The Wanderer in New York

The Wanderer in New York

New York City · Began as Dutch New Amsterdam in 1624 · Renamed New York in 1664

The little wanderer sailed into a harbor of shining towers. Long ago this was New Amsterdam, a little Dutch trading town begun in 1624. In 1664 it became New York. "So many stones, so many stories," he said.

Statue of Liberty · Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, dedicated 1886 · Iron framework by Gustave Eiffel

A green lady taller than the buildings lifted a golden torch. The Statue of Liberty was made in France by the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, with an iron skeleton by Gustave Eiffel, and given to America in 1886.

Ellis Island · Immigration station opened 1892, today's hall 1900 · About 12 million immigrants passed through

On a small island he saw a great red-brick hall where millions first stepped onto a new land. Ellis Island's immigration station opened in 1892, and the building standing today opened in 1900. About 12 million newcomers passed through.

Castle Clinton · Built 1808-1811 as a harbor fort · In Battery Park

At the tip of the island sat a round red fort with thick walls. Castle Clinton was built between 1808 and 1811 to guard the harbor, long before it welcomed concerts and new arrivals.

Charging Bull · Arturo Di Modica, 1989 · A surprise gift that became a landmark

A bronze bull pawed the street, ready to charge. The artist Arturo Di Modica left the Charging Bull here one night in 1989 as a surprise gift of courage, and the city loved it so much it stayed.

New York Stock Exchange · George B. Post, opened 1903 · The heart of Wall Street

Columns as grand as a temple covered a building where people trade little pieces of companies. The New York Stock Exchange was designed by George B. Post and opened in 1903.

Federal Hall · Town and Davis, 1834-1842 · Where Washington took the first oath, 1789

On the steps of a columned hall, a bronze man looked out at the city. Federal Hall was built in 1834-1842 by the architects Town and Davis, right where George Washington became the first president in 1789.

Trinity Church · Richard Upjohn, finished 1846 · Once the tallest building in New York

A brown stone church pointed its spire at the sky. Trinity Church, designed by Richard Upjohn, was finished in 1846, and for a while it was the tallest building in the whole city.

One World Trade Center · David Childs of SOM, opened 2014 · 1,776 feet, tallest in the Western Hemisphere

One tower rose higher than all the rest, catching the sun like glass. One World Trade Center, designed by David Childs of SOM, opened in 2014. It is 1,776 feet tall, a number from America's birthday year.

9/11 Memorial · 'Reflecting Absence' by Michael Arad, opened 2011 · Pools in the twin towers' footprints

Beside it, two square pools of falling water whispered where two towers once stood. The 9/11 Memorial, 'Reflecting Absence' by Michael Arad, opened in 2011 so that no one forgets.

The Oculus · Santiago Calatrava, opened 2016 · A station shaped like a bird

A great white bird seemed to land between the towers. The Oculus, a station shaped like a dove taking wing, was designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened in 2016.

Brooklyn Bridge · John and Washington Roebling, opened 1883 · The first great steel-wire suspension bridge

He walked across a bridge hung from stone towers and spiderwebs of steel. The Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883, planned by John Roebling and finished by his son Washington Roebling. It was the longest bridge of its kind in the world.

New York City Hall · Mangin and McComb Jr., finished 1811 · One of America's oldest city halls still in use

In a little park stood a pretty palace with a statue on top twirling in the wind. New York City Hall, by Mangin and McComb Jr., was finished in 1811, and mayors still work inside today.

Woolworth Building · Cass Gilbert, 1913 · World's tallest building, 1913-1930

A tower like a lacy stone candle rose over the streets. The Woolworth Building, 'the Cathedral of Commerce', was designed by Cass Gilbert in 1913, and it was the tallest building on Earth for seventeen years.

Chinatown · Chinese families settled here from the 1870s · One of the largest Chinese communities outside Asia

Red lanterns and paper signs crowded the streets, and dumpling smells floated by. This is Chinatown, home to one of the biggest Chinese communities outside Asia for more than 150 years.

Little Italy · An Italian neighborhood from the 1800s · Feast of San Gennaro since 1926

Around a corner the smell changed to tomatoes and fresh bread. This is Little Italy, where Italian families settled in the 1800s, and where the Feast of San Gennaro has filled Mulberry Street every September since 1926.

Washington Square Arch · Stanford White, 1892 · Marks a hundred years since Washington's inauguration

At the end of a shady park stood a white marble arch. Stanford White designed the Washington Square Arch, built in 1892 to remember George Washington a hundred years after he became president.

Flatiron Building · Daniel Burnham, 1902 · 22 stories on a triangle

A building shaped like a flat iron sliced between two streets. The Flatiron Building was designed by Daniel Burnham and finished in 1902, twenty-two floors stacked on a triangle.

Empire State Building · Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, 1931 · Built in 410 days; world's tallest for about 40 years

He counted one hundred and two floors of stone and steel reaching for the clouds. The Empire State Building, by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, rose in 1931 in just 410 days, and stayed the world's tallest for forty years.

Chrysler Building · William Van Alen, 1930 · An Art Deco crown of steel

Next door in the sky, a tower wore a crown of shining steel arches. The Chrysler Building, designed by William Van Alen, opened in 1930 with gargoyles shaped like car parts.

Grand Central Terminal · Reed & Stem and Warren & Wetmore, 1913 · A starry ceiling over 44 platforms

Under a ceiling of golden stars and zodiac signs, thousands of travelers hurried by. Grand Central Terminal was finished in 1913 by the architects Reed and Stem and Warren and Wetmore.

New York Public Library · Carrere and Hastings, opened 1911 · The lions are Patience and Fortitude

Two stone lions, Patience and Fortitude, guarded a palace of books. The New York Public Library's grand building, by Carrere and Hastings, opened its doors in 1911.

Times Square · Named for the New York Times, 1904 · The New Year's Eve ball drop

Even at midnight, one square shone bright as noon with a hundred glowing signs. This is Times Square, named for a newspaper in 1904, where a glittering ball drops every New Year's Eve.

Rockefeller Center · Built in the 1930s by a team of architects · Prometheus statue by Paul Manship, 1934

He passed a plaza where a golden statue of Prometheus held out fire. Rockefeller Center was built in the 1930s by a whole team of architects, and its ice rink and Christmas tree are famous everywhere.

Radio City Music Hall · Opened 1932 · Home of the Rockettes

A glowing sign promised music and dancers in a theater built for wonder. Radio City Music Hall opened in 1932 as the biggest indoor theater in the world, home of the Rockettes.

St. Patrick's Cathedral · James Renwick Jr., finished 1878 · A Gothic cathedral among the skyscrapers

Across the street, twin stone spires climbed between the skyscrapers. St. Patrick's Cathedral, designed by James Renwick Jr., took twenty years to build and was finished in 1878.

The Museum of Modern Art · Founded 1929 · One of the first museums for modern art

One museum kept nothing but new ideas. The Museum of Modern Art, founded in 1929, collects paintings and sculptures that changed what art could be.

The Plaza Hotel · Henry Hardenbergh, opened 1907 · A grand hotel beside Central Park

At the corner of the park, a grand white hotel smiled over the square. The Plaza Hotel, designed by Henry Hardenbergh, opened in 1907 and still greets kings, queens and curious children.

Central Park · Olmsted and Vaux, begun 1858 · 843 acres shaped by hand

Then the city turned green. Central Park was begun in 1858 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who shaped rough rocky land into 843 acres of meadows and woods for everyone.

Bethesda Terrace · Vaux and Mould; angel by Emma Stebbins, 1873 · The heart of Central Park

Down a grand staircase, an angel rose over a fountain. Bethesda Terrace was designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, and the Angel of the Waters was sculpted by Emma Stebbins in 1873.

Bow Bridge · Built 1862, designed by Calvert Vaux · A cast-iron bridge over the Lake

A graceful iron bridge curved over the lake like a bow. Bow Bridge, built in 1862 to Calvert Vaux's design, is one of the park's favorite places to stand and dream.

Belvedere Castle · Calvert Vaux, 1869 · A fairy-tale lookout over the park

On a rocky hill sat a tiny castle made of stone, just for looking. Belvedere Castle, designed by Calvert Vaux in 1869, was built to be a pretty thing and a lookout over the park.

The Dakota · Henry Hardenbergh, 1884 · One of New York's first grand apartment houses

A stern old building with steep roofs stood at the park's edge. The Dakota, designed by Henry Hardenbergh, opened in 1884, one of the city's first grand apartment houses.

American Museum of Natural History · Opened 1869 · Home of a giant blue whale

Behind a big pink-brick wall waited dinosaurs, meteorites and a giant blue whale. The American Museum of Natural History opened in 1869, with grand halls first designed by Calvert Vaux.

The Met Fifth Avenue · Opened here 1880 · Main facade by Richard Morris Hunt, 1902

Steps as wide as a waterfall led up to the biggest art museum in America. The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened on this spot in 1880, and its great stone front was designed by Richard Morris Hunt in 1902.

Guggenheim Museum · Frank Lloyd Wright, opened 1959 · A spiral of art

A white ribbon curled up into the sky, a building that was also a sculpture. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim Museum, which opened in 1959, and people walk a spiral path past the art.

Cathedral of St. John the Divine · Begun 1892, still unfinished · One of the largest cathedrals in the world

A cathedral so big it is still being built watched over the neighborhood. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine was begun in 1892, and neighbors lovingly call it St. John the Unfinished.

Grant's Tomb · John Hemenway Duncan, 1897 · The largest mausoleum in North America

A white domed palace held the resting place of a president. Grant's Tomb, designed by John Hemenway Duncan, was finished in 1897 for Ulysses S. Grant, a general who became president.

Apollo Theater · Opened 1914 · Where stars began on Amateur Night

On a street in Harlem, a marquee glowed with music. The Apollo Theater opened in 1914, and its famous Amateur Night started the dreams of Ella Fitzgerald and so many stars.

George Washington Bridge · Othmar Ammann, 1931 · The busiest bridge in the world

Far uptown, a silver bridge leapt across the wide Hudson River. The George Washington Bridge, designed by Othmar Ammann, opened in 1931 and is crossed by more cars than any other bridge in the world.

The High Line · Railway built 1934, park opened 2009 · A garden in the sky

An old train track floated above the streets, planted with flowers and grass. The High Line was a freight railway from 1934 until friends of the park turned it into a floating garden in 2009.

Vessel · Thomas Heatherwick, opened 2019 · A honeycomb of staircases

A shiny honeycomb of staircases climbed toward the clouds. Vessel, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, opened at Hudson Yards in 2019, all steps and sky.

One Vanderbilt · Kohn Pedersen Fox, opened 2020 · Sky-high mirrored rooms

Another glass tower stood tall with mirrored rooms in the sky. One Vanderbilt, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, opened in 2020 beside Grand Central, with the Summit sky decks on top.

Fraunces Tavern · Built 1719, a tavern from 1762 · Washington's farewell, 1783

Back downtown, a little brick tavern had welcomed the city for ages. The Fraunces Tavern building was put up in 1719, became a tavern in 1762, and George Washington said goodbye to his officers there in 1783.

Staten Island Ferry · Running for over 200 years · Free for everyone today

An orange ferry chugged across the harbor for free, as ferries have done for more than two hundred years. From its deck, the wanderer waved at the Statue of Liberty one more time.

Coney Island · Wonder Wheel, 1920; Cyclone coaster, 1927 · New York's beach playground

By the ocean, a great wheel turned beside a roaring wooden coaster. Coney Island's Wonder Wheel has spun since 1920, and the Cyclone roller coaster has rattled since 1927.

The Unisphere · Gilmore D. Clarke, 1964 World's Fair · A globe of steel in Queens

In a Queens park stood a giant globe of shining steel rings. The Unisphere was built for the 1964 World's Fair to celebrate the whole wide world, designed by Gilmore D. Clarke.

Yankee Stadium · First stadium 1923 by Osborn Engineering · New stadium opened 2009

In the Bronx rose a stadium where the pinstripes play. The first Yankee Stadium opened in 1923, 'the House That Ruth Built', and the new one beside it opened in 2009.

Manhattan Bridge · Leon Moisseiff, opened 1909 · The famous view from DUMBO

Between two brick warehouses he glimpsed a bridge of blue steel leaping the river. The Manhattan Bridge, designed by Leon Moisseiff, opened in 1909, and this little street view is famous all over the world.

Brooklyn Heights Promenade · Opened 1950 above the expressway · The famous skyline view

At sunset he sat on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and drew the whole shining skyline in his notebook. "In this city," he thought, "people never stopped building their dreams." The end.