New York City - Part II

We headed "downtown" to Battery Park, and arrived at Clinton Castle to pick up our tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Clinton Castle is a story in itself:

After the American Revolution, NYC decided it needed more protection. By 1812, it built a circular fort at the southern tip of Manhattan, but it never fired a shot. In 1817, the fort was named Castle Clinton (after the former mayor of New York, and future governor DeWitt Clinton) and used as an entertainment venue. The name was changed to Castle Garden in 1824 and housed concerts and firework displays.

Between 1855 and 1890, Castle Garden was turned into an immigration station, processing 8 million immigrants. In 1892, immigration operations moved to Ellis Island.

Castle Garden changed again in 1896 - this time it became an aquarium famous for its exotic fish from around the world. In the 1940's, much of Castle Garden was demolished for a tunnel project, but the original Castle Clinton walls remained.

In 1946, after many configurations, Castle Clinton became a national monument and was restored in the 1970's. I think Clinton Castle deserves a much needed break! Today, it serves as a museum and ticket station for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island cruise boats.


You can't imagine our excitement on the cruise boat as we approached the Statue of Liberty. She is a beauty - and enormous!

During a time when many French saw repression in their homeland, a man sought to protest by devising a plan to honor the ideals of freedom and liberty seen in the United States. Edouard de Laboulaye decided to build a modern-day Colossus (i.e. a really really big statue). Unfortunately, he died before he could see his Statue of Liberty constructed.

"Everything in America is big... even the peas."
- Auguste Barthodli (Pictured above)

Ok, it's much more than a statue. In the words of her sculptor, Auguste Bartholdi, "Colossal statuary does not consist simply in making an enormous statue. It ought to produce an emotion in the breast of the spectator, not because of its volume, but because its size is in keeping with the idea that it interprets, and with the place which it ought to occupy."

The statue was built in Paris, then dismantled, crated, and shipped to the U.S. She was stowed in 214 crates and traveled for 4 weeks. She arrived in New York Harbor on June 19, 1885.

What the statue represents to her people is something not easily pinned down. During the massive immigration of the late 19th century, Liberty represented the "Mother of Exiles." World War I saw a drastic reduction in immigration, and Liberty became America personified, starring on posters asking citizens to enlist in the military or buy war bonds. Since them Liberty has been used in more ways than we can recount here - but our favorite has to be helping out the Ghostbusters in their lackluster sequel.


So what does she stand for?
Her classic face and drapery suggest a Roman Goddess of Liberty; the broken shackles symbolize freedom newly achieved; the radiant crown represents her shedding light on the seven seas and continents. Roman numerals "July 4, 1776" are engraved on her tablet.

Looking "up her skirt"

Emma Lazarus

And who is Emma Lazarus?
She was 34 years old when she wrote The New Colossus, a poem in tribute to the Statue of Liberty, and is engraved on the pedestal.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Unfortunately we weren't able to get tickets to go up to the crown (they sell out months in advance), but were able to climb the base and "look up her skirt." The construction is quite fascinating. She is made up of a thin copper "skin" that's supported by a web of steel bars. The Visitor center really had some neat displays showing the techniques.

Torch and Flame No. 2

The Statue of Liberty is on her third torch and flame, yes, her third. The first torch and flame was completed in 1876, and the flame was a closed copper shell that was never intended to light from within. One month before the dedication in 1886, the U.S. Lighthouse Board cut a double row of staggered holes and placed electric lights inside the flame. The lights were dim and disappointing, and in 1892, the staggered holes were replaced with windows and a skylight was added.

By 1916, new light was badly needed and sculptor Gutzon Borglum (Mt. Rushmore's sculptor) redesigned the flame (torch and flame no. 2, and the one in the photo). He replaced 250 copper sections with amber glass and installed flickering lamps for the "flame" effect. The new designed quickly corroded, which led to torch and flame attempt number 3. This time, Bartholdi's original design was used and successfully withstands the elements.


Facts:

• Height from ground to top of torch - 305 ft. 1in.
• Height of statue - 151 ft. 1 in.
• Length of nose - 4 ft. 6 in.
• Thickness of copper "skin" - 3/32 in., about the thickness of two pennies, and weighs more than 62,000 pounds
  
• The statue was designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, but Gustave Eiffel (of the Eiffel Tower) engineered the "skin's" support system.
  
• Her pedestal was created by Richards Morris Hunt
  
• Total cost (including the pedestal) = $300,000
  
• She was a gift from the French people (A random fact: The French are grateful people who express their thanks with gifts to the U.S. After WWI, the French gave 50 box cars - Hawaii and D.C. had to share - to the U.S., called "Merci Trains." Washington state's car is in Yakima, and Louisiana's car is on the Old State Capitol grounds in Baton Rouge.)
• Dedicated on October 28, 1886 by President Grover Cleveland
  

Ellis Island

After visiting Lady Liberty, we took the ferry to its next stop: Ellis Island.

One of the rooms had a model of Ellis Island as it changed over the years. It began as a tiny island (maybe 1/10th of its current size) and was called Little Oyster Island. It was later owned and sold by Samuel Ellis, a colonial New Yorker, in the late 1700's. Its lands were continually added to, and we heard from someone there that the city of New York used debris from the digging of the subway to build up Ellis Island.

The Registry Room
On many days, over 5,000 people would file through this room
waiting to be inspected and registered.

The island is most famous for its use as the U.S. immigration office - processing more than 12 million immigrants from 1892 to 1924 - thus contributing to one of the largest human migrations in the history of the world. The Island now serves as a memorial to all those who persevered in the hopes of finding a better life. John F. Kennedy wrote, "There were probably as many reasons for coming to America as there were people who came." Over 100 million Americans today can claim ancestors who came through Ellis Island.

"Graffiti Columns"
During renovations and cleaning,
inscriptions by detained immigrants were revealed.

___________________________________________

On our way to the Empire State Building, we were constantly stopped by the double-decker tour bus sales people. They could pick us out of a crowd of 100 people, and jump across the sidewalk to put a pamphlet in your hand.

Did we really stand out that much? What was their secret?

Finally, I asked the double-decker tour bus salesman near the Empire State Building - "Wow, you guys are good at picking us out. We've been asked at least 14 times this morning. Let me ask you something... How do you know we are tourist? Is it our backpacks or how we walk?" He laughed and laughed and laughed at the question, then said "Sometimes we can tell by the backpacks, or your walking pace. But when you are in the city for the first time - you are always looking up. That is how we know you are a tourist."

Ah-ha! Sneaky, sneaky! So from that point on, when we saw the double-decker tour bus sale people, we looked down.

From King Kong to the debunked penny myth, the Empire State Building is as iconic New York as the Space Needle is to Seattle or Mickey Mouse to Disneyland.

After September 11th, the Empire State Building became the tallest building in New York again. It stands 1,250 feet tall, and is the 3rd tallest building in the Americas and the 15th tallest in the world.


A quick history and some Facts:

• The Waldor-Astoria Hotel was razed for the construction of the Empire State Building
• Brainchild of Alfred E. Smith and John J. Raskob (By the way, Raskob was a Wall Street financier who helped turn General Motors into an automotive giant and sparked the growth of the DuPont family investment firm. Smith was an ex-New York governor.)
• William "Bill" Lamb was the architect
• The Empire State Building was built for $41 million (including the cost of the land)
• It was constructed in one year and 45 days
• The 55 foot deep foundation holds the 210 columns that support the entire structure
• 60,000 tons of steel beams were delivered at a rate that assured two stories could be completed every day (That's 4 1/2 stories a week!)
• It took 7 million man-hours to complete, and employed as many as 4000 men per day
• 290 bricklayers and masons
• 10 million bricks
• 2.5 million feet of electrical wire
• 120 miles of pipe
• 1000+ miles of telephone cable
• 6500 windows
• 1860 steps
• It weighs 365,000 tons
• 200,000 cubic feet of Indiana limestone
• May 1, 1931 - the Empire State Building is officially open to the public

The lobby is "An Art Deco Masterpiece" and made of thick slabs of marble and steel highlights. Elevators take visitors to the 86th floor in about a minute, and the 86th floor is 1,050 feet from the street.


Did you know that the 102nd floor was originally built as a landing mast for air ships? Me neither! The idea was that you could board an air ship in Europe and be delivered to mid town Manhattan. Th swirling air currents prevented it.

Renovation costs over the past ten years = $100 million, which is why the entry ticket costs so much. It is also why red-coat ushers are on every floor, at every entryway, asking if you'd like to "upgrade your ticket" (an extra $15/person) to go up to the 102nd floor, offering to take your photo in front of the Empire State Building, and asking if you'd like a map, with history, of the Empire State Building for $8.


We were glad to see stuffed animal King Kongs in the gift shop. It was brilliant, and thought that the Niagara Falls gift shops should take note and sell wooden barrels in their gift shop.

While the city was smoggy, we could still get a nice glimpse of the city. We saw the New Year's ball, the Chrysler Building, and the sticks of Wall Street.

There are a lot of people stuffed in this city. And the views from the Empire State Building help you see just how stuffed. Bainbridge Island is roughly the same size of Manhattan, and people on Bainbridge complain about the increased population. Take a look at NYC!

From the top of the Empire State Building, looking Southwest
(Yes, that is New Jersey in the background.)

From the top of the Empire State Building, looking South

(Wall Street buildings in the background)

From the top of the Empire State Building, looking East

From the top of the Empire State Building, looking North

Interior of Grand Central Terminal
(notice the chandelier)

Our next stop - Grand Central Terminal. Don't call it Grand Central Station or you'll get your face slapped or branded a tourist.

Funny story we read about Grand Central Terminal...
Everyone thought the chandeliers in the terminal were made of bronze because of their color. But after a good cleaning, and the layers and layers of dust were removed, it was revealed that the chandeliers are actually 14kt. gold!


We stopped at Rockefeller Center to watch the ice skaters - some were really good (like the guy in the maroon t-shirt) and others had no problem embarrassing themselves in front of hundreds.

We spent about an hour in Times Square, which really isn't a square at all... more like a triangle. We were overwhelmed with the constant lights, the size of the screens, and the number of people.

We grabbed a seat near the NYPD station and ended up talking with an older gentleman who has been drawing NYC landmarks since he was 14 years old (He's 75). He has seen buildings come and go, and was in NYC for some major happenings. He shared his drawings and had a story for each one. The suckers we are, we bought a signed copy.

Of course, the city was glowing with pride for their
New York Yankees... 2009 World Series Champions.

NYC is filled with people trying to make a dollar or be the next big thing, and Times Square is the melting pot. We were swarmed at every corner with people trying to sell us their demo CD or inexpensive merchandise. You could buy 10 scarves for $10, a new artist CD for $3, or a Coach purse for $15, maybe even 2 for $25. It definitely keeps the city interesting.


You can't go to NYC without seeing a Broadway show. We have never seen Phantom of the Opera, and lucky for us, it is still showing at the Majestic Theatre. In fact, Phantom of the Opera is the longest running show on broadway (20+ years).


We were in the nose-bleed section, of course, and surrounded by middle school students. The class had been studying Phantom of the Opera and one of the teachers said "This is like no other show you've seen. It surpasses Transformers."

I told the boy sitting next to me that we have never seen Phantom of the Opera before, and I asked him what it was about. He said "It is a love story, but the guy doesn't get the girl in the end." Cute kid.