Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At the gateway to the Seaport, at Fulton and Water streets, is the
Titanic
Memorial Lighthouse,
a monument to those who lost their
lives when the ocean liner sank on April 15, 1912. It was erected
overlooking the East River in 1913 and moved to this spot in 1968,
just after the historic district was so designated.
At Water and South sts.; museum visitor center is at 12 Fulton St.
&
212/748-8600
or 212/SEA-PORT. www.southstseaport.org. Museum admission $8 adults, $6 stu-
dents and seniors, $4 children 5-12, free for children under 5. Museum Apr-Oct
Tues-Sun 10am-6pm, Thurs 10am-8pm; Nov-Mar Fri-Mon 10am-5pm. Subway: 2,
3, 4, 5 to Fulton St. (walk east, or downslope, on Fulton St. to Water St.).
3 Skyscrapers & Other Architectural Highlights
For details on the
Empire State Building
, see p. 125; for
Grand Central Terminal
, p. 126; for
Rockefeller Center
,
p. 128; and for the
Brooklyn Bridge
, p. 122. You might also
wish to check out “Places of Worship,” below, for treasures like
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Temple Emanu-El,
and the
Cathedral of
St. John the Divine
.
The Upper West Side is home to two of the city's prime examples
of residential architecture. On Broadway, taking up the block
between 73rd and 74th streets, is the
Ansonia,
looking for all the
world like a flamboyant architectural wedding cake. This splendid
Beaux Arts building has been home to the likes of Stravinsky,
Toscanini, and Caruso, thanks to its virtually soundproof apartments.
(It was also where members of the Chicago White Sox plotted to
throw the 1919 World Series, a year before Babe Ruth moved in after
donning the New York Yankees' pinstripes.) Even more notable is the
Dakota,
at 72nd Street and Central Park West. Legend has it that the
angular 1884 apartment house—accented with gables, dormers, and
oriel windows that give it a brooding appeal—earned its name when
its forward-thinking developer, Edward S. Clark, was teased by
friends that he was building so far north of the city that he might as
well be building in the Dakotas. The building's most famous resident,
John Lennon, was gunned down outside the 72nd Street entrance on
December 8, 1980; Yoko Ono still lives inside.
Chrysler Building
Built as Chrysler Corporation headquar-
ters in 1930, this is perhaps the 20th century's most romantic archi-
tectural achievement, especially at night when the lights in its
triangular openings play off its steely crown. As you admire its
facade, be sure to note the gargoyles reaching out from the upper
