New York State
A state with the same name as it’s largest city inevitably causes confusion (New York, New York, so good they named it twice). If you tell friends that you are going to New York they will always be assume that you are visiting the skyscrapers. However there much more to the state than New York City. North of the city is known as Upstate and there you will find lakes, mountains, waterfalls and, in winter, skiing. The New York City Boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens are on Long Island, but if you continue east along the island away from the city you will find villages, bays and fishing boats. On this page we try to give a feel for the contrast between New York City and other parts of the state.
World Trade Center memorial, Battery Park, New York City
When we visited New York in February 2002 the people were still visibly shocked by the dreadful events of September 11, 2001. In several locations pictures of victims were on display with tributes to them. The most moving were those near the site of the World Trade Center (WTC). Sadly the area around the WTC had also been invaded by traders trying to cash in on the disaster, which we found distasteful at a time when the remains of victims were still being recovered. A memorial to the victims was planned for the site of the WTC, but an interim memorial had already been created at Battery Park using as its centrepiece ‘The Sphere’, a sculpture from the WTC that was damaged but escaped total destruction. This picture was taken in a heavy snow storm. The permanent memorial to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the September 11 terror attacks was opened on the footprint of the WTC in September 2011. We visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in January 2105, and picture of this can be seen on the Lower Manhattan page. Meantime, ‘The Sphere’ has become a permanent memorial in Battery Park. Click Tab 2 to see ‘The Sphere’ in 2105 with behind it One World Trade Center, the tower block built to replace the WTC.
Fort Ticonderoga
North eastern USA is bristling with forts that were built during the periods of French-British and US-British hostility in the 18th and early 19th century. Fort Ticonderoga was originally a French fort called Fort Carillon built between 1755 and 1758 to control a narrow neck of land between the northern tip of Lake George and the southern end of Lake Champlain. The British took the fort in 1759 and renamed it Fort Ticonderoga. In May 1775 the taking of the Fort from the British was the first major victory for the Americans in the Revolutionary War and they held it for over 2 years before the British retook it. After the Revolutionary War the fort was abandoned and fell into disrepair, but it was restored in the 19th century.
American & Bridal Veil Falls, Niagara Falls
While New York evokes thoughts of towering skyscrapers the state shares the honours with Canada as the home of one of the most famous waterfalls in the world. This picture was taken from Canada but everything in the picture is within the USA. The larger and more famous Horseshoe Falls (off to the right), are on the border between the two countries. We visited Niagara Falls from both the US and Canadian sides, and we have a page on the US Niagara Falls State Park as well as a page on the Canadian side.
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Fishing boats, Montauk Harbor, Long Island
Long Island is an island with a split personality. The western end is home to the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, including the busy JFK Airport while at the eastern end there are villages and quiet fishing harbours. The hamlet of Montauk sits on the South Fork peninsula, about 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the eastern end of the island. The hamlet is a full 170 kilometres (106 miles) from JFK Airport. About 4,000 people live in Montauk and it is home to the largest fishing fleet in the USA.
Lower Manhattan from Circle Line Tour, New York City
Manhattan is where New York City started and a good way to see it is to take a boat tour that circumnavigates the island. In this picture the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan dominate the view, dwarfing Brooklyn Bridge on the right. On the extreme left is the Midtown area. Near to the left the spire of the Empire State Building is just visible rising above two other tall buildings. This picture was taken in 2005, after the World Trade Center attack but before One World Trade Center had been built.
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Lake Placid
In northern New York State, deep in the Adirondacks is Lake Placid, not just a lake but also a town of the same name and home to over 2,500 people. It is difficult to believe that this mountainous, rural scene is in the same state as bustling New York City. Although a mining camp was set up here in the early 1800s, it was after the Placid Park Club was set up in 1895 that the area became popular. The Lake Placid Club, as it became, attracted the rich and famous to the area, the village took the name Lake Placid and became a major skiing centre. The Winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid in 1932 and 1980. Click Tab 2 to see the Palace Theatre in Main Street which was built in 1926 and still has its original theatre organ.
We have other pages on New York State. Click below or on the Minimap:
© Mike Elsden 1981 - 2023
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