New York City’s Iconic Landmarks
Every July, we celebrate the best things about America, including some of its most iconic and famous national landmarks. Here are four classic landmarks from one of the biggest and most famous cities in the United States: New York.
Central Park
As New York City grew, its residents began to worry about the lack of green spaces in the city. In 1853 the New York state legislature approved a bill to set aside a parcel of land for a public park, and two designers, Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmstead, won a design competition to determine the park’s layout and various features.
The park’s design was simple, to signal that it was open to all regardless of their race, gender, social status, or wealth. Since its opening in 1857, the park has been home to tourists, visitors, and even a small flock of sheep (that was evicted to Prospect Park in 1934). Central Park now draws more visitors than any other urban park in the US.
Statue of Liberty
Liberty Enlightening the World was a gift from France to the United States in 1886. Designed by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the statue was constructed in France, then disassembled and brought across the ocean to New York City. Once at its new home, it was placed on a pedestal designed by Richard Morris Hunt.
Though building the pedestal and reassembling the statue upon it faced substantial funding problems during its time, Lady Liberty has become a beloved landmark that welcomes tourists and immigrants alike to the city, and reminds them of the bright beacon of freedom. After it was closed to the public for renovations, and then due to security concerns, it was opened again in 2009.
Times Square
This intersection, at the corner of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, is maybe one of the most famous in the world. When the Dutch originally settled in Manhattan, they named this area — near three major streams — “Great Kill”. The area became a sprawling center of commerce by 1890, and in 1904 the New York Times moved its offices to this classic location. Times Square grew rapidly, along with the city itself, and by the 1960s it had gained a reputation as a den of ill repute. But in the 1990s the city made a concerted effort to clean up the area. It now draws 50 million tourists each year, and is now the home of many tourist attractions and businesses — along with, of course, the Times Square Ball Drop on New Year’s Eve.
Freedom Tower
Also known as One World Trade Center, this 104-story skyscraper is the fourth tallest in the world. It’s built on the site of the original World Trade Center, which was tragically destroyed in the events of 9/11. After substantial public debate about what to do with the site, architect Daniel Libeskind’s design for Freedom Tower was approved in 2002.
Though the design and construction period were dogged by concerns about follow up terrorist attacks, the tower’s construction was completed in 2013, and the first tenants began to move in in 2014. Today, Freedom Tower’s sleek, metallic design is a visually striking and emotionally moving testament to how America can recover from even the most awful tragedies.
We’re proud New Yorker’s here at DentalSave. And we’re even more proud of how much we help our members save. Over paying for dental procedures? Fuhgeddaboudit!
