1686, when this area was still considered “wilderness,” New York colonial governor Thomas Dongan established the area as “public space” (whatever that meant at the time, as there did not seem to be any documentation explaining this designation). Historical documents indicated that George Washington’s colonial army crossed this spot while retreating from the Battle of Long Island in 1776. By 1823, this space had been designated as a “Potters Field” (i.e. a cemetery for the poor) and remained so until 1840 when thousands of bodies were relocated to Wards Island. The first “Park” established on this spot was created in 1847, and was named “Resevoir Square” because of its neighboring body of water. Six years later, the “Exhibition of the Industry of Nations”, which included New York’s Crystal Palace, took place here (unfortunately, the Crystal Palace burned down in 1858). Throughout the American Civil War, the Union Army conducted military drills on this space (inspite of the New York City Draft Riots of 1863). The Park was renamed, in 1884, as “Bryant Park” to honor New York Evening Post’s editor, William Cullen Bryant. Regrettably, by the 1930’s the Park had begun to suffer from neglect, forcing a redesign effort from 1933-1934, as a Great Depression work project. During October of 1958, a forty thousand person rally, known as the “Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam,” was held here. This included such celebrities as Dick Cavett, Woody Allen, Helen Hays, Shirley MacLaine, and many others. The Park was taken over by drug dealers, prostitutes, and the homeless during the 1970’s, turning it into a “No-Go Zone” for the general public. From 1979 until 1983, the Park’s Council developed a coordinated project to clean up the space. This effort included book and flower markets, landscape improvements, cafes, etc. The “Bryant Park Restoration Corporation” (which included members of the Rockefeller family) was organized in 1980 as part of this renovation effort. In 1988, the Park was closed for a four year total rebuilding project. When it reopened in 1992, it was to widespread acclaim as the best example of urban renewal. It is now one of the top examples of New York City’s revival of the 1990’s. With an estimated 800 people per acre daily attendance, Bryant Park is considered the most densely occupied urban park in the world, and has been called the “Town Square of Mid-town” (New York Times 1995).

One of its top summer attractions is the open air library, known as “The Reading Room” along with its neighboring “Bryant Park Games” area (for ping pong, Chinese checkers, quoits, as well as the French equivalent of bocce, known as “Pétanque”). The park hosts a variety of public events throughout the year - all free - including “Bryant Park Movies” (since 1990). A variety of musical performances are offered under the name “Broadway in the Park.” The activities in the park that we loved the most were the free classes (e.g. juggling, knitting, and languages). Bryant Park’s lawn is considered to be the largest expanse if grass in Manhattan south of Central Park

A welcoming sign and diagram of the park’s layout, is just inside the gate opposite the main branch of New York’s Public Library. Interestingly, this sign says the park is six acres, while the official description of the park says it is 9+ acres. We’ll leave it up to you to decide which is correct.

Originally known as “Resevoir Square,” The Park was renamed in 1884 to honor William Cullen Bryant, editor of the New York Evening Post, and social activist.

This is a beautiful green space, and our favorite park (after Central Park).

Some of the attractions which led to our feelings about this park include the “Reading Room” (an open air public Library)...

...which also sponsors free public activities...

...and the games area...

...(which includes the French version of Bocce, known as Pétanque).

Other activities sponsored by the park include musical performances...

...learning to juggle...

...and language classes.

Children... and those young at heart...are not forgotten.

As mentioned in the text above, Bryant Park’s lawn is felt to be the largest expanse of grass in Manhattan south of Central Park

Known as America’s largest cultural celebration, the “National Puerto Rican Day” parade in New York City took place on the second Sunday in June (this was the 61st such event). Traveling along 5th Avenue (from 44th street to 79th Street), this parade, celebrating the Puerto Rican community, draws around 1.5 million spectators per year. This year’s theme, “One People, Many Voices” focused on the resilience of the island after being affected by Hurricane Maria (at category 4, the strongest storm to hit the island in 90 years).

The first such parade occurred back in 1958 - at that time, held in April - and was known as the “Hispanic Day Parade.” When the organization running the parade incorporated in 1995, the name was changed to the “National Puerto Rican Day Parade.” In addition to the parade itself, the organization sponsors seven other major events around the city, including the longest running street fair held on the day prior to the parade. Among the dancers, musicians, floats and marchers, were the usual group of celebrities, such as Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York Senator Charles Schumer, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The parade was even featured in an episode of the NBC sitcom “Seinfeld.” Enthusiasm ran very high during this parade, which lasted for five hours. We had a great time at the parade and hope to visit Puerto Rico in the future.

As with many parades, this one began with a contingent from the New York City police’s mounted division....

...followed by those members of Puerto Rican descent...

...and one in his very own category.

Not to be outdone by their law enforcement colleagues...

...the New York City Fire Department sent a contingent from their own “mounted” division.

There were floats galore...

...celebrities...

...more floats...

...dancers...

...and even more floats.

Then, there was this? (I have no clue).

Everyone seemed to be having a great time. I know we did.

In the center of mid-town Manhattan is Rockefeller Center, a complex of nineteen buildings, covering 22 acres between 48th and 51st streets, and is one of the most recognizable areas of the city.

The first private owner of this land was Dr. David Horsch, who, in 1801, purchased twenty acres in, what was then, rural New York. Horsch created the first botanical gardens (Elgin Botanical Gardens) in the United States. It operated until 1811. By 1823, Columbia University had acquired ownership of the property (little documentation could be found about what happened to the site in between those years). Around the turn of the century, the university moved its main campus to Morningside Heights and then leased its former site to John D. Rockefeller, Jr. for 87 years. Rockefeller established the Metropolitan Square Corporation (the precursor to Rockefeller Center, Inc.) in 1928 in order to delvelop plans for the site. His original plan was to use the property for a new Metropolitan Opera building. However, this fell apart after the stock market crash of 1929 when the Opera found that that it would be too expensive to move. Under John D. Jr.’s supervision, a number of plans were discussed to create a mass media entertainment center, which would include space for television, movies, radio, and plays (with four performing arts theaters). The original anchors of this media complex became Radio Corporation of America (RCA), National Broadcast Corporation (NBC), and Radio Keith-Orpheum (RKO). During these early years, various names for the complex (which originally included 14 Art Deco buildings, with five International Style buildings {for foreign tenants} to be added later), which included “Radio City”, “Rockefeller City”, “Metropolitan Square”, before eventually settling on “Rockefeller Center.” The RKO Building was the first to be completed (September of 1932). The famed Rockefeller Center Christmas tree made its first appearance in December 1933 at the center of the plaza. Four years later, eleven buildings had been completed. Over the course of the construction process, Rockefeller Center employed between forty-thousand and sixty-thousand workers, making it the largest “ private” building project ever undertaken in contemporary times (and second only to the government’s WPA of the Great Depression era) Because Lorraine had a personal historical connection to the construction of Rockefeller Center (see the photos below), we really wanted to visit this site. It was quite an experience.

Facing 5th Avenue (opposite St. Patrick’s Cathedral), Rockefeller Center covers 22 acres of Mid-Town Manhattan.

Stock photo of Center Plaza’s skating rink and the famed Rockefeller Center Christmas tree (first put up in 1933) in the background...

...but during the summer months, the rink is transformed into a food court.

A bronze plaque has been imbedded on the spot where the Christmas Tree is placed every year.

With my back towards the plaza, I took this picture looking towards 5th Avenue (because this was such a favorite photo spot, I had to be quite patient to get this picture without a huge number of people in the way).

Fourteen of the nineteen buildings in the complex were decorated in the Art Deco style...

...which tends to generate strong feelings both pro and con.

Surrounding the edges of the central plaza are the flags of nations.

One of the most famous pictures depicting the construction of Rockefeller Center is this 1932 image of immigrant workers entitled “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper”. Two of Lorraine’s great uncles ( brothers-in-law to each other) are in this group (one in each end)...

Decades of research have gone into trying to identify these workers. A recent Public Broadcasting System documentary and this 2018 National Geographic Article did finally identify Lorraine’s uncles...

...as Sonny (Patrick) Glynn and Matty O’Shaughnessy of Ireland.

During research for this posting, we did come across another version of this picture (shown here of the workers waving).