New York [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION In founding their own colony of New Amsterdam, on the site of the present city of New Yorl<, in the early 17th century, the Dutch also selected the best natural harbour on America's Atlantic coast. New York Bay itself had been discovered by an Italian, Giovanni da Verrazano, a hundred years before and explored by Henry Hudson, an English navigator who had been commissioned by the Dutch East India Company to find a shorter trade route to the Orient. When Hudson reached New York Bay he sailed up the river which now bears his name. From an ice-free harbour the Hudson River Valley provided an easy way through the Appalachian Mountains, and when joined by the Mohawk River became vitally important as a link between the farms and factories of the Middle West, the Great Lakes and New York City. This route contributed greatly to the development, from 1664, of New York, when New Amsterdam fell to the English without a fight and was renamed. In 1690 the population of New York was 4,000. Fifty years later it was U,000 and by the end of the 18th century approximately 28,000 people lived in this handsome and flourishing city Its success was largely due to its ever-expanding trade with Europe and with the American interior, and its magnificent harbour was always crowded with ships, loading and unloading. Today, the port handles an enormous amount of traffic. The Hudson River is deep enough for giant passenger liners and cargo ships to reach the very heart of the city, berthing on the Manhattan Bank. At the East River piers other cargo boats unload tropical foods from South America and load manufactured goods from thfe numerous New York factories and warehouses. Newark Bay, which has developed rapidly since World War II, handles heavy, bulky articles such as coal and timber, and Bayonne specialises in the unloading and refining of oil. Of the millions of immigrants who were attracted to the U.S. A, many decided to stay and make their homes in New York. Their different languages and customs, which they have to a large extent retained, resulted in New York becoming one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Within its boundaries are distinct districts where large numbers of people of the same nationality live. Of these, Chinatown is probably one of the best known. Here, little English is spoken md street signs with their Chinese characters belie the fact that this is an American city. Pseudo pagodas are everywhere -even disguising the telephone booths - and there are shops and stalls selling exotic vegetables, fish and spices as well as exquisite objects of jade and ivory. The New Year is heralded by colourful parades in which symbolic and elaborate lions and dragons weave in and out of the streets and the air is vibrant with the sound of firecrackers. Not far from Chinatown is Broadway, the home of the musical with its dazzling concentration of theatres and cinemas to suit every taste. The buildings that make the most lasting impression on the visitor, however, are surely the New York skyscrapers; tali fingers of glass and steel, soaring upwards and creating canyons of the streets, parts of which remain in perpetual shadow. It is these skyscrapers that have influenced urban development throughout the world. At one time the Empire State building was the tallest in the world, but it has now been superseded - even in New York - by the elegant twin towers of the World Trade Centre. virtually a city within a city. Twenty-one buildings provide , during the cooler months of the year an ice rink. Centre for the Performing Arts. Here, opera, ballet, concerts The imaginative complex of the Rockefeller Centre is offices, restaurants, banks, theatres, schools, gardens and eve Another impressive collection of buildings is the Lincoh and plays may be enjoyed in the most pleasant surroundings. New York is also the heart of the American art world, not only for exhibitions but also for important auctions. Of the many fine gatleries and museums the Metropolitan, Guggenheim, Whitney and Modern Art Museums contain some of the most superb collections in the world. Another fascinating museum is that of the American Indian, where large numbers of artefacts have been gathered, reflecting the colourful and resourceful lives of the numerous Red Indian tribes. Finely beaded clothes, fearsome weapons and even scalps may be seen among the many exhibits. Sports lovers are well catered for in New York. For spectators, Madison Square Garden provides the spectacles of ice hockey, boxing and athletics, whilst the vast Shea and Yankee Stadiums stage basketball and football. For those who want the exercise Central Park has the attraction of 840 acres of outstanding beauty in the middle of the concrete jungle of Manhattan. Various activities such as running, rowing, cycling and kite flying can here be enjoyed by everyone. Also on Manhattan is Wall Street, the site of the world-famous Stock Exchange, where millions of shares are traded daily. This short street follows the line of what was once the walled northern boundary of the original Dutch Colony and which became a financial centre shortly after the Revolutionary War Overlooking the East River is the headquarters of the United Nations, occupying a prime 18 acre site comprising a 39 storey secretariat, the administrative centre, the marble and limestone General Assembly and a large library.