Photography - Ivan Andrejić
www.secretsedition.com
New York City From high-rise views to fascinating outer-borough museums, New York City has it all. Your heart beats a little faster in New York City. Whether it’s a first visit or you’ve been here a hundred times, it’s always exciting. From Broadway theaters to the Bronx Zoo, this city packs more to see and do into one compact area than any other place on earth. New York City is composed of five boroughs. While Manhattan and Staten Island are islands, Brooklyn and Queens are geographically part of Long Island, and the Bronx is attached to the US mainland. The islands are linked by bridges, tunnels and ferries. Each of the City’s five boroughs contains its own roster of must-see destinations, great restaurants, cultural hot spots and unforgettable activities. When people think of New York City, Manhattan is often the first place they picture. It’s no wonder: the borough is home to big-name attractions, such as Central Park, the Empire State Building, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the High Line and One World Observatory; world-class museums, restaurants and concert halls; and the bright lights of Times Square and Broadway. But there’s more to the borough than the obvious sights. Manhattan contains charming neighborhoods and hidden green spaces, trendy boutiques and classic bars.
Central Park Central Park is a must-see for anyone visiting the five boroughs, no matter the time of year. The 843-acre destination is Manhattan’s most famous park, full of trees, gardens, rolling meadows, arches, sculptures, statues and vistas. One of the highlights of Central Park is the Lake. The 20-acre Lake is the largest of Central Park’s naturalistic water bodies. Park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux created the Lake from a former swamp, for boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter. In 2012 the Central Park Conservancy completed the comprehensive restoration of the Lake and its surrounding landscapes. With the water’s edge having slowly crumbled and eroded through the years, the Conservancy set out in 2006 to stabilize its shoreline. The team excavated and removed excess sediments, then reconstructed the shoreline with rustic boulders on a stabilized gravel base. Using coir logs, created from the binding of coconut fibers with biodegradable netting, the Conservancy reconstructed the vast shoreline Staked at the base of the slope where the normal water level meets the shoreline, the logs serve to protect the Lake’s edge from erosion until plants can become established. The coir logs are a sustainable solution to the Lake’s restoration, and one that’s helping preserve the beauty of its lush landscapes and the health of its wildlife habitat.
Bethesda Terrace and Fountain Featured in countless films and television series, this bustling meeting place is the heart of Central Park. The two-story terrace, which overlooks the Lake and southern sections of the Ramble, features intricate carvings that represent both the times of day and the four seasons. Rising from Bethesda Terrace is Bethesda Fountain, with the famous Angel of the Waters statue atop. The statue references the Gospel of John, which describes an angel blessing the Pool of Bethesda and giving it healing powers. The fountain commemorates the Croton water system, which first brought fresh water to New York City in 1842. The angel carries a lily in her left hand a symbol of the water’s purity, very important to a city that had previously suffered from a devastating cholera epidemic before the system was established. The piece is the only statue that was commissioned for the Park. Created by Emma Stebbins, it also marked the first time a woman received a public art commission in New York City.
Belvedere Castle Belvedere Castle is one of Central Park’s five visitor centers. Calvert Vaux, co-designer of the Park, created the miniature castle in 1869 as a whimsical structure looking out on the reservoir to the north (now the Great Lawn) and the Ramble to the south. Belvedere provides the highest and best views of the Park and the adjacent cityscape. The castle’s name is fitting, because it translates to “beautiful view” in Italian. “Right now, the temperature in Central Park is....” That information, heard frequently on radio and TV, originates here at Belvedere Castle. Since 1919, the National Weather Service has taken measurements of New York’s weather from the castle’s tower with the aid of scientific instruments that measure wind speed and direction. In a fenced-in compound just south of the castle, other weather data such as rainfall are recorded and sent to the weather service’s forecast office at Brookhaven National Library on Long Island. After decades of deterioration, Central Park Conservancy renovated and reopened the castle in 1983 as a visitor center and gift shop.
Winding through the Ravine, the Loch, Scottish for “lake,” is partially fed by a natural watercourse, known in the 17th and 18th centuries as Montayne’s Rivulet. It flows under Glen Span and Huddlestone arches before connecting to the Meer. The stream, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, is dammed in several places to create three magnificent cascades, some of the greatest features of engineering and art. The Pond is one of Central Parks seven naturalistic water bodies. When Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Central Park, they imagined an immediate reprieve from the City’s streets. The Pond became a serene escape, just feet from Fifth Avenue. Despite the millions of visitors who walk by the waters edge each year, there is still a sense of solitude, particularly on the western arm bordering Hallett Nature Sanctuary. Hallett is a fenced-in, wooded promontory that juts into the Pond. Strawberry Fields: Home to the Imagine Mosaic, this 2.5-acre landscaped section of the park was named after the Beatles song “Strawberry Fields Forever” and was unveiled on October 9, 1985, on what would have been John Lennon’s 45th birthday. Strawberry Fields is situated across from the Dakota, where Lennon lived from 1973 until his death outside that very building in 1980. Throughout the year fans leave dedications and floral tributes in honor of the late Beatle.
Lower Manhattan No NYC neighborhood has greater historical resonance than Lower Manhattan. This is, after all, where the City began—a fact evident in the asymmetrical lanes that were footpaths and canals well before the skyscrapers came. Sights like Trinity Church, Federal Hall, Wall Street, One World Trade and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum are centuries apart in their creation, but all bring undeniable emotional impact. Lower Manhattan’s role in American finance looms large too, but that doesn’t mean it’s a stuffy nine-to-five district; a thriving restaurant and shopping scene, anchored by Brookfield Place, draws visitors in equal numbers to powerbrokers. Named for Battery Park, the green space at the lower tip of Manhattan, this residential neighborhood features soaring apartment towers and plenty of recreational space. Among its attractions are the Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Irish Hunger Memorial. Major downtown destinations like the 9/11 Memorial and Trinity Church are nearby. Visitors can shop in Brookfield Place, an upscale mall that includes a food court with offerings from some of the City’s top chefs, and take in picturesque waterfront views while strolling through Hudson River Park.
Governors Island It’s an island getaway within city limits: hop on a ferry from Lower Manhattan, and you’ll soon find yourself in a car-free paradise where you can picnic, play mini golf, relax in a hammock or tour Fort Jay, home to one of the first barracks in the United States. The Hills, a topographic installation on the island, comprises four mounds; each offers incredible views of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Additionally, the island hosts a range of special events, making it a marquee destination during the warmer months—it’s a seasonal place in any case, only open to the public from late May through September.
Brooklyn Bridge Celebrated in song, glamorized on celluloid and immortalized in poetry, the postcard-perfect Brooklyn Bridge stands as one of New York City’s most recognizable symbols—not to mention a magnificent feat of engineering. Upon its completion in 1883 it became the first roadway to connect Manhattan and Brooklyn, which were then separate cities (Brooklyn became part of New York City in 1898). Back then, the Brooklyn Bridge was also the world’s longest suspension bridge—its 1,595-foot central span unsurpassed until the Williamsburg Bridge’s completion two decades later. The bridge’s appearance sets it apart: its Gothic towers with double arches, criss-crossing steel cables and graceful, gentle curvature make walking or biking across the span (or at least catching a glimpse of it) sought-after experiences for visitors. On either end are cool neighborhoods to explore: stately Brooklyn Heights and onceindustrial DUMBO on the Brooklyn side; the Financial District, TriBeCa and Chinatown all within easy reach on the Manhattan side.
A walk or ride on the bridge is going to position you for some excellent river vistas and changing perspectives—but to take in the whole of the bridge itself, you’ll need to go somewhere nearby. Go down to Main Street or Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park, on the Brooklyn side, and gaze up or out. The Brooklyn Heights Promenade also provides some excellent looks. In Manhattan, head to Pier 15 down by the South Street Seaport for a good view. The pedestrian stairs on the Brooklyn side are located on Washington Street and Prospect Street, right at the northeast corner of Cadman Plaza. You can also just walk straight onto the bridge from Adams Street. On the Manhattan side, walk on to the central wooden platform from Centre Street—just across from the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall subway station for the 4, 5 and 6 lines.
Roosevelt Island Take the Roosevelt Island Tramway over the East River for a unique perspective on the City. Once closed to the public, today Roosevelt Island is home to a residential community and a number of parks and landmarks. At the island’s southern end, the Louis Kahn–designed Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park offers public programming and family-friendly events. Also in the historical vein: the Renwick Ruin, a former smallpox hospital; the Octagon tower, the remnants of an insane asylum; and, on the northern tip, a 19th-century lighthouse anchoring a park from where visitors can get wide-angle views of NYC.
The Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. French abolitionist Edouard de Laboulaye first proposed sending a monument to the United States as a symbol of enlightenment ideals and a celebration of the abolition of slavery, and in the hopes that it would inspire French people to move toward democracy. While sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi publicly exhibited the statue’s arm as early as 1876 at the Centennial Exhibition in Phiadelphia, it took another decade of construction and fundraising—including American efforts to secure money for the statue’s base—for the monument to be completed. The Statue of Liberty is made out of copper, and originally had a reddish-brown hue. It didn’t take long, though, for oxidation to give it the more familiar color we know today. Bartholdi allegedly modeled the statue’s face on his own mother’s, although there’s little concrete evidence to support this; researchers have also posited Frenchwoman Isabelle Boyer (wife of sewing machine magnate Isaac Singer) and even Jean-Charles Bartholdi, Frédéric’s brother, as models.
Washington Square Park is a people-watcher’s paradise. Musicians, sunbathers, skateboarders, dog owners, pickup chess warriors and NYU students all hang out around the historic fountain in the shadow of the arch, often used as a location in films and televisions shows. The surrounding neighborhood echoes with beat-poet and music history—this is the neighborhood where Paul Simon, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez began their careers. In keeping with the young population, a night out here might mean a set at a comedy club, seeing a performance at a bar or theater, and having a quick bite at one of the many local restaurants. At Fifth Avenue, bordered by Waverly Place, University Place, West 4th Street and MacDougal Street Pass beneath the Washington Arch—the giant structure marking the Fifth Avenue entrance of Washington Square Park—and you’ll find yourself in one of the City’s most recognizable public spaces. It’s easy to see how it’s earned that status. At any given moment, students congregate around the park’s fountain; sunbathers lie on its lawn; musicians sit on benches and strum guitars; and canines run gleefully amok in its two dog runs. John Leguizamo is among many with fond memories of performing there. The park is also a haven for some serious chess players, who occupy the tables in its southwest corner. In addition, the place is notable for its design elements: black-brick paths and vintage-style streetlights lend the recently renovated park a 19th-century feel, and a majestic bronze statue of Garibaldi adds to the atmosphere.
Times Square From the moment you see the glow of the glittering signage, it’s clear that Times Square is as New York as it gets. Everything here is massive and high voltage: theme restaurants like the Hard Rock Cafe, clubs like the Copacabana and the spectacle of Broadway theater are just a few examples. Why do visitors love this place? Because it is undeniably awe-inspiring. Several large hotels are in the center of the action, so you’ll able to find a room to suit your taste. When you want to go big, go here. The sidewalks are filled with a tremendous concentration of humanity—roughly 300,000 pedestrians pass through every day—and the intersection’s high-wattage marquees ensure that it’s always bright, even late at night. Named for The New York Times, whose 1 Times Square address served as the newspaper’s headquarters from 1904 to 1913, the area is now an entertainment district and business hub, serviced by one of the busiest subway stations in the world. During the latter half of the 20th century the neighborhood turned seedy, but over the past two decades it has become a safe, family-friendly destination that no visitor will want to miss. It’s the place to catch the famous New Year’s Eve ball drop, the glittery shows on Broadway and an array of other attractions. Seven days a week, visitors and locals pour into Broadway’s 40 theaters, eager to experience the award-winning musicals, critically acclaimed revivals and star-studded plays that define Midtown’s Theatre District. Each season (June–May) typically sees on average 40 new productions, and attendance for the 2014–15 year surpassed 13 million. It’s this dedicated fan base that has made The Phantom of the Opera the longest-running show currently (and actually ever) on Broadway—more than 11,000 performances and counting. It’s also why the Tony Awards, typically held in Radio City Music Hall, were established in 1947—though the history of theater on Broadway dates back to the 1890s, when the Empire, Olympia and Victoria were all constructed.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral St. Patrick’s Cathedral holds its own among Midtown’s tall buildings and historic architecture, its twin spires jutting 330 feet up toward the heavens. Fresh off a $177 million restoration—which cleaned those spires as well as the heavy bronze doors, ceiling, stained glass and enormous pipe organ—the Neo-Gothic church is among NYC’s most-visited religious sites; in fact, it’s among the City’s most-visited attractions period, welcoming an estimated 5 million people every year. You can join them yourself—whether to attend one of the daily masses (there’s seating for more than 2,000 worshipers) or to just to look around. Spanning the length of an entire City block, the building itself is made of brick but entirely overlaid in marble. There’s much to see once you pass through the bronze doors and stand under the vaulted ceiling, including a giant organ with 7,855 pipes (there’s a smaller one too), a bevy of stained-glass windows, more than 20 altars—two of which were designed by Tiffany & Co.—and a marble Stations of the Cross, which won recognition at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Dedicated in 1879, St. Patrick’s was built to replace the City’s second Roman Catholic site of worship, St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral on Mulberry Street, which could no longer accommodate the growing Catholic population (St. Peter’s, in the Financial District, was the first). Designed by James Renwick, Jr.—who had already completed the similarly twin-towered Calvary Church and downtown’s Grace Church—and named for the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s was modeled after the Gothic churches of England and took 21 years to complete.
American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History is a New York icon. Packed with exhibitions representing people and animals throughout the ages, the museum also has a planetarium and a digital 3D and 2D theater, as well as special visiting exhibitions and plenty of places to eat and shop. The dinosaur wing is a must-see, and if you have time, lie down under the life-size model of a blue whale in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, often referred to as The Guggenheim, is an art museum located at 1071 Fifth Avenue on the corner of East 89th Street in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is the permanent home of a continuously expanding collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions throughout the year. The museum was established by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1939 as the Museum of Non-Objective Painting, under the guidance of its first director, the artist Hilla von Rebay. It adopted its current name after the death of its founder, Solomon R. Guggenheim, in 1952. In 1959, the museum moved from rented space to its current building, a landmark work of 20th-century architecture. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the cylindrical building, wider at the top than the bottom, was conceived as a “temple of the spirit”. Its unique ramp gallery extends up from ground level in a long, continuous spiral along the outer edges of the building to end just under the ceiling skylight. The building underwent extensive expansion and renovations in 1992 (when an adjoining tower was built) and from 2005 to 2008. The museum’s collection has grown organically, over eight decades, and is founded upon several important private collections, beginning with Solomon R. Guggenheim’s original collection. The collection is shared with the museum’s sister museums in Bilbao, Spain, and elsewhere. In 2013, nearly 1.2 million people visited the museum, and it hosted the most popular exhibition in New York City
The 9/11 Memorial Museum The 9/11 Memorial Museum tells the story of the events of 9/11 through monumental and authentic artifacts, first-person accounts and multimedia displays. The museum’s first special exhibition, “Rendering the Unthinkable: Artists Respond to 9/11,� features artwork by 13 artists who relied on their craft to understand 9/11. The 9/11 Memorial consists of two enormous reflecting pools set in the footprints of the Twin Towers. The names of every person who died in the 2001 and 1993 terror attacks are inscribed in bronze around the pools. Advance purchase of museum admission is strongly recommended. The 9/11 Memorial is open daily.
Manhattan from above The best view on Manhattan is not from top of one of the skyscrapers. The ultimate experience for the best view is taking the helicopter tour. There’s the traditional way of sightseeing, with ground tours or double-decker buses moving through the crowded streets of Manhattan, and then there’s a HeliNY tour. Taking you far above the ground to behold all the major New York City landmarks, HeliNY helicopter tours provide a brand new perspective of the Empire State Building, Freedom Tower, Central Park and many other major locations.
HeliNY tours can take you as far north as the George Washington Bridge and then south to the Verrazano Bridge, two of the busiest bridges in the country that keep New York City connected. Delight in flying by New York’s historic landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Chrysler Building, South Street Seaport and the 150-year-old Brooklyn Bridge. With four tour options to choose from this unique adventure is a must have for your memorable visit to New York City. City lights experience is unique flight that departs from Linden Airport in Linden, NJ for a 25-30 minute trip around Manhattan. See the lights of Times Square while flying above Central Park. View the iconic Empire State State Building, One World Trade and the Statue of Liberty illuminated in an unforgettable experience.