Jake Rose 30 Iconic Places to Visit and Color
Illustrations by Various Artists
Photo by Sam Valadi
1. Empire State Building Built in the midst of the Great Depression, the Empire State Building has been the icon that symbolizes everything great about New York City since it opened in 1931. A mainstay of 1933’s King Kong, a plane crash damaged the ESB in 1945. ESB’s antenna tower and elevators have greatly evolved over the years. In 1976, Empire State Building had its first light event, its first Annual Run-Up in 1978 and its first Valentine’s Day weddings in 1994. The ESB unveiled its restored lobby in 2009. The Empire State Building has been considered by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the State and National Register of Historic Places, the National Parks Services, the U.S. Department of the Interior, The American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Institute of Architects as a national treasure.
Photo by Axel Tschentscher
3. Grand Central Terminal Formerly known as Grand Central Depot and Grand Central Station, Grand Central Terminal opened in 1913 as an epicenter of luxurious long distance travel. Designed by Reed & Stem, Warren & Wetmore, and Sylvain Saliéres, the Terminal is best known for its marble carvings, floors, walls, ceilings, and sculptures of Mercury, Hercules, and Minerva. Transforming into a regional commuter hub after the post-war decline in intercity trains, Grand Central was saved from demolition in the 1970’s thanks to the efforts of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Though it was upheld by the U.S Supreme Court as a landmark, it was not until Metro-North repaired and reimagined the station in the 1980’s that Grand Central once again became the city’s crown jewel. Grand Central is still evolving, as its new East Side Access project will connect Long Island Rail Road trains to a station that combines modern design with Beaux-Arts references modern design with Beaux-Arts references.
Photo by Jean-Christophe BENOIST
5. Times Square Formerly know as Longacre Square, Times Square became the Great White Way in the early 1900’s when advertisements and streetlights made the space a brighter and more inviting environment. By the late 1920s, Times Square became a major transit hub due to the massive number of theaters. But the Great Depression began Times Square’s seedier phase, as grindhouse theaters, peep shows, drugs, and prostitution steadily proliferated within the district. By the mid 1980s, Times Square was seen as America’s sleaziest district. Yet despite Times Square’s reputation, it maintained its symbolism, due to its action, pedestrian activity, and its role as entertainment district. The redevelopment project shifted Times Square into a theater and entertainment center by moving the district towards kid-friendly stores and musicals. As tourist activity increased, Times Square continued to improve. Further construction made the plaza more inviting to pedestrians. Today, Times Square has retained its place as the crossroads of the world with its vibrancy, activity, and electricity.
Photo by gpkp
6. Brooklyn Bridge Designed by John Roebling in 1869 and completed by his son Washington in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge has loomed large over New York City’s East River. Offering a safe and scenic passage to millions of pedestrians and vehicles, the connection it provided between Brooklyn and Manhattan changed New York City forever, as it led to the formation of Greater New York. Designated as National Historic Landmark in 1964 and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972, the Brooklyn Bridge has lived up to its title as the eighth wonder of the world with its stately towers and design that is unlike any other suspersion bridge. Accompanying the Bridge is Brooklyn Bridge Park, an 85-acre post-industrial waterfront site that spans from Jay Street to Atlantic Avenue. Built by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates in 2010, the Park contains Piers 1-6, Empire Fulton Ferry, Jane’s Carousel, the historic Empire Stores and the Tobacco Warehouse properties, Greenway Terrace, and Picnic Peninsula.
Photo by Udo R
9. New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange traces its origins to 1792, when 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement for trading securities on a commission basis. In 1817, those brokers formed the New York Stock & Exchange Board, which became the New York Stock Exchange in 1863. After implementing its famed opening and closing trading bell in 1865, the Exchange moved to its current location at 18 Broad Street in 1903. In 1939, The NYSE opened its trading floor gallery to the public. In 1985, Ronald Reagan became the first U.S. President to visit the NYSE while in office. In 1992, the NYSE commemorated its 200th anniversary. In 2006, New York Stock Exchange and Archipelago Holdings, Inc. merged to form NYSE Group. In 2007, George W. Bush became the second sitting President to visit the Exchange during the trading day, and NYSE Group and Euronext merged to form NYSE Euronext. In 2008, NYSE Euronext acquired the American Stock Exchange. Today, the New York Stock Exchange helps companies raise the capital that raises the world.
Photo by Ajay Suresh
11. Apollo Theater Since introducing Amateur Night in 1934, the 125th Street Apollo Theatre has played a key role in the emergence of jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, and soul, and has also been the place where stars like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis Jr., Sidney Poitier, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, and Gladys Knight began their road to stardom. Opening as a burlesque joint in 1914, the building became the Apollo Theater in 1934. Percy Sutton revitalized the theater in 1981 by equipping it with a recording and television studio. In 1983, the Apollo received state and city landmark status as Harlem’s oldest functioning theater. In 1985, the Apollo celebrated its 50th Anniversary by re-launching Amateur Night. In 1991, the Apollo Theater Foundation was established as a not-for-profit organization that managed, funded, and oversaw programming for the Apollo. Today, the Apollo presents concerts, performing arts, and community outreach programs.
Photo by Ajay Suresh
16. American museum of natural history Created in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Located between West 77th and 81st Streets next to Central Park, the Museum advances its mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition. The Museum’s renowned exhibits and scientific collections serve as a field guide to the entire planet and present a panorama of the world’s cultures. The landmark Museum includes such fascinating areas as the Rose Center for Earth and Space, which contains the massive Hayden Sphere and Space Theater, and the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, which exhibits the world’s highest freestanding dinosaur display. As the basis for the Night at the Museum film trilogy, the Museum is the New York institution.
STATE OF NEW YORK MEMORIAL TO
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
A GREAT LEADER OF THE YOUTH OF AMERICA IN ENERGY AND FORTITUDE IN THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS IN DEFENSE OF THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE IN THE LOVE AND CONSERVATION OF NATURE AND OR THE BEST IN LIFE AND IN MAN
Photo by Jean-Christophe BENOIST
18. Guggenheim Museum In 1943, Solomon Guggenheim hired Frank Lloyd Wright to design a home for the Museum of Non-Objective Painting’s art collection. The museum broke ground in 1956 and opened in 1959. William Wesley Peters, Wright’s son-in-law, completed a four-story tower in 1968. In 1978, Richard Meier created the Aye Simon Reading Room. In 1990, the Landmark Preservation Commission selected the Guggenheim Museum as a New York City Landmark. The Frank Lloyd Wright building’s exterior restoration began in 2005 and ended in 2008, when the United States Secretary of the Interior and the National Park Service designated the Guggenheim Museum as a National Historic Landmark. The Guggenheim celebrated its 50th anniversary and opened the Wright restaurant in 2009. In 2015, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was nominated to the U.N’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage List.
Photo by Son of Groucho
26. Bow Bridge Like a graceful Victorian decoration perched above Central Park’s Lake, the Bow Bridge gathers lovers of New York together in one beautiful place. On the big screen, the Bridge has been a magnificent setting in films like Manhattan, Spiderman 3, Highlander, Enchanted, and Night at the Museum. Designed in 1862 by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, this cast-iron bridge incorporated elements of Gothic, Neo-Classical, and Renaissance design to create an unforgettable romantic passage. Found near Bethesda Terrance at 74th Street, the breathtaking bridge spans 60 feet over the lake, connecting the serene cherry blossoms of Cherry Hill with the wooded Ramble. For anyone dedicated to finding that quintessential New York moment, Bow Bridge delivers majesty and picturesque splendor in droves.
27. Delacorte Theater As the Public Theater’s summer home, the Delacorte Theater hosts free performances of Shakespeare plays for over 100,000 people each year. Created by Public Theater founder Joseph Papp in 1954, the traveling Shakespeare Workshop found a permanent home in the 1960’s in front of Central Park’s Turtle Pond at George Delacorte Jr.’s permanent amphitheater. In 1962, the Delacorte Theater opened with a production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice starring George C. Scott and James Earl Jones. In addition to the works of Shakespeare, the Delacorte has been home to the Public Theater’s productions of other classic works with actors such as Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, Natalie Portman, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Richard Dreyfuss.
28. broAdway Theaters Through its history, New York City’s Theater District has reflected and shaped New York’s character. The Theater District was established in 1895 when Oscar Hammerstein’s Olympia Theater moved to the area. While the city had yet to install electric street lamps in the area, Hammerstein bathed his theater in electric light, starting a trend that converted the Theater District into the Great White Way. By 1910, Broadway’s dazzling lights became an iconic part of New York City. Broadway has made actors like Mae West, Will Rogers, Julie Andrews, and James Earl Jones household names, and created songs like “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business” that have entered American culture. While the area struggled in the 1970s, the Marriott Marquis Hotel’s completion in 1985 led to the District’s revival. By 2000, the area regained its signature visual flare due to the city adding a vast array of lit signs and amusements. Today, the Theater District is once again a riveting destination for the best in urban entertainment.