# NEW YORK – Nightsky’s trip in August 2011



## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/New_York.html

NEW YORK – earthquakes, hurricanes and an exciting metropolis

Summary of my text from my website, written on Sep 10th 2011, 1 day before the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks:

I went to New York City in August 2011 together with a friend. It was the second time, I also visited NY in march 1998, before 9/11. New York is still the same city, but the experience was a lot different; the old WTC twin towers are not there anymore, but the sun was shining, the trees were green, a lot of new skyscrapers have been added to the magnificent skyline and I had a new digicam to shoot with. Back then I was only 19 years old and I was there alone. It was grey, the trees had no leaves, I had a bad camera and didn’t care much about taking photos, but the city had still not witnessed the worst terrorist attack in history! So it was good to see that activity was going on on Ground Zero, once again making One World Trade Center the tallest building of New York. It is also good that they are building a memorial there. We arrived in JFK Airport, the largest of New York’s 3 airports, and travelled by American Airlines via London Heathrow and Copenhagen. 

We booked 10 days, but had to cancel the last 2 nights, because of the hurricane Irene. We didn’t think much about the earthquake, but my friend was frightened about the hurricane Irene that threated NY on Sunday night, the same time that we should leave USA by plane! Especially since our hotel was located in a mandatory evacuation zone, right next to Hudson River that were supposed to be flooded. 
Mayor Michael Bloomberg made everything to scare its citizens and evacuate to friends on the countryside or special evacuation shelters, just in case. So we rebooked our American Airlines flight for free and left The Big Apple already Friday night, instead of Sunday. 

This is just a summary. You can read the whole story plus facts and figures of New York City here:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/New_York.html

_“New York is the largest city of the USA, but it isn’t the capital. It is not even the capital of the state of New York. But it is the unofficial capital of the world!”_


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/New_York_5th_Ave.html

5th Avenue is the most important avenue on Manhattan. If you walk along this avenue, you will find several of New York's most famous attractions such as Empire State Building in the part south of 49th Street on Midtown that is less fashionable and the part to the north of the street where you find Trump Tower, Public Library, St Patrick's Cathedral and many of the world's most exclusive brand stores. 5th Ave passes the busy Grand Army Plaza and continues to the east of Central Park, this part is called Museum Mile because of the large amount of museums. Overall it goes from Greenwich Village to Harlem. 

*Empire State Building*

Empire State Building is probably the world's most famous skyscraper. It has 102 floors and is 381 m tall to the roof, but the official height to the antenna spire is 443 m. It was completed in 1931 and was the world's tallest building between 1972 when World Trade Center was completed. After the attacks on 9/11 2001, Empire State Building was once again the tallest building in New York and the 3rd tallest in USA (2011), but will be beaten by the new World Trade Center that will be completed in 2014. The building is famous for being part of the classic movie King Kong.You can read more about our visit to the observation deck on the 86th floor in this section, where you also can find interior pictures of the famous building. Views from the observation deck at dark will be shown later.




































The art deco interior of Empire State Building.




































New York Public Library with the skycrapers around Bryant Park in the background. We visited this classic library, North America's largest, several times, because it has free internet and we needed to find information about the hurricane Irene. Because of that the mood was a bit similar to the ones in disaster movies, such as Day after tomorrow, where this building has been featured. More about the library in the Bryant Park section.









5th Ave southwards, towards Lower Manhattan, the skyline can be seen in the distance.

This is just a summary of my 5th Avenue south part pictures. The rest can be seen on this link:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/New_York_5th_Ave.html


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

The following pictures are from the North part of 5th Avenue, near Central Park.










Saks Fith Avenue, St Patrick's Cathedral, Olympic Tower (and Trump Tower in the background).


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Bergdorf Goodman. A classic large department store.










GE Building, Rockefeller Center's tallest skyscraper, seen from 5th Ave. You can read more about it in the Rockefeller Center section.









Brooke Shields making an advertizement movie in the Godiva chocolate store at Fifth Avenue.










St Patrick's Cathedral is a Neo-gothic cathedral, that is New York's most famous church. It was built between 1858 and 1878, and was the tallest building of the area back then (Midtown was considered the outskirts). Even if there are skyscrapers that are taller it is still very impressive. It is since 1976 a National Historic Landmark. It is 100m tall to the top of the spires.







































































Even in reality smoke comes from the underneath the streets of Manhattan!



























Sony Building, a 37-storey skyscraper from 1984 designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee. The hotel Hilton in my hometown Malmö is insipired by it.





































Trump Tower is a mixed use 58-storey glass skyscraper, developed by Donald Trump and designed by Der Scutt. In the lower half there is a fashionable shopping galleria with an atrium in peach marble that features a waterfall. It was completed in 1983. A large part of the galleria has been closed since my visit in 1998, probably because of security reasons.



























Trump Tower's pink marble atrium features a 5-storey illuminated waterfall and bronze colored mirrors.



















Grand Army Plaza is a square that is situated where Park Avenue meets Central Park, at 59th St. Around the square there is a golden equestrian statue and some classic skyscrapers, but the most famous building there is Hotel Plaza. It is also known for the many horse carriages that begin their routes there.









W T Sherman statue at the northern end of Grand Army Plaza, at the entrance to Central Park. "Victory" pointing the way forward has a palm frond in her hand.









Hotel Plaza and Solow Building at Grand Army Plaza.









Hotel Plaza, looking toward Central Park South. There are a lot of bike taxis at the plaza that try to make you a customer (in the middle).


















The grandiose interior of Hotel Plaza.









The Shops, Plaza´s own shopping galleria.









Grand Army Plaza is where the horse carriages start their routes.













































Apple Store. This locaation, open 24 hours a day, is located underground and features free internet, that we used to look up information about the hurricane Irene and the earthquake!









General Motors Building from 1968 is so massive it spans all the way from 5th Ave to Madison Ave. It is 215m and 50 floors tall. We tried to find the showroom for new GM cars in the lobby, but instead we saw a TV screen with news that an earthquake in Virginia just had occured and that it was felt in New York City. That expalains why so many people were standing on the plaza talking in cell phones; they have evacuated the skyscrapers (I learned that later). Look below:









That is probably people that have evacuated the skyscrapers and hotels around Grand Army Plaza. The 5.9 earthquake couldn't be felt on the ground, only in tall buildings.

This is just a summary of my 5th Avenue North part pictures. The rest can be seen on this link:

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/New_York_5th_Ave2.html


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

All these are from 5th Ave, more will come!


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## ivopietra (Jun 24, 2011)

Nightsky said:


> Bergdorf Goodman. A classic large department store.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So grey, so incredibly huge, so beautiful, New York.


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## Koobideh (Jun 27, 2009)

Amazing photos!!!!

BTW "ivopietra", there was no need for you to quote so many photos just to write that comment lol.


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## madonnagirl (Aug 7, 2011)

I love your close-up details of these NYC's famous landmarks.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*PARK AVENUE:*

Park Avenue runs from Union Square Park in the south to north of Central Park, but despite the name it never reaches Central Park (the avenue goes 2 block to the east of it). The construction of Grand Central Terminal, where the railway tracks were covered underground, made way for the construction of the north part of Park Avenue. North Park Avenue, the most famous part, is divided from the south part by Grand Central Terminal. Park Avenue passes the station on 2 bridges above E 42n Street, passing by Grand Central, so it is complicated to continue to the north side when reaching Grand Central as a pedestrian. The north part is where most of the skyscrapers are, many of them in 60s modernist style such as MetLife Bldg but also some older more beautful towers such as The Helmsley Bldg and General Electric Bldg. The famous de luxe hotel Waldorf Astoria also lies there, as well as the Swedish consulate that we visited to get information about evacuation orders for the Irene hurricane. In the middle of N Park Ave there are trees and flowers.

http://www.worldtravelimages.net/New_York_Park_Ave.html









Park Avenue is one of the few avenues that is not a one way road (you can drive in 2 directions). The brown skyscraper with the triangular top is the 171m tall Park Avenue Tower.









Park Avenue buildings: Waldorf Astoria, St Bartholomew's Church, MetLife Bldg and more.

















Grand Central with Metlife and Chrysler Bldgs. North Park Avenue begins here, passing by Grand Central by a heavily trafficated bridge.









MetLife Building, formerly Pan Am Building from 1963. It is 246m tall, has 58 floors and is connected to Grand Central Terminal. The reconstruction of Grand Central lead to the construciton of Pan Am Bldg, that was bought by MetLife in 1981 (but didn't replace the Pan Am logo until 1993). It is the tallest building with the address Park Avenue. There used to be a helicopter pad on the top, but it was closed after a fatal accident in 1977.
MetLife Bldg is counted as brutalist international style, a bit uncommon in New York. It is the first building on the north part of Park Avenue, direclty followed by Helmsley Building.









The Helmsley Building from 1929, the second building on North Park Avenue, is today overshadowed by the much larger MetLife Bldg, but it is still 172 m tall and has 35 floors and a classic architecture that features art deco, beaux arts and gothic elements. There are 2 gates that cars pass through.









Waldorf Astoria:









Waldorf=Astoria was built in 1931 and is considered one of the most famous and luxorious hotels in New York. It was the first hotel in the world to use room service! The hyphen = stands for the fact that Waldorf and Astoria was 2 separate hotel, later built together. The original Waldorf Astoria stood at the site where Empire State Bldg is today. Numerous famous movies, TV shows and important events have been taking place at the Waldorf Astoria, that has about 1700 rooms.
It is famous for its Waldorf salad and that presidents like Reagan and Hoover have stayed there. There is a train platform underneath the hotel that was built to be secretly used by president Franklin D Roosevelt and is part of Grand Central Terminal! It features an elevator big enough for the president's limousine The reason for that was to prevent showing that the president got polio.








The grandiose, dark art deco lobby of The Waldorf=Astoria. The hotel's 3-storey ballroom was the world's largest when completed. Its name comes from Walldorf in Germany and Astor is a family that lives there. John Jacob Astor, who invented the Astoria Hotel, died in the Titanic disaster.
















General Electric Building (not to be confused with GE Bldg) is a beautiful 50-storey thin skyscraper from 1931. It is also called 570 Lexington Ave, but here it is seen from Park Ave.
St Bartholomew's Church in front of it is from 1917, is often nicknamed St Bart's and features a simplified byzantine design.
































The modernist skyscraper to the right is JP Morgan Chase World HQ, the 2nd tallest building on Park Ave. It is 215m tall and has 52 floors. The skyscraper to the left in the background, 383 Madison Avenue, was built as late as in 2001.








A big yellow bear with a lamp playing with toys (cars and dolls)! A recently placed sculpture by Urs Fischer just outside the famous modernist Seagram Building.
































Lever House. It doesn't look tall today (93m, 21 floors), but it was one of the first modernist international glass highrises in the world when it was completed in 1952. The green glass building was designed by the famous firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and has won many prices.








Seagram Building Plaza at Park Avenue with the new bear sculpture.

























Four Seasons Hotel seen from Park Avenue.








MetLife and Grand Central seen from South Park Avenue.








The Big Apple!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice photos from NYC, Nightsky


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## PBA32 (Nov 21, 2011)

nice thread. great city.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Incredible stuff.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Great pictures! Nothing beats NY!


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## Student4life (Sep 23, 2011)

Fabulous pics !


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## aarhusforever (Jun 15, 2010)

Beautiful photos...very interesting. Thank you


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## DaveF12 (Nov 25, 2011)

stunning shots.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Thank you guys! It has been a dream for more then 10 years to return to New York! :cheers:


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is a city within a city that consists of several blocks and 21 skyscrapers and restaurants and stores. It was developed by one of the world's richest men, John D Rockefeller Jr, in the 1930s. GE Building, formerly RCA Bldg, is the center's tallest (70 floors) and most famous skyscraper and one of only 2 skyscrapers on Manhattan that has public observation decks. There is a large sunken plaza with a golden statue and a waterfall, it's called the Concourse. The plaza is a popular skating rink during the winter. The concourse is also famous for having the world's tallest christmas tree during Christmas. In the summer there is a passage to 5th Avenue filled with palm trees. Rockefeller Center also features New York's largest underground city, invisible from above. There is only one elevator that takes you down there so it feels a bit like a secret city. The architecture of the underground city is pretty ugly, but the stores are exclusive and there is access to the observation deck of GE Bldg, Top of the Rock. NBC Studios and the famous Radio City Music Hall are located in Rockefeller Center. The Center consist of the old part from the 1930s with 14 art deco building, including GE Building, and the extention with its 4 modernist skyscrapers built in the 1960s and 70s. In my 1998 trip to NY I missed Rockefeller Center, so it felt good to visit it several times in 2011.*

To watch my pictures of the views from the observation deck of GE Building, visit this page on WTI:  http://www.worldtravelimages.net/New_York_skyline_GE.html









GE Building is the tallest and most famous building in Rockefeller Center. The art deco building was completed in 1933 and has 70 floors. It is 260m tall and was called RCA Building until 1988. On the top there is an observation deck called Top of the Rock, that was closed in 1986 and reopened in 2005.









The 70-storey GE Building seen from 5th Avenue. Rockefeller Center was the largest project financed by only one person in modern times. On the 54-56th floor the office of the Rockefeller family is located.



























The art deco lobby of GE Bldg.









NBC Studios and Rainbow Room, a famous restaurant, are actually part of the GE Buildign. NBC is one of USA:s largest TV broadcasting companies and include the studio where Saturday Night Live is recorded. Top the right you can see the famous Radio City Music Hall.









The statue of Atlas is welcoming visitors on 5th Avenue. It is a famous art deco bronze sculpture by Lee Lawrie that was installed in 1937.









The Concourse with its Prometheus statue and waterfall underneath the ground. There are also restaurants and cafés on the concourse. This is where the famous ice rink and christmas tree is situated wintertime.


















An exotic passage with palm trees leads to 5th Avenue. It is very popular by tourists. The Lego Store is next to it.









There are over 200 flagpoles at ground level. They represent UN countries and American states.


















Radio City Music Hall from 1932 is the largest theater in the world, featuring stage theaters and movie theaters. The tours of the buildings among New York's most popular, but we didn't go. The interior is considered one of the world's greatest example of Art Deco architecture.









The NBC Store with its neon globe!









Rockefeller Center also features New York's largest underground city, invisible from above. There is only one elevator that takes you down there so it feels a bit like a secret city. The architecture of the underground city is pretty ugly, but the stores are exclusive and there is access to the observation deck Top of the Rock.













































The LEGO store.









Rockefeller Center in LEGO.


















Rockefeller Center's extention with its 4 international style skyscrapers built in the 1960s-70s on the west side of Avenue of the Americas. They consist of Time-Life Bldg, McGraw-Hill and News Corp/Fox News Bldgs and look similar to each other.



























This nice waterfall is on the plaza in front of one of the modernist skyscrapers at Avenue of the Americas.


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## Jonson Robert (Nov 15, 2011)

Empire State Building is not only empire for name but it is like a real empire of any kingdom.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*East 42nd Street 
Midtown, Murray Hill, Tudor City

East 42nd St is a busy street in Midtown Manhattan that runs from 5th Avenue in the west to East river in the east. It features many classic buildings such as Grand Central Terminal, USA:s largest railway station, the legendary Chrysler Building. Lincoln Bldg, Ford Foundation and more. It crosses the famous avenues Lexington Ave, Park Ave and 5th Ave. To the south of the street is part of the neighboorhoods Murray Hill and Tudor City. *









E 42nd St begins at Bryant Park, at the intersection of 5th Avenue. Looking towards Chrysler Bldg and Grand Hyatt.









E 42nd St begins at Bryant Park, at the intersection of 5th Avenue. The Swedish clothing store H&M now has several stores on Manhattan.




























Chrysler Building, designed by William van Alen, was the world's tallest building for one year, 1930-31. It was surpassed by Empire State Building in 1931. Upon completion it beat the Eiffel Tower in height as the world's tallest structure. It is still the tallest brick building in the world. The top of the art deco building features a famous spire and a steel crown, that is inspired by the nave´s of Chrysler cars. The height to the top of the spire is 319m and it has 77 floors. Chrysler wanted the building to be the world's tallest, but they are no longer tenants in the building.









The building doesn't look sleak at all from below, in contrary to how it looks from the distance.









The entrance to Chrysler Bldg at Lexington Avenue.


















The famous spire and steel crown at the top of Chrysler Bldg. The spire was secretly added in just 90 minutes after the building was completed, to prevent competitors from doing the same to create the world's tallest building.



























The art deco lobby is clad in different marbles, onyx and amber.









Chrysler Bldg mirrored in Grand Hyatt.









Grand Central with Metlife and Chrysler Bldgs.

*Grand Central Terminal

This is the world's largest railway station by number of platforms (it has 44). It is called terminal instead of station because all tracks end there. It features classic beaux-arts architecture, many decorations and is featured in many movies. It was designed by Warren & Wetmore. The terminal opened in 1913 replacing the old Grand Central Station. It was Grand Central, with most of its track underneath the ground, that lead to the construction of the north part of Park Avenue and its buildings. The station building is really huge and features many restaurants and stores. The 67 tracks are spread on 2 floors underneath the building. The skyscraper Metlife Bldg and The Grand Hyatt hotel are connected to Grand Central and Chrysler Bldg is very close.*

_There is a train platform, no 61, underneath the hotel Waldorf Astoria that was built to be secretly used by president Franklin D Roosevelt and is part of Grand Central Terminal! It features an elevator big enough for the president's limousine The reason for that was to prevent showing that the president got polio. The location of the platform is secret._









Grand Central Terminal and Grand Hyatt from E 42nd St.









The passage from E 42nd St leading to the Main Concourse.









Huge chandeliers and flags are decorating the terminal station. In 1998 a renovation revealed the original lustre of the Main Concourse's decorated astronomical ceiling. The original ceiling was probably replaced in the 1930s to correct falling plaster.


















The huge Main Concourse is one of the most busy places in the world. It is hard to stand still there since everyone else is moving.



























Old-style elevators of Grand Central, something you don't see every day.









The famous Oyster bar at Grand Central. There is a special construction so you can speak in one side of the vault and listen in the other.









All tracks are underneath the building. The reason for that was to save space and to decrease the amount of air pollution from the steam trains used back then. That lead to the construction of Park Avenue and its buildings.









Many police cars outside Grand Central train terminal.









Metlife Building, formerly Pan Am Building from 1963.









A bridge goes above E 42nd St to the station.









Lexington Avenue.









Socony-Mobil Building from 1956 has 42 floors and has a special textured tin facade. Opposite Chysler Bldg. in Murray Hill.










The striking shapes of a glass building.









Lincoln Building from 1930 is 205m tall and has 55 floors. The style is renaissance revival. Quotes from Lincoln's speeches can be found inside the lobby. It is part of Murray Hill neighboorhood. Vanderbilt Avenue is a short avenue just east of Grand Central.









Note the security camera sign and all the flags.









Chanin Building from 1929. 198m tall and 56 floors. World's 3rd tallest building when completed. Both on Murray Hill.









Chanin Building's lower floors is a nice example of 1920s art deco.









Bowery Savings Bank Building from 1923 is to the right. Chanin Bldg is to the left of it.









The Grand Hyatt. We went inside to relax a bit. The hotel has a nice atrium with a waterfall, but it was under refurbishment. The hotel was built as Commodore in 1909 already, but in 1980 it was transformed into a glass building where the original brick facade was kept behind the glass.









This is Grand Hyatt's glass enclosed bar that hangs over the street.




































Murray Hill neighboorhood to the left.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Only Empire State Bldg is taller, but when the new WTC is completed at least 2 of the new buildings will be taller. The architects were Cook+Fox and Adamson Associates. It is LEED certifiated, that means it is considered to be the world's greenest skyscraper! A wind turbine on top generates electricity. The glass facade is lightly green toned.


















People relaxing on the backside of the beautiful Public Library in Bryant Park. The statue is of William Cullen Bryant, the journalist and romantic poet that the park is named after.









Fifth Avenue, looking South towards World Trade Center and World Financial Center (visible in the distance) in Lower Manhattan.









The sloping base of the white H.R. Grace Building.









American Radiator Building.









One of several living Statue of Liberties.









The Great Lawn where people love to sit or lie and relax. The classic beige building with green roof is Mercantile Building from 1929.


















American Radiator Building from 1924 has only 23 floors, but is one of New York's most beautiful skyscrapers. Once known as American Standard Bldg, today it houses the Bryant Park Hotel. It was the first Art Deco skyscraper ever, and the first NY building to gain landmark status.









American Radiator Building, now The Bryant Park Hotel.









Bank of America Tower to the right, 4 Times Square to the left.









W 42nd St seen from Times Square, towards HR Grace Bldg adn Chrysler Bldg with Bryant Park to the right.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

So what do you think about Bryant Park? And Union Square?


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Thanks. I really enjoyed your last few posts. Love the look of Bryant park.


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## RobertWalpole (Mar 16, 2010)

I love Greenwich Village.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*Lexington Avenue, or just "Lex", is an avenue in Midtown Manhattan, between 3rd Ave and Park Ave. It goes from 21st St at Gramercy Park to the north of Central Park, but this page is about the Midtown part, where some famous skyscrapers, stores and other buildings are situated.*








Citigroup Center (on Lexington) and Lipstick Bldg seen from 2nd Avenue.









Citigroup Center is one of New York's classic skyscrapers, and one of the 10 tallest. It has 59 floors and is 279m to the top. It was built in 1977. Citigroup Center (formerly Citicorp Center) is sometimes featured in the comic magazine Superman as Lex Luthor's headquarters.









The sunken green plaza under Citigroup Center.









Bloomberg Tower, was completed in 2004, 6 years after Alexander's department store was demolished on the site. It was designed by the famous architect César Pellli. Michael Bloomberg is the current mayor of New York (2011), but also was the president of Bloomberg L.P.









Bloomberg Tower is 246m tall to the roof and has 55 floors.

















Bloomingdale's flagship store is huge. It has 10 floors and occupies the entire block, where it has been located since 1930.








Bloomingdale's is a bit more exclusive then Macy's.


















Chrysler Building's Lexington Ave facade. For more about Chrysler Bldg, visit the E 42nd St section.









The Upper East Side part of Lexington. The 2011 Virginia earthquake was going on the hours around the occasion when I took this picture. We couldn't feel it though, but workers at the office towers did.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*Columbus Circle:

Columbus Circle is the traffic circle at the southwest corner of Central Park, where Broadway ends in Northwest Midtown. The area around it is also called Columbus Circle. Dedicated to Christopher Columbus, it has changed a lot since my visit in 1998 with new beautiful skyscrapers. It has changed from a boring thoroughfare to an exciting Manhattan meetingplace. The circle was completed in 1905 and designed by the businessman William P. Eno.*









Time Warner Center, a complex with 229m tall glass twin towers. Completed in 2004, it was u/c during my visit in 1998. The complex was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill features a shopping galleria, CNN TV studios, luxury apartments, Rose Hall (a theater complex that is part of Lincoln Center and features Jazz at Lincoln Center), l and one of New York's most luxorious hotels, Mandarin Oriental.


















The Columbus monument in the middle of Columbus Circle was erected in 1892 and designed by Gaetano Russo. The bronze reliefs towering at the column represent Columbus 3 ships and and the angel at the podium holds a globe.


















Time Warner Center with its angled twin towers seen from below. They were completed 3 years after the twin towers of WTC were detroyed.









The Shops at Columbus Circle is the 5-storey galleria inside Time Warner Center from 2004. It mostly contains upscale luxury stores such as Armani and Hugo Boss and expensive restaurants.









Columbus Circle seen from the huge glass window at Time Warner Center's shopping galleria.









Whole Foods Store, an exclusive supermarket in the ground floor of Time Warner Center.









People relaxing in the middle of Columbus Circle.









Trump International Hotel with its steel globe was originally the Gulf and Western Bldg from 1976, but was stripped to its skeleton in 1997 and recladded by a glass facade, designed by Philip Johnson and Alan Ritchie. Now it features both a luxury hotel and condos. It is 176 m tall and has 44 floors.









The steel globe in front of Trump resembles the world.









Traffic of Columbus Circle. Some of the newer yellow cabs are smaller Toyotas, that are not so charming.









The Merchant's Gate sculpture at the southwest entrance to Central Park, on 8th Avenue next to Columbus Circle.









Broadway towards Times Square is crowded with skyscrapers.









Columbus Statue, towards City Spire with a green top.









One Worldwide Plaza, a postmodern skycraper with a coppar pyramid on top. 









Hearst Tower, designed by the famous architect Norman Foster, was completed in 2006 and has 42 floors. It is 182m tall. It features elements of art deco and structural elementism. 









Hearst Tower was built on top of this existing postmodern building.









The atrium inside Hearst Tower is more futuristic with this sloping waterfall and escalator. Unfortunately you need a card to pass. 









8th Avenue southwards towards Times Square.









Mirrorring exteriors of 8th Avenue!


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Wow!

This part of New York looks fabulous, especially on a blue sky day.


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

beautiful new photos from New York....:cheers:


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Thanks!

*Lincoln Center:

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a famous cultural complex on the south part of Upper West Side, at Lincoln Square near Midtown. The 2 main buildings were completed between 1962 and 1966. It is 6.6 ha large and was built by the initiative of John D. Rockefeller III and others. When we reached Lincoln Center it had turned dark. That is the time when this cultural complex looks the best with its illuminated facades. * 










The 3 buildings from the left are: 1. David H. Koch Theater, home of NYC opera and ballet. 2. Metropolitan Opera (The Met). 3.Avery Fisher Hall, the concert hall that is home of NY Philharmonic. There are also several other theaters in the complex, as well as cinemas, theater schools and restaurants. 









I have a special relationship to Lincoln Center since it was the first famous building I saw whilte approaching the city by bus a dark evening on my first NY trip in 1998.









Close-up of The Met, that was completed in 1966.









Metropolitan Opera, often simiply called "The Met".



























Alice Tully Hall is a modern annex to Lincoln Center, that features a striking design with glass and sharp angles. It lies on Broadway and is also called Irene Diamond Building. It is a signifigant 2009 renovation of a 1969 structure designed by Pietro Belluschi.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

I will also make a separate thread with pictures after dark.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

* Central Park South:*









Central Park South with its many luxury hotels. This street leads from Grand Army Plaza to Columbus Circle.


















Hampshire House (left), a classical residential brick skyscraper. Nikko House is the hotel to the right.









The entrance to Hampshire House right after the 2011 August earthquake...









..and Essex House.









A horse carriage at Central Park South after the 2011 earthquake.









A horse and an ambulance in front of Gainsborough Studios, an unusual jugend residential building.









7th Avenue towards Times Square, seen from Central Park South









Carnegie Hall Tower is the name of the light brown thin postmodern skyscraper. It has as much as 60 floors, is 231m tall and was built in 1991.









Central Park South, looking towards Columbus Circle (read more about it on the top).









Central Park South, looking towards Columbus Circle (read more about it on the top).


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## RobertWalpole (Mar 16, 2010)

On the left is the soon to be razed, 220 CPS.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

^The building on the left doesn't looks so good, so I don't think that is a great loss.


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## Andre_idol (Aug 6, 2008)

Fantastic thread :applause:

Thanks for the wonderful pics and the all the info you added on them...I love threads like this one :cheers:


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Thanks!


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## adamMa (Nov 23, 2011)

Beautiful pics of New York....thanks for sharing :cheers:


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Madison Square Garden:









Empire State Bldg, one of the few foggy days during our visit, seen from Penn Plaza at Madison Square Garden.’









Madison Square Garden and Penn Station are both located inside this ugly circular building, built in 1968. "The Garden", located on top of Penn Station, is a world famous indoor arena that features hockey, basket, a threatre, circurs and large concerts. Jimi Hendrix held his last concert here. Led Zeppelin, Slipknot, Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley are just some of the world famous artists that have performed here. It can take up to 20 000 seated visitors. It is the busiest music arena in America, and 3rd most busy in the world counting number of sold tickets.

_Despite its name it is neither located on Madison Square, the building is not square shaped and it is not a garden. But it used to be located at Madison Square Park, hence the name. The current building is the 4th to house Madison Square Garden. Pennsylvania Station is New York's largest intercity train station._


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

*East Midtown: East Side, Turtle Bay, United Nations*

United Nations Headquarters Complex:









United Nations Building (Secretariat Bldg). UN:s 155m tall world HQ. It is situated next to East River, opposite Brooklyn. Even though it is one of New York's most famous skyscrapers, it has only 39 floors. It was built between 1947 and 1952. The chief architect was Wallace K. Harrison, but it was a collaberation between several internaitonal architects, like the famous Oscar Niemeyer (who also designed Brasilia), Le Corbuiser and Sven Markelius, a Swedish architect.



























Non violence sculpture by the Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd. It was made in 1980 as a symbol against the shooing of Reutersvärd's friend, John Lennon. There is a similar one in my hometown, Malmö, and in several other cities.









The famous broken bronze globe sculpture outside the entrance to UN.









United Nations HQ with Queens skyline in the background.









United Nations Plaza, also known as DC-1 and DC-2, is a mixed-use complex (hotel, offices) opposite UN Bldg. They were built in 1975 and 1981 and have 39 floors each.


First Avenue:









Trump World Tower, a thin elegant residential skyscraper completed in 2001 (the same year that WTC fell!). It has 72 floors and was the world's tallest residential building until 2003. It is still the tallest residantial building in the USA, 262m tall.









Trump World Tower (not to be confused with Trump Tower) was designed by Costas Kondylis, stands on 1st Ave and faces East River.









Beekman Tower Hotel.


















1st Ave is partly hilly.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Great updates.


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Thanks!


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