Famous Ankles

The Statue of Liberty (sorta) at One New York Plaza

Posted July 11, 2008 by Famous Ankles
Categories: Battery Park, Events, Manhattan, Wanderings

When you think of Manhattan buildings, you think skyscrapers. Not absolutely true, but NYC does have more than its fair share of tall, tall buildings. The furthest south of all the skyscrapers is the fifty story One New York Plaza building. It was built on reclaimed land in 1969 and I haven’t the foggiest idea of who inhabits it. I presume its Wall Street types as it is only a couple of blocks away from the NYSE.

The thing that caught my attention is that little figure in front of it. I can’t remember how high it was, maybe five to seven feet; but it turns out that it was part of something called “Statues of Liberty on Parade” and they are decorated with major league baseball team art. This one was for the Colorado Rockies. (That means there are a whole bunch around and I’ve missed them all!)

Go a few yards further south and you can see the real one in the distance. Go a little further to the west and you’ll see a number of charactors dressed up as the Statue of Liberty and willing to pose with you for a small fee. You can pose with this one for free.

-H

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Another Tudor City Greens Post

Posted July 10, 2008 by Famous Ankles
Categories: Manhattan, Mid-town, Tudor City, Wanderings

Something as special as Tudor City Greens (the little park at 41st to 42nd Streets and Tudor City Place in Manhattan) deserves more than one look. I recently posted on it and just wanted to add some more pictures and commentary.

These are still pictures of the South park part of the Greens. There was a small band playing in the park recently. These aren’t street musicians, but a group contracted by Tudor City to come and play for the residents (and whoever else happened to be there).

Right smack in the middle of the park (which is a pretty small park) is a fountain. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed water flowing in it, but it is a fountain. And a planter, it appears.

There are essentially three east-west walkways and two north-south ones. Below is a view from the fountain looking at the band which was playing near the middle of the northern east-west walkway.

And today’s last photo is from the middle of the westernmost north-south walkway looking in the same direction as the previous picture. If you picture this in your mind, you’ll see that the park is pretty small.

But it is a great little park.

-H

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Fraunces Tavern

Posted July 9, 2008 by Famous Ankles
Categories: Battery Park, Manhattan, Wanderings

On the Fourth of July, I ankled past Frances Tavern; a museum and restaurant located on Pearl Street way down south in Manhattan.

Technically, it calls itself “The Museum of Colonial & Revolutionary History”. But I have to admit the idea of a combo restaurant-museum is pretty cool. I was there too early to try the place out, but I would imagine it’s…interesting. I don’t know if I would have gone in. I went through Menupages and found it’s highly rated, but expensive: burgers are $14 and a chicken pot pie is $16. Even in Manhattan, I can find better deals.

But I have to admit, a burger from the joint that Washington bid his famed farewell to the troops in 1783, an event that led King George III to say that Washington would the the greatest man in the world (for behaving like Cincinnatus and laying down power being thrust upon him and going back to be a farmer), is a bit attractive. Maybe I will…

-H

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Wendell Willkie Plaque at the New York Public Library

Posted July 8, 2008 by Famous Ankles
Categories: Mid-town, Wanderings

You may know that I’m a sucker for historical plaques and monuments and the like. No difference here. I’ve probably walked by it a million times and I remember seeing it at points but it never really registered. After all, Wendell Willkie isn’t a name that one hears too often nowadays.

And on perhaps the most nondescript part of the outside of the NYPL, there’s a plaque to this former lawyer and presidential candidate.

It reads: “Wendell Willkie 1892-1944 I believe in America because in it we are free – free to choose our government to speak our minds to observe our different religions.”

Willkie ran for president in 1940 and one of the goals of that election was to stop Roosevelt from breaking the implied two-term limit on the presidency. He failed and FDR went on to a third and a fourth term.

Oddly enough, Roosevelt outlived Willkie. Willkie died in 1944, before his term would have expired.

Willkie spent a number of years living in NYC, but I have no idea of any links between him and the Library.

-H

Comments: 3 Comments

Castle Clinton in Battery Park

Posted July 7, 2008 by Famous Ankles
Categories: Battery Park, Manhattan, Wanderings

Way down at the southern tip of Manhattan is a little fort that was built in ’bout 1811 to keep out those pesky Brits. It’s called “Castle Clinton“, apparently named after the former governor of New York.

As odd as it may seem, it used to be the sole inhabitant of a small island off the tip of Manhattan. Long ago, they did some backfilling and it’s now squarely in Battery Park. I’ve always associated the “Battery” park’s name with Castle Clinton, ’cause it was a military installation and had a number of cannon in it. I believe that’s what the openings were for originally.

It’s got a great entrance area, with some wonderfully large studded doors. Inside, it’s open to the sky, with roofing at the inner edges of the circular structure.

But mainly, it’s just a Parks center where they sell tickets to get to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. They’ve got some displays in there, but nothing that rivets my attention, at least.

Well, there is a plaque that details how Castle Clinton has fared over the years. It doesn’t seem to have ever been used in wartime, but it was a “public center” where dignitaries were received including Lafayette, Andy Jackson, and Jenny Lind. Heck, for 45 years, it was even an aquarium.

Nowadays, it’s just a little place in the corner of Battery Park. It would be great in the rain as it has covered seating and a nice little view of some of the surrounding tall buildings.

It’s just one of those little places in the park that you see and have to wander through everytime you get near it. Nothing particularly special, but it is certainly a pleasant little place.