Transcript File

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
Walking Tour Map
The Empire State Building
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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.
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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
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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.”
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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
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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
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Grand Central Terminal is located on:
89 E 42nd Street
New 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
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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)
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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).
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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
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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
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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
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“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 Activity
This 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/visitortips/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