New York Landmarks - Essay Example

Seeking to explore important landmarks in the incredibly diverse and eclectic City of New York, the following will discuss the following major landmarks:  the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center, Madison Square Garden, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building.

In city with a storied history such as New York, there are literally hundreds of landmarks throughout the city.   One of the most famous landmarks in New York is the Empire State Building.  An Art Deco skyscraper at 5th and 34th Street, the Empire State Building is an iconic structure that was completed in 1931.  Accordingly, it stood as the tallest building in the world for more than forty years.  It was replaced by the World Trade Center as the tallest building in City of New York but regained this important position following the horrendous destruction of the World Trade Center in the infamous attacks of September 11, 2001.  The Statue of Liberty is a pure copper monument that stands overlooking Manhattan on the Island of Liberty.  It is officially entitled Liberty Enlightening the World and was a monument donated to the City of New York by the French government on the 100-year anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.  What is significant about the Statue of Liberty is that it is a beacon of hope and signifies the important role that liberty played in the development of the United States of America.  Liberty Island is an important transit point for migrants and travelers who arrive by ship.  Accordingly, this monument has come to signify the United States to millions of people account the world. Madison Square Garden is an iconic sports stadium found in Midtown Manhattan.  It was built more than one hundred years ago and is home to the New York Nicks, the New York Rangers and a whole host of other events including concerts and conventions.  In its present location for more than sixty years, Madison Square Garden presently sits at Pennsylvania Plaza in midtown Manhattan and is representative of the sports entertainment community in New York. 

The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco landmark – not too dissimilar to the Empire State Building – and was the tallest building in the world until the construction of the Empire State Building in 1931.  It is a landmark because of the stylistic interpretation of the designers and can be seen far and wide from the shores of the surrounding boroughs.  It represents the Art Deco design par excellence and is viewed as an important landmark on the Manhattan horizon.  Finally, the World Trade Center is an iconic structure that was destroyed following the infamous attacks of September 11, 2001. The World Trade Center today is a construction site and a work in progress for the development of a new series of towers to replace those which were destroyed by Islamic terrorists more than eight years ago.  Although the World Trade Center no longer stands, its former location is a landmark to the thousands of visitors each and every day who come to pay their respects to one of the most recognizable locations in New York.  Work is presently underway to return the World Trade Center location to its former importance on the Manhattan skyline.