The world’s most famous city
is big, bold and impressive.
Yellow taxis honk their way
down busy streets and steam
spurts skywards from manholes
as New Yorkers jostle along the
sidewalks. Having served as the
backdrop to more films and TV
shows than anywhere on the
planet, this city is used to being
a star on the world stage.
One World
Trade CENTER
The One World Trade Center towers
above the rest of the New York skyline.
The Western Hemisphere’s tallest
building was deliberately constructed at a
height of 1,776ft (541m). The measurement
marks the year 1776, when the United States
Declaration of Independence was signed. The
104 floor high super-skyscraper is next to the
site of the original World Trade Center whose
twin towers were destroyed in a terrorist attack
on September 11, 2001. The site is now home
to a memorial and museum where visitors
can pay their respects to the many people
who lost their lives.
Walk the High Line
A favourite spot of New Yorkers is the High Line,
a park built on a disused railway and elevated
above the streets of Manhattan’s West Side.
The park provides a habitat for wildlife
and is used by locals for everything from
stargazing to practising tai chi.
Statue of Liberty
Lady Liberty is so enormous, she wears size 879
shoes and has a 10.7m (35ft) waistline! Located
on Liberty Island, the statue has a narrow
staircase inside so that visitors can climb all the
way to the crown and take in fantastic views of
the city.
A bird’s eye view
The Brooklyn Bridge, which connects the
boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, is not
only popular with the thousands of people
who cross it every day, it is also a hot spot for
peregrine falcons. The rare birds have been
found nesting there because it gives them a
great view from which to hunt prey. The falcons
dive-bomb from their vantage point at speeds
of up to 320kph (200mph).
Central Park
In a city full of skyscraper-shaded streets, sometimes the sun can barely
hit the sidewalk. Central Park provides a much needed escape
from the concrete jungle. The park is vast, with 93km
(58mi) of paths winding through lawns, trees
and lakes. There is even a castle,
reservoir and a zoo nestled
amongst the greenery.
Narrow point
The Flatiron Building, which
takes its name from its unusual
triangular shape, is one of the
most photographed sights in
the city. At the narrow end the
rooms inside the building are
just under 2m (6.5ft) wide!
LIGHTNING STRIKES
One of the world’s most famous
landmarks, the Empire State Building, is so
tall it gets struck by lightning an average
of 23 times per year! Luckily the skyscraper
has been fitted with a lightning rod so that
there’s no chance of anyone coming to
harm during stormy weather.