This issue we take a look at a place much less exotic, and much closer to home: New York City. But just because it’s a lot more familiar doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to see. New York City might actually have the most to see of any city I’ve visited so far. New York City is located in the United States, which were initially British colonies. However, NYC actually started off as a Dutch colony based in Manhattan and was named New Amsterdam. The English seized the colony in 1664. However, the Dutch were shrewd traders and bankers, and New York City has never forgotten that part of its heritage. After the Revolutionary War, New York’s population just kept growing and growing, and once the Industrial Revolution hit full swing in the mid 1800s, the population exploded. Millions upon millions of immigrants fled the pollution and poverty of Europe, for the chance at a better life in the New World. As they arrived by the boatload, many decided to stay in New York.
New York today has a population of 8 million, and 22 million in the metropolitan area. It is a shining beacon of American democracy and prosperity. It is a world-class city, and is one of the financial, cultural, and technological pillars of civilization. There are near limitless things to see and do in New York, but these ones stand out:
The Empire State Building
Completed in 1931, The Empire State building is one of New York’s most iconic structures. Standing at 381 metres, and spanning 102 floors, the building was the tallest in the world for about 40 years. It is exemplary of the American Art Deco style. When it was being constructed, it was actually competing with the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street for the title of “New York’s tallest building.” Surprisingly, it is one of the exceedingly rare cases where a building was actually completed ahead of time and under budget… though this was largely because prices dropped due to the Great Depression. So the moral of the story is: If you want to construct a building efficiently, plan for a recession.
New York Stock Exchange
Located on the famous (or infamous if you prefer) Wall Street, the NYSE is the largest stock exchange in the world, at over 14 TRILLION dollars. The current building was constructed in 1903, and is constructed in the neoclassical style. The building has a 1400 square meter trading floor, and has a 22 meter skylight. So if you want to see the hustle and bustle of 153 billion dollars being traded daily, or merely want to see where our most recent recession started, look no further than the New York Stock Exchange.
Ground Zero
Ground Zero is the common name given to the site of the former World Trade Center, which was destroyed on September 11, 2011. The area spans about 65 000 square meters. In the spirit of rebirth and recovery, reconstruction of the World Trade Center is actually underway on the site, and in fact, will start opening offices this year. Ground Zero will humble all visitors, reminding all of the two glittering beacons of civilization that once stood tall and proud, a testament to the uncertain world and times we find ourselves in.
Statue of Liberty
Arguably New York’s most famous icon, The Statue of Liberty was actually gifted to America by France on October 28, 1886. The sculpture stands 46 metres, and, including the base, stands 93 metres. The statue is constructed of copper and steel, coated with copper, and is constructed in the image of Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. The statue represents the values America was founded upon: freedom, opportunity, and prosperity.
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