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Cruising Experience Pictorial:
CRUISING FROM MANHATTAN by Richard H. Wagner page 2 (Downtown) |
Queen Mary 2 against the skyline of lower Manhattan.
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As your ship sails down the river, you will see that Manhattan is not skyscrapers from one end of the island to the other. Rather, there is a cluster of towers in the area around where the cruise ships dock (i.e., Midtown) and a cluster at the southern tip of the island (i.e., Downtown). The reason for this is that the island's bedrock takes a dip between Midtown and Downtown. Since in order to build a skyscraper, you have to anchor the building in the bedrock, it is not practical to build them in the area between Midtown and Downtown.
But in the relatively low rise area between the towers are communities such as Chelsea, Greenwich Village, the West Village and SoHo (South of Houston). This was once a commercial and industrial area but in recent decades it has become home to trendy shops, art galleries and celebrities. |
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Along the waterfront, you can often see interesting vessels such as the restored New York City fireboat Harvey (above) and the former Nantucket light ship (above right).
The odd-shaped buildings standing on one of the piers are ventilation towers for the Holland Tunnel, which connects Manhattan with Jersey City, New Jersey. Completed in 1927, the tunnel consists of two tubes embedded in the bedrock below the river. Since it is a highway tunnel, ventilation is needed in order to prevent users from becoming afixiated by the automobile exhaust fumes. Your ship sails over several tunnels as it makes its way down the river including another highway tunnel, the Lincoln Tunnel, as well as railroad and subway tunnels |
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Almost hidden by the towers of Downtown is one of the oldest skycrapers in New York, the Woolworth Building. It was the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1913 and was dubbed "the cathedral of commerce." Designed by Cass Gilbert in a neo-gothic style, the building is 57 stories tall and, even today, is said to be one of the 20 tallest buildings in New York City. Its name comes from the fact that it was built as the headquarters of the F.W. Woolworth company, which remained in the building for 85 years.
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Above: The World Trade Center seen from the river in 2000.
Right: The same area seen in 2013. Just below the Freedom Tower are the buildings that make up the World Financial Center. The tall curved tower is 200 West Street, also known as the Goldman Sachs Building. The low rise glass structure between the buildings is the Winter Garden. There is also a marina and a promenade along the river. The building on the river with the awning-like roof is a ferry terminal. |
The most somber part of the journey down the river is passing the World Trade Center site (also known as Ground Zero). The two great towers were at one time the tallest buildings in the world and were a symbol of America. They were destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks along with many innocent victims.
Today, the area is once again alive with activity. Its centerpiece now is the Freedom Tower, which is nearing completion. It will be the tallest building in the Americas at 1,776 feet. 
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Just across the river is Exchange Place in Jersey City. It is sometimes referred to as "Wall Street West" because of all the financial firms that have offices there.
The centerpiece of the area is the 42-story Goldman Sachs Tower (a.k.a. 30 Hudson Street). Completed in 2004, it is the tallest building in New Jersey. Together with the towers of Downtown Manhattan on the opposite bank, the Exchange Place buildings form a gateway marking the end of the river and the beginning of Upper New York Bay. The big clock just below the Goldman Sachs Tower was once part on the Jersey City headquarters of Colgate Palmolive & Co. It was such a local |
landmark that it was preserved when the Colgate complex was demolished in 1985. Construction of the Goldman Sachs Tower led to its being moved some 400 yards to its present location.
The Colgate Clock is said to be the fourth largest clock in the world. |
Also in the Battery Park area is the Customs House (above left) and One Broadway, the one-time headquarters of J.P. Morgan's International Mercantile Marine Company (below). IMM, which later became United States Lines, owned the White Star Line, which in turn owned the Titantic.
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City Pier A was used for many years by the N.Y.C. Fire Department for its marine division. The clock in the 70 foot tall tower is a memorial to U.S. servicemen killed in World War I. It was the first World War I memorial erected in the U.S (1919).
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On the far side of Battery Park is the Manhattan terminus for the Staten Island Ferry. These boats ply the waters between Manhattan and Staten Island. They are a New York tradition and the ride is free.
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The ship has now reached the end of Manhattan. Be sure to look back as you proceed through the rest of the harbor for the most spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline.
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Cruise experience pictorial - Cruising from Manhattan - page 2