Landmarks in New York City

We picked Landmarks in New York City for our walking tour because it is important for students to know about the different landmarks that our city has. Many people that live in big cities don’t go to see the landmarks that their city has to offer; this is why we would like all of our students to go, visit and learn about these specific places. For our walking tour we will go to the Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, Time Square, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and the Museum of the City of New York.

By: Katherine Sarantis and Kristina Smith

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The Empire State Building• The area that now stands the Empire State Building used to

be homes to the wealthy. Mansions were what formed 34th and Fifth Avenue in the mid to late 1800’s. The family to have some of these mansions was the Jacob Astor family. In the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, the Astor family gradually razed their mansions which were transformed into hotels such as the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. This hotel was sold to the Bethlehem Engineering Corporation for an estimated $20 million in 1928.

• On March 17, 1930, construction of the Empire State Building began. The labor force was of 3,000 men and framework rose at a rate of 4 1/2 stories per week. On May 1, 1931, President Hoover pressed a button in Washington, DC, which turned on the Empire State Building's lights and officially opened the building. Following that same year, The New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects awarded the Medal of Honor to the building's designers.

Empire State Building Continued

• For its 20th anniversary, the Empire State Building received a new antenna for television, FM radio, and emergency broadcasting. The new antenna made the building 217 feet higher, for a total height of 1,467 feet. In 1955, the American Society of Civil Engineers selected the Empire State Building as one of the seven greatest engineering achievements in America's history. That following year, four large beacon lights were installed at the foot of the television tower which was known as “The Freedom Lights.”

• After 25 years of being officially opened, the Empire State Building received its 50 millionth visitor. On May 18, 1981, the NYC Landmarks Preservations Commission declared the building a landmark. Lastly, as of 2007, the Empire State Building was named "America's Favorite Architecture" in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects.

Visiting the Empire State Building

Empire State Building Activity• The Empire State Building is still home to many televised, FM radio, and

emergency broadcasting stations. Students will become interviewers and ask tourists certain questions as if they were going to be on the news. Students will learn that it’s important for people on the news to do their research, so after learning about the Empire State Building, they will test to see why people came to visit.

• Students will get into groups of 4 and will receive a tape recorder for each group. When we visit the building, they will approach tourists and ask certain questions based off prior research such as:

• Do you know when the Empire State Building was built? • We learned that the labor force was of 3,000 men and framework rose

at a rate of 4 1/2 stories per week. Do you think that is a fast rate compared with today?

• Do you know what used to be in place of the Empire State Building?• How many people do you think have come to the Empire State

Building? If we tell you that in 1976, the 50 millionth visitor came, would that change your number?

• Lastly, why did you come visit the Empire State Building? Have we explained anything that you were unaware of?

• Students may also create other questions if they would like.• Afterwards, they will share what they discovered from their recordings to

the rest of the class.

Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal is located on:

89 E 42nd StreetNew York, NY 10017

It is open every day from 5:30 A.M. to 2:00 A.M. There are many different things to do at Grand Central Terminal besides

taking the trains. There are retail stores, dinning, a Grand Central Market, and different events, and tours.

History of Grand Central Terminal 1831: the first railroad in New York City was formed, the New York and Harlem

Railroad. 1836: the New York and Harlem Railroad grew and occupied an entire block. 1840: the New York and New Haven, and the Hudson River Railroads were built. 1858: the railroads then were steam locomotives and caused a lot of pollution. In

1858 they were banned from popular, crowed areas. There is now no train station below 42nd Street in Manhattan and the people now needed a new terminal to be able to travel through the city.

1864: Cornelius Vanderbilt now had control over the Hudson River Railroad, and the New York Central Railroad. He created a common terminal for the trains to go to.

1869: Vanderbilt now “purchased property between 42nd and 48th streets, Lexington and Madison Avenue” (Grand Central Terminals website) to build a new train station. This was the first Grand Central.

1871: Grand Central was designed by John B. Snook and it was called Grand Central Depot. Three different railroad lines went through there.

1871: “P.T. Barnum purchased the New York and Harlem Railroad station and converted it into Madison Square Garden.” (Grand Central Terminals website)

1902: there was a collision with the steam locomotives on January 8, 1902 and 15 people were killed and 38 people were injured. This was the end of the steam locomotives. Now there is a high demand for electric trains. Just one week after the crash plans were announced to expand Grand Central Station and create a new double level terminal for electric trains.

1903: The architects for the new Grand Central Terminal were Warren and Wetmore and Reed and Stem. They “entered an agreement to act as the associated architects of Grand Central Terminal.” (Grand Central Terminals website)

1913: It took 10 years for Grand Central Terminal to be built. Grand Central Terminal opened on February 2, 1913. After Grand Central Terminal opened other famous building started getting build in that area.

1930: Grand Central Terminal was the busiest train station in the country. Since the neighborhood had prospered that much so did Grand Central Terminal. They started having different art galleries there and they made a theater, a rail museum and different exhibitions.

1967: August 2, 1967 Grand Central Terminal was made a landmark. The city made it a landmark because of the demolition of Pennsylvania station; they did not want the same thing to happen to Grand Central Terminal.

1976: Grand Central Terminal was starting to get old, the building was crumbling, the roof was leaking, and it was time for a renovation.

1998: the renovation began. 2012: renovations are finished, and Grand Central Terminal is a main New York

destination. It has become more then a train station. There are retail stores, dinning, a Grand Central Market, and different events, and tours. The main waiting room has become a center for free promotions, entertainment, different holiday fairs, and exhibits.

2013: Grand Central Terminal celebrates its 100 year anniversary.

Activity:

Students will write an essay on the history of Grand Central Terminal.

Times Square

Times Square is located on: (Time Square is not located on one block it consists of a couple of city blocks.)

Broadway and Seventh Avenue and it goes from West 42nd to West 47th Street.

For many years’ Times Square has been the center of attraction for New York City.

Times Square was constructed during the early 20th century (the Gilded Age). There are many different shows and performances, museums, restaurant,

stores, and hotels. This is what Times Square has become known for, throughout all these years.

Times Square is also where we as New Yorkers watch the ball drop every New Years Eve.

Today Times Square is the busiest theater district in the world.

Post World War II Time Square was a place where boundaries were pushed and would be broken. “Times Square blossomed in the first third of the twentieth century, only to slide into notorious decay in the face of the post-1945 world of television, suburbs, and racial strife.” (Times Square website) However, the past two decades that has changed and Times Square is back to its original beauty and has become the center of the city.

Times Square use to be the meeting point on Election Day since 1904. On Election Day in 1904, the presidential race was between Theodore Roosevelt and Alton Parker. This was before we had T.V.’s and radios to find out who won the presidential debate. Times Square use to be where the results were announced for the city. If the lights pointed west then that meant Theodore Roosevelt won and if they pointed east then that meant Alton Parker won. Even today on Election Day the presidential results is shown on the big screen T.V.’s that are all over Times Square.

Times Square has been the center of New York City for many years.

Activity: Times Square has been the center for New Yorkers and people visiting New York because of its many different attractions; such as the New Year’s ball drop, theaters, shows, performances, museums, restaurants, shops, and hotels. After you have walked up and down the streets of Time Square make a brochure of Time Square.

Rockefeller Center• Envisioned by philanthropic John D. Rockefeller, Rockefeller Center

was going to be the grandest plaza in all New York. “Conceived on the verge of the Great Depression, Rockefeller financed the Center personally. Upon its completion, it was the largest private building project in modern history and a collection of buildings unrivaled in their artistry and Art Deco nobility.” ("History of rockefeller,") It was also a place to watch performances (which still occurs with Radio City Music Hall).

• Since Rockefeller Center was constructed during the worst years of the Great Depression, it had a positive feel on society by employing over 40,000 people. It officially opened in May of 1933, and was seen as an act of good citizenship. Shows such as Gone with the Wind and the Christmas Spectacular premiered during this time and brought even more attention to the center. The skating rink was created in 1936. By 1939, more than 125,000 people were visiting Rockefeller Center daily.

Rockefeller Center Continued• By the 1940’s and the end of

the great depression, over 90% of the property was already fully occupied by renters. It became a destination to see dog shows, holiday gatherings, art exhibitions and other anticipated social events. By the 1950’s there were many televised shows that took place at Rockefeller Center, such as the Today show. By 1987, Rockefeller Center became a national historic landmark. Today, Rockefeller Center consists of 19 commercial buildings which cover 22 acres between 48th and 51st street between 5th and 6th avenue.

Rockefeller Center Activity• Rockefeller Center is known for many things, including it’s art. This

activity will be based on architecture in art. Students will pick out of a hat 1 of the 19 buildings from the center and create a 3-Dimensional piece of architecture.

• Students will be instructed to bring sketch books on the tour and sketch any artistic features that they see on their building and think they should include on their architecture.

• After sketching the building, students will research it and find out why it’s an important part of Rockefeller Center. They will be advised to also research if they can find out anything about the artsy features on their building. They will create their building and include a write up of the history of the building.

• After each student presents their architecture, we will put everyone’s building together to create a Rockefeller Center in our very own classroom.

Central Park• Central Park was the first landscaped public park in the United States.

Primarily the wealthy merchants and landowners created this park due to their admiration of parks from London and Paris. In 1853, “the state legislature authorized the City of NY to use the power of eminent domain to acquire more than 700 acres of land in the center of Manhattan.

• Central park stretches from Fifth to Eighth Avenue between 59th to 106th street. Due to this amount of land, it led to displacement of more than 1,600 poor residents, including Irish pig farmers and German gardeners. In 1863, there was an extension of an additional 143 acres, making the park stretch to 110th street.

• “In order to maintain a feeling of uninterrupted expanse, the park’s superintendent sank four Transverse Roads eight feet below the park’s surface to carry crosstown traffic. There are also more than forty bridges to eliminate grade crossings between the different routes.

• More than 20,000 workers reshaped the site’s topography to create the pastoral landscape. The park first opened for public use in the winter of 1859. They came to ice skate on the former swamps.

• By 1865, the park received more than seven million visitors a year. The city's wealthiest citizens turned out daily for elaborate late-afternoon carriage parades.

Central Park Continued• “Stringent rules governing park use--for example, a ban on group picnics--

discouraged many German and Irish New Yorkers from visiting the park in its first decade. Small tradesmen were not allowed to use their commercial wagons for family drives in the park, and only school boys with a note from their principal could play ball on the meadows.” (Blackmar & Rosenzweig, 2014)

• The zoo opened in 1871. In 1927, August Heckscher donated the first equipped playground. In 1934, Robert Moses became in charge of the park and during his 26 year regime, Moses added a lot of features. With assistance of federal money during the Depression, Moses built 20 playgrounds, renovated the zoo, realigned the drives to accommodate automobiles, added athletic fields, and expanded recreational programming.

• In 1962, Central Park became a National Historic Landmark. • Today there are over 21,500 trees in the Park, covering 31 families within the

deciduous and coniferous classes of trees, 71 genera, and 152 species. • Central Park continues to be shaped by the public that uses it, from the joggers,

skaters, and softball leagues to bird watchers and nature lovers, it’s a park of tons of possibilities.

Visiting Central Park

Central Park ActivityThis activity not only talks about geography but science as well. From learning about Central Park, the students have learned that there are over 21,500 trees in the Park, covering 31 families within the deciduous and coniferous classes of trees, 71 genera, and 152 species. In this activity we would just focus on the 31 families. We will hold a discussion of the more popular trees within Central Park such as the America Elm, Flowering Dogwood, Norway Maple, Red Oak, Sugar Maple, Yoshino Cherry, and Willow Oak. When we visit Central Park, the students will get a packet of the trees that we learned and pictures of each one. The students challenge is to try and find at least 3 of these trees and do a leaf rubbing to show that they found the specific tree.An extension to this tree activity is to research if these trees are from America, or possibly brought over from an immigrant. (Ex: Norway Maple)

*Pictures of actual trees in Central Park off of their website.

Gilded Age The Gilded Age was from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. The Gilded Age was a time of economic growth and this caused many

wealthy Europeans to come to America. American wages for skilled workers were higher than they were in Europe.

As the industries grew in the North, so did the labor force. This period of time marks an increase in industries and corporate wealth in New York City.

There was still poverty in the city, and many non-wealthy European immigrants were also coming to America.

There was a demand for unskilled workers as well as skilled workers. During this period of time the wealthy class flaunted their money with their

clothing, jewelry, interior design in their homes, and different architecture build around the city.

The wealthy class also had big parties in large mansions, and hotels on Fifth Avenue.

Museum of the City of New York (The Gilded Age)

Activity:

Students will come to school dressed as if they lived during the Gilded Age. Students will draw what they look like if they lived during the Gilded Age. On a separate piece of paper students will answer the question:

What is different about your clothes today? Explain why? Students will answer this based off of what we learned about the Gilded Age, what we saw at the Museum of the City of New York.

References• The official site of the empire state building. (2014). Retrieved from

http://www.esbnyc.com/• Blackmar, E., & Rosenzweig, R. (2014). History of central park. Retrieved

from http://www.centralpark.com/guide/history.html• History of rockefeller center and john d. rockefeller. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.topoftherocknyc.com/history/rockefeller-center/ The official site of Grand Central Terminal. (2014). Retrieved from

http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/ The official site of Times Square. (2014). Retrieved from

http://www.timessquarenyc.org/visitor-tips/history/index.aspx#.UtG0DrB3vIU

The official site of the Museum of the City of New York. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.mcny.org/content/gilded-new-york

Wikipedia, Gilded Age. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilded_Age