Explore New York City
The patchwork of neighbourhoods below 14th Street, DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN, runs the gamut from high finance and cutting-edge cool to Old World charm; it’s one of the most vibrant, exciting parts of the city. Downtown’s interest actually begins in New York Harbor, which holds the compulsory attractions of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The southernmost neighbourhood on the mainland is the Financial District, with Wall Street at its centre; less than half a mile north, the buildings of the Civic Center transition into the jangling streetlife of Chinatown, which has encroached upon touristy Little Italy. East of Chinatown and Little Italy, the Lower East Side marks the traditional point of entry into the city for many different immigrant groups. These days, it’s a trendy spot full of chic bars and restaurants.
West of Chinatown and Little Italy, respectively, the one-time industrial area of Soho is now an expensive residential and shopping district. The smallish area known as Nolita takes in numerous boutiques and hip restaurants in its few well-manicured blocks. North of Houston Street, the activity picks up even more in the West Village (also known as Greenwich Village) and East Village, two former bohemian enclaves that remain great fun despite ongoing gentrification, the former for its charming backstreets and brownstones, the latter for its energetic nightlife.
Read More-
September 11 and its aftermath
September 11 and its aftermath
Completed in 1973, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were an integral part of New York’s legendary skyline, and a symbol of the city’s social and economic success. At 8.46am on September 11, 2001, a hijacked airliner slammed into the north tower; seventeen minutes later another hijacked plane struck the south tower. As thousands looked on in horror – in addition to hundreds of millions viewing on TV – the south tower collapsed at 9.50am, its twin at 10.30am. In all, 2995 people perished at the WTC and the simultaneous attack on Washington DC.
In 2003, Polish-born American architect Daniel Libeskind was named the winner of a competition to design the new World Trade Center, though his plans were initially plagued with controversy and he’s had little subsequent involvement with the project. In 2006 a modified design, still incorporating Libeskind’s original 1776ft-high Freedom Tower, was finally accepted and construction is now well underway, supervised by architect David Childs. The whole $12-billion scheme should be complete by 2014–15 (though the planned date has been put back numerous times). The project includes the National September 11 Memorial and Museum; the memorial comprises two voids representing the footprints of the original towers, surrounded by oak trees and rings of water falling into illuminated pools. The underground museum will use artefacts and exhibits to tell the story of 9/11.
Until it’s completed, you can peek into the Ground Zero construction site and visit the Tribute WTC Visitor Center (Mon & Wed–Sat 10am–6pm, Tues noon–6pm, Sun noon–5pm; $10; t 212/393-9160, w www.tributewtc.org), 120 Liberty St between Greenwich and Church streets, which also arranges daily walking tours of the site’s perimeter ($10). The centre houses five small galleries that commemorate the attacks of 9/11, beginning with a model of the Twin Towers and a moving section about the day itself, embellished with video and taped accounts of real-life survivors. You can also check out St Paul’s Chapel (Mon–Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 7am–3pm; free), at Fulton Street and Broadway, dating from 1766; the main attraction inside is “Unwavering Spirit”, a poignant exhibition on 9/11.
-
Staten Island Ferry
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island ferry (t 718/727-2508, w www.siferry.com) sails from a modern terminal on the east side of Battery Park, built directly above the South Ferry subway station. Departures are frequent, from every 15–20 minutes during weekday rush hours (7–9am and 5–7pm), to every 60 minutes late at night (the ferry runs 24hr). The 25-minute ride is New York’s best bargain: it’s absolutely free, offering wide-angle views of the city and the Statue of Liberty that become more spectacular as you retreat. Most visitors get the next boat straight back to Manhattan, as there’s not much to detain you on Staten Island itself.
