USA - New York - Adirondacks

Adirondacks of New York
Majestic mountains, shimmering blue lakes and spectacular natural wonders offer the vacationist much to see. The Adirondask Park, a mixture of public and private lands of 6 million acres, is the largest in the contiguous 48 states.

Sent by Gillman, a postcrosser from New York, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex,Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties.

The mountains are often included by geographers in the Appalachian Mountains, but they bear a greater geological similarity to theLaurentian Mountains of Canada. They are bordered on the east by Lake Champlain and Lake George, which separate them from the Green Mountains in Vermont. They are bordered to the south by the Mohawk Valley, and to the west by the Tug Hill Plateau, separated by the Black River. This region is south of the Saint Lawrence River.

The Adirondack Mountains are contained within the 6.1 million acres (2.5×10⁶ ha) of the Adirondack Park, which includes a constitutionally protected Forest Preserve of approximately 2,300,000 acres (930,000 ha). About 43% of the land is owned by the state, with 57% private inholdings, heavily regulated by the Adirondack Park Agency. The Adirondack Park contains thousands of streams, brooks and lakes, most famously Lake Placid, adjacent to the village of Lake Placid, two-time site of the Winter Olympic Games, the Saranac Lakes, favored by the sportsmen who made the Adirondacks famous, and Raquette Lake, site of many of the first Great Camps.

USA - New York - Central Park - Strawberry Fields

Strawberry Fields, Central Park, New York City.

Sent by Amanda, a WiP partner from Florida, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Strawberry Fields is a 2.5-acre (10,000 m2) landscaped section in New York City's Central Park that is dedicated to the memory of the musician John Lennon. It is named after The Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever".

The Central Park memorial was designed by Bruce Kelly, the chief landscape architect for the Central Park Conservancy. Strawberry Fields was dedicated on what would have been Lennon's 45th birthday, 9 October 1985, by New York Mayor Ed Koch and Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, who had underwritten the project.

The entrance to the memorial is located on Central Park West at West 72nd Street, directly across from the Dakota Apartments, where Lennon had lived for the later part of his life, and where he was murdered. The memorial is a triangular piece of land falling away on the two sides of the park, and its focal point is a circular pathway mosaic of inlaid stones, with a single word, the title of Lennon's famous song: "Imagine". This was a gift from the city of Naples. Along the borders of the area surrounding the mosaic are benches which are endowed in memory of other individuals and maintained by the Central Park Conservancy. Along a path toward the southeast, a plaque on a low glaciated outcropping of schist lists the nations which contributed to building the memorial. Yoko Ono who still lives in The Dakota, contributed over a million dollars for the landscaping and for the upkeep endowment.

The mosaic is at the heart of a series of open and secret glades of lawn and glacier-carved rock outcroppings, bounded by shrubs and mature trees and woodland slopes, all designated a "quiet zone". A woodland walk winds through edge plantings between the glade-like upper lawn and the steep wooded slopes; it contains native rhododendrons and hollies, Carolina Allspice (Calycanthus floridus), Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), viburnums, and Jetbead. Wild shrub roses and a mature pink Magnolia × soulangeana flank the main walk. At the farthest northern tip of the upper series of lawns enclosed by woodland are three Dawn Redwood trees, which lose their needles but regain them every spring, an emblem of eternal renewal. The trees can be expected to reach a height of 36 metres (118 ft) within 100 years, and eventually they will be visible from great distances in the park.

The memorial is often covered with flowers, candles in glasses, and other belongings left behind by Lennon fans. On Lennon's birthday (October 9) and on the anniversary of his death (December 8), people gather to sing songs and pay tribute, staying late into what is often a cold night.

Impromptu memorial gatherings for other musicians, including Jerry Garcia and George Harrison, have occurred at the memorial. Many times, particularly in the summer and on the anniversaries of birthdays of the other members of The Beatles, gatherings take place at the site. In the days following the September 11, 2001 attacks, candlelight vigils were held at the Imagine Circle to remember those killed. On the thirtieth anniversary of John Lennon's death, vigils were also held here for him.

One of its best-known visitors is Gary dos Santos, a fan of The Beatles who decorates the memorial in circles of different flowers and objects, often in the shape of a peace sign.

USA - New York

NEW YORK
From the United Nations Looking Downtown.

Sent by Oleg, a postcrosser from New York, USA. Terima kasih (thanks) for the nice beautiful big UN stamps.

USA - New York - McSorley's Old Ale House

McSorley's Old Ale House, 15 East 7th Street.

Sent by clemoinlilea, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : McSorley's Old Ale House, generally known as McSorley's, is the oldest "Irish" tavern in New York City. Located at 15 East 7th Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, it was one of the last of the "Men Only" pubs, only admitting women after legally being forced to do so in 1970.

The aged artwork, newspaper articles covering the walls, sawdust floors, and the Irish waiters and bartenders give McSorley's an atmosphere that many consider, correctly or not, reminiscent of "Olde New York." No piece of memorabilia has been removed from the walls since 1910, and there are many items of "historical" paraphernalia in the bar, such as Houdini's handcuffs, which are connected to the bar rail. There are also wishbones hanging above the bar; supposedly they were hung there by boys going off to World War I, to be removed when they returned, so the wishbones that are left are from those that never returned.

Two of McSorley's mottos are "Be Good or Be Gone", and "We were here before you were born". Prior to the 1970 ruling, the motto was "Good Ale, Raw Onions and No Ladies"; the raw onions can still be had as part McSorley's cheese platter.

New York magazine considered McSorley's to be one of New York City's Top 5 Historic Bars.

McSorley's has long claimed that it opened its doors in 1854; however, historical research has shown that the site was a vacant lot in 1861.

The evidence for the 1854 date was considerable, but second-hand. A document at the Museum of the City of New York from 1904, in founder John McSorley's hand, declares it was established in 1854, and a New York Tribune article from 1895 states it "has stood for 40 years. . . " a short distance from Cooper Union.[citation needed] A 1913 article in Harper's Weekly declares that "This famous saloon ... is sixty years old."

According to a 1995 New York Times "Streetscapes" article by Christopher Gray, the census taker who visited the Irish-born McSorley in 1880 recorded the year the founder of the pub first arrived in the United States as 1855, but immigration records show that he arrived on January 23, 1851, at the age of 18, accompanied by Mary McSorley, who was 16. When confronted with the fact that the 1880 census did not contain this entry, Gray corrected it to 1900 in his book. John McSorley first appeared in city directories in 1862, and the building his bar occupies was built no earlier than 1858, according to city records.

Women were not allowed in McSorley's until August 10, 1970, after National Organization for Women attorneys Faith Seidenberg and Karen DeCrow took their discrimination case against the bar to District Court and won.[9] It did so "kicking and screaming." With the ruling allowing women to be served, the bathroom became coed. Sixteen years later, a ladies room was installed.

USA - New York - Albany

ALBANY, NEW YORK
A bird's-eye view of the city with the many contemporary structures mingling with the historic architecture. Located in the background is the Hudson River.

Sent by Cathy, a WiP partner from New York, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Albany (i/ˈɔːlbəniː/ awl-bə-nee) is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly 150 miles (240 km) north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about 10 miles (16 km) south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. The population of the city was 97,856 at the time of the 2010 census, and the population of the greater metropolitan area was estimated at 857,592 in 2009. Albany has close ties with the nearby cities of Troy, Schenectady, and Saratoga Springs, forming a region called the Capital District. The bulk of this area is made up of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA); this MSA is the fourth-largest urban area in New York and the 56th-largest MSA in the country.

Albany saw its first European settlement in 1614 and was officially chartered as a city in 1686. It became the capital of New York in 1797. It is one of the oldest surviving settlements from the original thirteen colonies, and the longest continuously chartered city in the United States. Modern Albany was founded as the Dutch trading posts of Fort Nassau in 1614 and Fort Orange in 1624; the fur trade brought in a population that settled around Fort Orange and founded a village called Beverwijck. The English took over and renamed the city Albany in 1664, in honor of the then Duke of Albany, the future James II of England and James VII of Scotland. The city was officially chartered in 1686 with the issuance of the Dongan Charter, the oldest effective city charter in the nation and possibly the longest-running instrument of municipal government in the Western Hemisphere. Albany is one of the first cities in the world to install public water mains and sewer lines. It is also one of the first cities in the world to install natural gas lines and electricity. This technology in Albany brought substantial new industry into the city and surrounding areas during the 19th century. During the late 18th century and throughout most of the 19th, Albany was a center of transportation. It is located on the north end of the navigable Hudson River, was the original eastern terminus of the Erie Canal, and was home to some of the earliest railroad systems in the world. Albany's main exports at the time were beer, lumber, published works, and ironworks. Beginning in 1810, Albany was one of the ten most populous cities in the nation, a distinction that it held until the 1860 census. In the 20th century, the city opened one of the first commercial airports in the world, the precursor of today's Albany International Airport. The 1920s saw the rise of a powerful political machine controlled by the Democratic Party. The city's skyline changed in the 1960s with the construction of the Empire State Plaza and the uptown campus of SUNY Albany, mainly under the direction of Governor Nelson Rockefeller. While Albany experienced a decline in its population due to urban sprawl, many of its historic neighborhoods were saved from destruction through the policies of Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd, the longest-serving mayor of any city in the United States. More recently, the city has experienced growth in the high-technology industry, with great strides in the nanotechnology sector.

Albany has been a center of higher education for over a century, with much of the remainder of its economy dependent on state government and health care services. The city has experienced a rebound from the urban decline of the 1970s and 1980s, with noticeable development happening in the city's downtown and midtown neighborhoods. Albany is known for its extensive history, culture, architecture, and institutions of higher education. The city is home to the mother churches of two Christian dioceses as well as the oldest Christian congregation in Upstate New York. Albany has won the All-America City Award in both 1991 and 2009.

USA - New York - Prometheus Fountain In Rockefeller Center

Prometheus Fountain In Rockefeller Center, New York City.

Sent by Marta, a postcrosser from London, England.

USA - New York - Mapcard (4)

NEW YORK
Empire State
CAPITAL : Albany. AREA 49,576 sq. mi.
MOTTO : Excelsior, Ever Upward.
FLOWER : Rose
TREE : Sugar Maple.
11th of the Original 13 States.

Sent by Regina from New York, USA.

USA - New York - United Nations - Security Council Chamber

UNITED NATIONS
Security Council Chamber

Sent by Matt, a postcrosser from Chicago, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : The designated Security Council Chamber in the United Nations Conference Building, designed by the Norwegian architect Arnstein Arneberg, was the specific gift of Norway. The mural painted by the Norwegian artist Per Krohg depicts a phoenix rising from its ashes, symbolic of the world reborn after World War II. In the blue and gold silk tapestry on the walls and in the draperies of the windows overlooking the East River appear the anchor of faith, the wheat stems of hope, and the heart of charity.[

USA - New York - Niagara Falls

NIAGARA FALLS
A spectacular view of the floodlit American Falls. The City of Niagara Falls, New York can be seen behind the falls.

Sent by Julie, a postcrosser from Finger Lakes region of New York, USA.

USA - New York - United Nations - Headquarters (1)

UNITED NATIONS - New York CityWas founded in 1954 and now has 192 member countries.

Sent by Hannah, a postcrosser from USA.

This is from Wikipedia : The headquarters of the United Nations is a distinctive complex in New York City, United States, that has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River. Its borders are First Avenue on the west, East 42nd Street to the south, East 48th Street on the north and the East River to the east. Turtle Bay is used as a synonym for the U.N. headquarters or for the U.N. as a whole.

The United Nations has three additional, subsidiary, regional headquarters or headquarter districts. These are located in Geneva (Switzerland), Vienna (Austria), and Nairobi (Kenya). These adjunct offices help represent UN interests, facilitate diplomatic activities, and enjoy certain extraterritorial privileges, but only the main headquarters in New York contains the seats of the principal organs of the UN, including the General Assembly and Security Council. All 15 of the United Nation's specialized agencies are located outside New York at these other headquarters or in other cities.

Though it is in New York City, and part of the United States, the land used by the United Nations Headquarters is considered international territory, while also being subject to most local, state, and federal laws. For award purposes Amateur radio operators consider it a separate "entity", and for communications the UN has its own internationally recognized ITU prefix, 4U.

The FDR Drive passes underneath the Conference Building of the complex.

The United Nations Headquarters complex was constructed in New York City in 1949 and 1950 beside the East River, on 17 acres (69,000 m2) of land purchased from the foremost New York real estate developer of the time, William Zeckendorf. Nelson Rockefeller arranged this purchase, after an initial offer to locate it on the Rockefeller family estate of Kykuit was rejected as being too isolated from Manhattan. The $8.5 million purchase was then funded by his father, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who donated it to the City. The lead architect for the building was the real estate firm of Wallace Harrison, the personal architectural adviser for the family.

USA -New York - State Bird

NEW YORK STATE BIRD
Male Eastern Bluebird on Apple Blossom.

Sent by Heather, a postcrosser from New York.

This is from Wikipedia : The Eastern Bluebird, Sialia sialis, is a small thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards, and most recently can be spotted in suburban areas. It is the state bird of Missouri and New York.

Adults have a white belly. Adult males are bright blue and red on top and have a reddish brown throat and breast. Adult females have lighter blue wings and tail, a brownish throat and breast and a grey crown and back. Eastern Bluebirds are found east of the Rockies, southern Canada to the Gulf States and southeastern Arizona to Nicaragua.

The bright blue breeding plumage of the male, easily observed on a wire or open perch, fluttering down to the mowed grass to capture a grasshopper, cricket or beetle makes this species a favorite of birders. The male's call includes sometimes soft warbles of jeew or chir-wi or the melodious song chiti WEEW wewidoo (Sibley, 2000).

USA - New York - The Island Boatyard & Marina

THE ISLAND BOATYARD & MARINA
Shelter Island, Long Island, New York 11964
Situated at the entrance of beautiful Menantic Creek in secluded West Neck Harbor in picturesque Shelter Island, this full service marina with dockage of 74 boats offers a pool, cocktail lounge, barbecue area, deli and a ship's store.

Sent by Cathy, a WiP partner from USA.

"Shelter Island Marina and Boatyard, established since 1978, is a complete Marine Facility located in Richmond, B.C., Canada on the South Arm of the Fraser River.

Shelter Island Marina and Boatyard has over 8,000 linear feet of fresh water moorage, complete with telephone, water, cablevision and metered 20, 30 and 50 amp power.

Shelter Island Marina and Boatyard is host to two of the largest Travelifts on the Pacific Coast, lifting vessels from 20' to 130'. Storage, both long and short term, is available for over 300 vessels all year round.

Customers may choose one of the many on-site marine repair businesses. Shelter Island welcomes do-it yourselfers.

Shelter Island Marina and Boatyard also offers a fully stocked marine hardware store, covered storage, sandblasting and spray painting facilities.

Shelter Island Marina and Boatyard follows the best management practices to protect the environment."(Source)

USA - New York - Lake Minnewaska

NEW PALTZ, NEW YORK
A dramatic autumn view of Lake Minnewaska located in the Minnewaska State Park Preserve on the Shawagunk Mountain ridge. The lake is a breathtaking and scenic area to enjoy boating, scuba diving and swimming.

Sent by Rose, a WiP partner from New Jersey, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a 21,106 acre (8,541 ha) preserve located on the Shawangunk Ridge in New York on US 44/NY 55, five miles (8 km) east of New York State Route 299. The park is managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. It is primarily used for picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing and swimming. There are outstanding views of the nearby Catskill Mountains. There are three sky lakes within the Park Preserve: Lake Minnewaska, Lake Awosting, and Mud Pond. Lake Minnewaska is roughly a mile long by a quarter-mile at its widest point. Lake Awosting is roughly twice as large.

USA - New York - Brooklyn Bridge

NEW YORK
The Brooklyn Bridge completed in 1883 with the Twin Towers in the background. The Brooklynn Bridge is the most famous bridge that spans the East River connecting Brooklyn with Manhattan.

Sent by Yolanda, a TravBuddy friend who lives in New York, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. With a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m), it was the longest suspension bridge in the world from its opening until 1903, and the first steel-wire suspension bridge.

Originally referred to as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, it was dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge in an 1867 letter to the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and formally so named by the city government in 1915. Since its opening, it has become an iconic part of the New York skyline. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972.

USA - New York - Statue of Liberty (4)

Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island, New York City.
This 300ft. statue illuminates the Gateway to the New World. It has become the symbol of liberty and was presented to the people of the United States, in 1883, by the people of France.

Sent by Cathy, a WiP partner from New York, USA.

USA - New York - Carnegie Hall

1954
Built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1890, Carnegie Hall is one of the famous venues for classical and popular musical performances in the United States.

Sent by Cathy, a WiP partner from USA.

This is from Wikipedia : Carnegie Hall (pronounced /kɑɹˈneɪɡi/ (kar-NAY-gee), also frequently /ˈkɑɹnɨɡi/ or /kɑɹˈnɛɡi/) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park.

Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1891, it is one of the most prestigious venues in the world for classical music and popular music. Carnegie Hall has its own artistic programming, development, and marketing departments, and presents about 250 performances each season. It is also rented out to performing groups. The hall has not had a resident company since 1962, when the New York Philharmonic moved to Lincoln Center's Philharmonic Hall (renamed Avery Fisher Hall in 1973).

Other concert halls that bear Carnegie's name include: 420-seat Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg, West Virginia; 1928-seat Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the main site of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh; 1022-seat Carnegie Music Hall annexed to Pittsburgh suburb Homestead's Carnegie library; and the first ever Carnegie Hall, a 540-seat venue, in Andrew Carnegie's native Dunfermline.

USA - New York - Statue of Liberty (3)

New York's Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island.

Sent by James from Macomb in Michigan, USA.

USA - New York - Brooklyn Bridge

NEW YORK
Dawn and Dusk
Brooklyn Bridge, East River, Financial District skyline.

Sent by Jim from Flushing in New York, USA.

This is from Wikipedia : The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. At 5,989 feet (1825 m), it was the longest suspension bridge in the world from its opening until 1903, and the first steel-wire suspension bridge.

Originally referred to as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, it was dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge in an 1867 letter to the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and formally so named by the city government in 1915. Since its opening, it has become an iconic part of the New York skyline. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964.

USA - New York - Mapcard (3)

A map postcard of New York and adjacent cities.

Sent by Dorothy, a WiP partner from New York, USA.

USA - New York - Mapcard (2)

Sent by Cathy from New York.