posted by Savanah on Apr 12
New York is one of the most famous cities in the world and sometimes it’s easy to consider it from the outside by one of its main orientation perspectives. It is known as the financial center of the country and Wall Street has become synonymous with the American stock exchange. Other people associate New York with its great shopping opportunities, while still others have a main association to the great cultural aspects and famous theatre scene in the city, which is represented by Broadway. Many of the city’s streets have become symbolic of the social aspect that is relative to them. Tourists in a luxury Manhattan hotel can easily find their way around the various attractions simply by recognizing the street names that are associated with it.
In addition to the famous archetypal symbolic streets there are numerous neighborhoods in Manhattan and the four other boroughs that also represent various cultural and sometimes ethnic orientations. Harlem, Greenwich Village, Alpha Bet City and TriBeCa are just a few of the numerous neighborhoods located in Manhattan. Harlem is in the northern part of Manhattan and is one of the most internationally famous and has been a strong cultural center since the 1920s. The Apollo Theater is one of the primary landmarks of the area and there are numerous jazz and blues clubs scattered throughout it.
TriBeCa is in lower Manhattan and is formally known as the Triangle Below Canal Street. Every year the Tribeca Film Festival occurs within the triangle and has been a major factor of the recovery of the lower Manhattan region after the destruction that occurred with the September 11th attacks. Toward the west side of the lower end of Manhattan the neighborhood of Greenwich Village exists. This area has had a strong reputation of alternative lifestyles and artistic expression. Alpha Bet City is one the lower east end of Manhattan received its name based on the streets that incorporate the neighborhood, A, B, C and D. This is the only part of Manhattan that has single letter names for its streets. The neighborhood has been featured in many television shows and films.
posted by Savanah on Mar 15
Traffic isn’t that bad in Philadelphia and parking was easy to find. Before we checked into our hotel, we went to the Independence Hall Visitors Center and picked up some great information. The center has this really cool touch console where we could view all sorts of local information. We could even print out (for free!) what we were interested in seeing and it comes with a map. We printed out the information about the Liberty Bell, which was right across the street.
There wasn’t a long line at the Liberty Bell and the line moved fairly quickly, even with all the security in place checking purses and bags. We imagined the bell to be larger than it really is, but it was still pretty cool. Afterwards, we walked down a few blocks and tried to take a tour for Independence Hall, but the only place to get tickets was back at the Visitors Center, so we walked back to where we started and found out that the next tour for Independence Hall was 3 hours away.
We decided to find a good place to eat lunch and get a Philly cheesesteak. We found a place called By George located in the Reading Terminal Market. We both ordered a Philly cheesesteak and after a few bites realized that we could’ve ordered one Philly cheesesteak, because one sandwich feeds at least three people! But, somehow we both managed to finish our cheesesteaks and down an apple fritter that we bought from the Amish bakery located in the same market. Reading Terminal Market is huge and mostly has food places that serve almost any kind of meal imaginable.
We figured we still had time before the Independence Hall tour, so we decided to get back into our car and drive to one of the best luxury Philadelphia hotels in the whole city. Our hotel wasn’t far from where we were, so after we checked in, we walked down to they Besty Ross House for a tour. It was a self-guided tour and it only cost $3 each, the tour isn’t bad at all. There are people dressed in clothes of the period telling stories of Betsy Ross. We still had a bit of time before the Independence Hall tour, so we walked down to Penn Landing, then finally headed to the tour, which was worth the wait and very informative. It lasted approximately 30 minutes.
We were still so full from lunch, we didn’t do anything for dinner, didn’t need to, our stomachs were still reeling from a pound of Philly cheesesteak.
posted by Savanah on Mar 31
In New York’s city of Brooklyn, in the south end of the town, there is an attraction that is steeped in history, and remains a viable attraction for tourists and locals to this day. The park on Coney Island, the five star New York hotels and resorts in Brighton Beach, were in their grandest form in the early part of the Twentieth century, but popularity waned in the years following World War II. With many amusement rides still operating and the Coney Island hot-dogs , the beaches and the sunshine, this little section of New York is still quite famous and traveled. In 1876, the carousel was built. For three years the beauty was lit with kerosene lanterns, however in 1879, lights provided by Edison’s invention took over. The various animals and horses remain as they were, and are hand carved out of wood. In the early years live music accompanied the lights and colors. The carousel alone, is one of the most visited attractions in New York.
In addition, the famous Cyclone roller-coaster still provides the thrills and the terrifying ride it has since being built in 1927. It is one of the few that have been famous throughout history that is still standing, and has the reputations the world over as being the most impressive wooden roller-coaster to date. In addition to the amusement park rides and the famous hot-dogs, the island is home to the Amphitheater and the Asser Levy Park. There are three miles of beautiful boardwalk that run through the park and along the Atlantic ocean. One must not miss the Aquarium in Coney Island. Open for just about sixty years, this is the only aquarium in New York City. There are tours and educational classes for the children. And the site has become well known over the years for their care and dedication to the preservation of the Beluga Whales, of which they offer many opportunities to learn about and interact with these incredible mammals. Family fun is the goal of the island and as it has provided it for almost one hundred years, this treasure in Brooklyn will continue to do so for many more to come.