We were in New York this Summer. Even if we didn’t miss the most popular tourist attractions, we also tried to expolore some less known corner, discovering this way an unexpected side of the Big Apple.
During weekends Brooklyn Heights Promenade is crowded by joggers, Newyorkers and not, and by people who just want to enjoy a stunning view over Manhattan.
Coney Island, Brooklyn, entered in the collective imagination thanks to its Ferris wheel, the Wonder Wheel, and to its roller coaster Cyclone, both located in the first amusement park in history: Luna Park – in Italy we still call all amusement parks luna park! – which opened its gates in 1903. Not many tourists come this far, since you have to take a long journey by subway, but it is totally worth visiting: Coney Island was experimental in planning Manhattan’s urban re-development, and there are still to be found some of the oldest buildings in New York.
The National September 11 Memorial,World Trade Center, is a touching monument honoring the victims of 9/11. Here there are two swimming pools with the biggest artificial waterfalls in the US, symbolising the vacuum left by the tragedy. The water’s noise silences any other sound, making the site a contemplative sanctuary. On the pool’s edges are the victims’ names.
Another worthy trip is the guided tour in the Yankee Stadium, Bronx, a baseball’s temple with some surprises even for people who did never care for the Major League – as myself, and I enjoyed discovering the many traditions linked to one of America’s oldest team.
Passionate travel planner, wife and foster mother of Calimero and Silente, I travel since I was 12 and I want to see the whole world!
Nice photos of the big apple! Why do they call New York the Big Apple, do yo know?
NY was a big stage for horse races, and “apple” referred to the prizes. In the 20s a sports writer started to frequently refer to NYC as “the big apple”… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Apple