Friday, May 25, 2012

From the Big Easy to the Big Apple



As we left New Orleans a while back I wondered why its nickname was “The Big Easy.” I found several explanations for the name. Some say it came after Mark Twain wrote that New Orleans was “The City that Care Forgot” because of the easy-going nature of its inhabitants. Others say it was because a dance hall was called “The Big Easy” in the early 1900s and also because it was easy for musicians to find work there. Another version is attributed to a columnist from the local newspaper the Times Picayune who gave the city this name in the 1970s and finally there was a film in 1987 entitled The Big Easy which was set in New Orleans. In any case I found out that many of the locals don’t like that name. Below is a vintage postcard of the skyline of New Orleans or The Big Easy.



Several days after our return home from New Orleans we flew to New York to see a special exhibit – I’ll have a post on it later. I started to wonder why New York was nicknamed “The Big Apple.” I found that it was first used in the 1920s by John J. Fitz Gerald, a columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph. He wrote articles on New York horse-racing and would call New York the “big apple.” Other writers began using the nickname and when in the early 1970s the New York tourist organization launched a marketing campaign they promoted the city as “The Big Apple.” Below is a vintage postcard of the skyline of New York City or The Big Apple.



We left for New York City on 16 May, 2012. This was the big day when the Atlanta airport opened its new International Terminal. Until then everyone had to pass through the domestic terminal. We came early that day as we thought this celebration would create delays, but it did not. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is already rated the busiest airport in the world – based on the largest number of passenger annually and most aircraft movement annually. (Please click on any collage to enlarge the pictures and then on each picture.)



The flight from Atlanta to New York La Guardia Airport takes about 1 hour 40 minutes or so (distance is 748 miles or 1204 kms.) It had been raining several days prior to our arrival but during our stay we had perfect weather, sunny, in the 70s F (24 C) and low humidity – the same weather as we had in New Orleans. I had a window seat and could see the landscape as we approached the airport.



This time our taxicab used the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge to bring us to our hotel. We had not been on this bridge before. It goes over the East River and Roosevelt Island and was completed in 1909. Below is a vintage postcard of the bridge



I tried to take pictures with my little Panasonic Lumix camera, but the cab was moving fast and it was not easy.



At our budget hotel in New York upper West Side we were given a room with a view of the Hudson River. Last October our room was on a higher floor so we could see more of the river and New Jersey from our window. This time we saw more greenery.



It was still early so we went out for a walk. The American Museum of National History is only 4 blocks away and we took another peek inside (to be in a future post) then crossed the street to enter Central Park. We walked in Central Park last October down toward Strawberry Fields and the memorial to John Lennon (I took many pictures then and will have to make a post later.) This time we walked up and stopped to take a picture at Bank Rock Bay.



We also stopped on the newly restored Oak Bridge at Bank Rock Bay. It was originally built of white oak, in 1860, and restored in 2009 to its original look. Historic photographs and records were used to copy the decorative cast iron set in the railings. Below is a collage of the new bridge and a stereoscopic view of the original bridge I found on Wikimedia Commons.



Standing on this bridge I could see many turtles swimming in the small bay below. Some were quite large.



Every time we visit New York City we go to Central Park. It is so large and varied with such a rich ecological community that it is a joy to walk on its many paths. In 1857 the city selected Frederic Law Olmsted and the British architect Calvert Vaux to design and create the park. More than 3 million cubic yards of soil were moved and 270,000 trees planted by 20,000 workers to create the pastoral landscape. To blast out the rocky ridges more gunpowder was used than was later fired at the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. It was opened in 1859 and by 1865 more than seven million visitors came yearly to the park. Below is a vintage postcard of Central Park.



In 2006 I purchased the Central Park Conservancy map and guide. It gives a lot of information on the park such as: every season 17,600 pounds of seed are used to reseed the lawns.



There are over 9,000 benches in Central Park. If placed end to end they would cover seven miles (11.2 kms.) They are a diverse lot crafted from wood, iron in different sizes and styles. I have taken many pictures of the benches over the years like the unique semicircular marble bench created by Waldo Hutchins below (1822-1891.) This year I took pictures of old wooden benches set among peaceful areas and flowers.



There are 55 sculptures and monuments in the park viewed by 38 million visitors per year (more than the annual combined attendance of Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art and the Bronx Zoo.) It is the most visited urban park in the US. Pedestrian pathways cover 58 miles (93.3 kms.) Below is one of the pathways we used.



Central Park is home to many birds and more than 270 species of migratory birds stop in the park as well. Below are a couple of birds I photographed while resting on a bench.



There is so much biodiversity in the 843 acres of Central Park (3.41 km²): plants, trees, wildlife, ponds, lakes and a multitude of flowers. It is a great escape from the noise and the crowds on the streets of Manhattan.



We walked up the path to Belvedere Castle, which we had not seen before. This small Victorian castle was created by Calvert Vaux in 1869. Below is a vintage postcard of the castle.



This charming Gothic-style castle sits on Vista Rock. It was designed as a landmark for visitors to the park. The views from the balconies are spectacular. It was too late for us to enter the building which is now a visitor’s center and never was a castle. Inside is a collection of skeletons, microscopes, telescopes and papier maché birds. It is called The Henry Luce Nature Observatory. We’ll have to come again another time.




It was almost 6:00 pm so it was a bit dark to take pictures, but I kept at it as I really liked the old stones and the view from this high point in the park.



My husband was also looking at the view, but when I came closer to him I saw that he was looking at a duck perched on a rock in the pond below.



Before leaving the park we sat on a bench in a small area empty of people. We watched the New York skyline visible behind a wooden fence. Then a couple of people came across the path carrying a radio. We could faintly hear some baroque music. They never looked at us and started dancing. Another couple of people introduced themselves to the first couple and they started to dance with them. Then a man with a small child came and introduced himself to them and they all curtsied and went on dancing like in a farandole. Perhaps they were rehearsing a show? We watched them for a while, and then we left.



We had seen so much in just a few hours in New York that we felt we had been there a full day. We went back to our room in time to watch the sun go down.


28 comments:

  1. Beautiful! Such a wonderful trip to New York. Thank you for the pictures, I especially enjoyed those old benches, and the final sunset. So lovely! :-)

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  2. Vagabonde, I can see (and already know) that you love Central Park as much as I do.

    Here's a little annecdote...last week, when food shopping in my neighborhood Fairway Market on Broadway, I once again had the opportunity to briefly chat with our former mayor Ed Koch. He lives downtown, but still likes to shop at the Fairway.

    xo

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  3. Oh, Vagabonde, what a lovely journey you have given us today! From The Big Easy to the Big Apple by way of Atlanta! I have very hazy memories of Central Park and it was lovely to visit it once again. You have a wonderful way of taking us with you! So thank you!

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  4. There is something so magical and extraordinary about Central Park....This HUGE piece of land that everyone revere's and worships as well as treaasures, in the middle of this fantastic incredible city...I was juat talking to an old friend who lives in NYC and walks her dog in the Park, pretty much daily---And we were in awe of the fact that this Great Great Park, exists and always will exist in the Greatest City In...well...Maybe, the World.....!

    I LOVE all your pictures, Vagabonde....They are ALL absolutely wonderful and brought back so many memories for me....I look forward to MORE of this trip to NYC!

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  5. Always so much fun to read your posts... I had not had time to read the last one. Congratulations for being part of the "Romantic Country" Magazine!

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  6. I haven't been to New York in such a long while, but oh, how I love it! You really captured it -- although I've never been to Belvedere. Must add that to the list!

    I thought of you often when I was in France and wondered "What would Vagabond do here!" You make an impression!

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  7. Central Park is easily the BEST thing in NYC.
    And the Atlanta Airport? UGH, the least said about it, the better!

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  8. Thanks so much for this fascination post with its wonderful pictures, Vagabonde. You have brought back to me so vividly the happy memories of my one and only visit to New York in the company of my son.

    We walked across Central Park from the Guggenheim to the Museum of Natural History, visiting the Belvedere en route and admiring the marvellous views from the top. Lovely to be reminded of this by your post. :-)

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  9. Bonjour Vagabonde. Thank you for taking me back to a favorite city of mine, New York. When I last visited two years ago with my husband and then 10-year old son, not a day passed without a visit to Central Park. What a fabulous place! Paris has great parks too, including its two "lungs" the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes. Still, they are not as accessible to pedestrians as the aptly-named Central Park is to New Yorkers... Merci for another informative post. Bon weekend! Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

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  10. I've never had enough free time in New York to visit Central Park, but we must make a point of it if we visit there again. Your photos make it look so enticing.
    K

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  11. Wow, amazing shots of New York. Love all the vintage postcards, too. We just came back from New Orleans a couple weekends ago. Still zany and weird as always, but enjoyable. Now that we live so close, we'll be making more trips.

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  12. What ,a treat to see your photos of NYC! We lived in PA until 1989 when we moved to CO. An annual trip to NYC was a must for theater and shopping. BTW if you go to Zion, you must also visit Bryce - it was wonderful there and not crowded early in spring.

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  13. Hello, Vagabonde.

     Your heartwarming works fascinates my heart.

     Thank you for your kindness.
     And i pray for you and yours peace.

    Have a good new-week. From Japan, ruma ❃

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  14. A wonderful post. I too loved Central Park when I visited New York, although I still quite accept that it is a rectangle. I expect parks to be random shapes, like the London parks, but then I forget the scale of the park. On the subject of nicknames I wonder if ever there was a little apple?

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  15. Bonjour Merci de ton passage je ne peux pas tout lire ce matin alors je repasserai mais je viens de regarder tes photos, elles sont magnifiques
    j'espère que tu vas bien!
    je t'embrasse et je te souhaite une belle journée bisou

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  16. Superbe posts sur ma ville adorée. Belles photos et belles collections de cartes postales.
    NYC est magnifique

    Publicity ;o) Every Friday (and the Weekend), The Challenge "Walk In The Street Photography"

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  17. It sounds like a fun trip, New York is a great city to visit. Nice shots!

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  18. Dear Vagabonde, thank you for sharing the trip to New York, especially Central Park. I've been to New York only once--when I was twenty-one in 1957. I briefly visited Central Park and was enthralled by the sculpture of Hans Christine Anderson sitting on a bench with the duckling below (or that's how I remember it). I especially liked your photographs of the castle and the benches.

    I'm wondering, Vagabonde, if you read mystery novels? If so, you might be interested--if you haven't already read them--in the novels by Linda Fairstein. They take place in New York and the reader learns a lot of New York history and visits many, many sites and buildings there.

    Those mysteries would be a real treat for a traveler like yourself.

    Peace.

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  19. Thank you Vagabonde for stopping by.
    You have a lovely blog.
    I love NY, Central Park is a gorgeous place to stroll. Always go there for a walk whenever I'm in Big Apple.
    The last photo is beautiful.
    Natalie

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  20. I don't know why, but I've been to NYC a couple of times but have never set foot in Central Park. I MUST see it next time and explore all the biodiversity. I love the birds in your photos. O i remember now, the first time i was in NYC i walked passed an entrance to Central Park but there were some people just sitting there and I was alone, and decided to just pass it by. Is it safe to visit the park on one's own, do you think?

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  21. I just love seeing all these places through your eyes, Vagabonde, because you give us so much "enlightenment" about everything. I still am amazed by how many vintage postcards you have of all these important sites!

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  22. Un très beau voyage! Merci, Vagabonde, de nous y avoir associé!

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  23. Lovely photos of Central Park, and of course as always your vintage postcards are a delightful addition!

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  24. Vous avez vu beaucoup de New York. C ' est très intéressant. Merci de votre visite. Oui Tiberias est nommé après l'empereur. Si vous voulez lire l' histoire de Tiberias vous pouvez presser sur " Read more"
    I am sorry that I have to ask everybody to click on " read more" . I don't like the new system of blogging. But i hope to do a better job next time, when my laptop has been repaired.

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  25. Un bel ensemble de photos modernes et d'images anciennes
    Merci de votre visite et de vos gentils mots

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  26. I enjoy your photos and travel commentary. Meant to return here sooner after finding your blog earlier this year.

    Can only imagine how New Orleans has changed since the hurricane and when I was there in '56.

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  27. A beautiful day. We went to the Museum of Natural History too the day we went to Central Park last time. But it was mostly because it was raining so hard we needed to get out of it. But it's a wonderful museum. The park is fantastic, and I enjoyed the many details you shared. It is a phenomenal responsibility to take care of the park. And the park has wi-fi!

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  28. Thanks you friends for visiting my blog and leaving comments. I am not answering each one of you here as I prefer to spend the time reading your posts on your blogs until I am caught up. I do appreciate your visit very much and welcome any new visitor to my blog.

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