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CRUISING TO NEW YORK:
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN ATTRACTIONS page two |
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On this page, we go from the Hudson River to the East River on a route that roughly follows 42nd Street.
We begin a little north of 42nd Street at 12th Avenue and 46th Street. Right next to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal is the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. It centers around the World War II aircraft carrier USS Intrepid but the museum's collection also includes Space Shuttle Enterprise, a Concorde supersonic jet liner and a Cold War era U.S. Navy submarine. |
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Going down to 42nd Street and heading east, you come to an area that has undergone a radical transformation - - Times Square. Once known for crime and pornography, Times Square has become a family-friendly tourist destination. Its most spectacular attraction is the large electric signs that climb the sides of the buildings that surround the open area formed by the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue. On New Year's Eve, the square is packed with revelers who come to watch a Waterford Crystal ball descend down a pole atop One Times Square.
The area around Times Square is known as the Theater District. It extends from 40th Street to 54th Street and is bounded by Sixth Avenue (officially called "The Avenue of the Americas") and Eight Avenue. Although very few of the theaters are actually on Broadway, this is where the Broadway shows are performed. |
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Traveling east a short distance on 42nd Street, you come to Bryant Park. On this site, George Washington's soldiers engaged British regulars. New York's Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1853 drew over one million visitors. Union soldiers trained during the Civil War. Designated a public park in 1874, it is named after poet William Cullen Bryant. In the 1980s, an extensive revitalization project revived the park and it is a popular place for lunch and people watching. The French classical-style park has two restaurants plus kiosks that sell ice cream and snacks. Concerts and special events are often held here.
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Next to Bryant Park at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street is the main building of the New York Public Library. It opened in 1911 and is one of the world's foremost research libraries. In addition, the library holds exhibitions relating to books, art and history. The lions in front of the library are in themselves a New York landmark.
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Leaving 42nd Street for a moment, the Morgan Library and Museum at Madison and East 36th Street was founded when his son donated J.P. Morgan's library to the public. The museum has since expanded to include not only the banker's original library building but also several other buildings that were designed for the Museum and which are linked together into a complex. Its mission today is to preserve, study, build upon and interpret Morgan's multi-faceted collection. (See separate profile)
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Grand Central Terminal at 42nd Street and Park Avenue,has nothing to do with Central Park Rather, its name comes from the fact that it was the terminus of the New York Central Railroad when the terminal opened in 1913.
Although it is the largest railroad station by number of platforms, what is really impressive about Grand Central is the magnificence of the building. Its Main Concourse, for example, with its astrological ceiling is an awe inspiring space. Not just a working railroad terminal, GCT houses 68 shops, upscale restaurants, a food court and bars. |
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Often mistaken for the Empire State Building is the Chrysler
Building at Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street. Indeed, it was the world's tallest building for 11 months from the time of its completion until the Empire State was finished. A masterpiece of Art Deco design the ornamentation reflects the styling then being used on Chrysler automobiles. |
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At the eastern end of 42nd Street is the United Nations Headquarters. Built on 19 acres donated by the Rockefeller family, the headquarters has four buildings, the most
prominent of which is the Secretariat Building The U.N. offers guided tours for visitors. |
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Cruise port New York - Midtown Manhattan attractions - page two