North America Travel: A Walk Through Manhattan, New York, USA (Part 2)

After leaving Wall Street, the reporter's North America tour group drove to the United Nations Headquarters on the east side of Manhattan, New York, to get a close-up view of this magnificent building that captures the world's attention. The United Nations Headquarters, also known as the United Nations Building, is the seat of the United Nations. This land is not owned by the United States or any other country; it is the world's only 'international territory.' Its western boundary is First Avenue, its southern boundary is East 42nd Street, its northern boundary is East 48th Street, and its eastern boundary is the East River.

New York United Nations Headquarters (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Historically, the building was constructed between 1949 and 1950, with the land purchased from New York real estate developer William Zeckendorf. The site covers 17 acres (approximately 6.87973 hectares). Before this, the Rockefeller family had considered offering their land in Kykuit, Westchester County, New York, but it was too far from Manhattan, so they abandoned the idea.

Photo at the United Nations Building (Photo: Wang Jue)

Later, Nelson Rockefeller helped with the new land purchase, and his father, John D. Rockefeller Jr., donated $8.5 million to help build the complex. On December 23, 2006, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution called the 'Capital Master Plan,' allocating $1.877 billion to renovate the UN Headquarters.

Fifth Avenue Sign (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

After lunch, the group visited Fifth Avenue, a major north-south thoroughfare in Manhattan, New York City. It runs from Washington Square Park in the south to 138th Street in the north. Because Fifth Avenue lies in the center of Manhattan, east-west streets on the island are sometimes designated as east or west of this avenue.

Photo on Fifth Avenue (Photo: Wang Jue)

For example, 10th Street west of Fifth Avenue is called West 10th Street. On Fifth Avenue, you can see an extraordinary scene of prosperity: towering skyscrapers line the street, and high-end hotels and famous brand stores are located here. Colorful giant billboards hang prominently on buildings. Pedestrians jostle each other, creating a bustling, lively, and vibrant metropolitan scene.

Fifth Avenue Street View (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

There are many attractions along Fifth Avenue, from south to north: the Empire State Building, the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Central Park. Additionally, near Central Park are famous art museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, giving this area the name 'Museum Mile.'

Photo on Fifth Avenue (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

The stretch of Fifth Avenue between 60th and 34th Streets is called 'Dream Street' because it is lined with many famous brand stores and is a high-end shopping district. Among these classic stores are the Pulitzer Fountain, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. According to an annual survey by a British consulting firm across 45 countries, Fifth Avenue remains the most expensive retail location in the world. Annual rents for shops on Fifth Avenue can exceed $1,000 per square foot.

St. Patrick's Cathedral (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Looking out from the entrance to Fifth Avenue, among these skyscrapers, the uniquely designed St. Patrick's Cathedral stands out the most. It is said to be New York's largest cathedral and was once where the Vatican's archbishop came to preach in the United States. Its elegant Gothic architecture, set against the fashionable, tasteful, and even luxurious atmosphere of Fifth Avenue, is particularly striking. New York is an international metropolis known for its dazzling, vibrant, and prosperous impression, but unexpectedly, hidden among the high-rise buildings lies a deep Catholic history in America.

Manhattan Street (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

This cathedral was built in 1697. Its 26-meter spire is the most noticeable feature, and its rose-colored sandstone exterior and bronze doors designed by master Richard Morris Hunt once made it a highlight. It held the title of 'New York's tallest' until 1860. Even today, catching a glimpse of this elegant cathedral at the entrance to Wall Street is still breathtaking, especially surrounded by gray-white modern buildings. The Gothic interior decoration is quite ornate and elegant. Additionally, the cemetery north of the church is noteworthy, as it contains the graves of many famous figures in American history, including Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat, and American statesman Alexander Hamilton.

Skyscrapers on Fifth Avenue (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Fifth Avenue is also a traditional route for New York City celebrations. On summer Sundays, it becomes a pedestrian-only street. The traditional Fifth Avenue Easter Parade is a major feature. People dress up in colorful outfits adorned with Easter eggs, flowers, and small animal decorations symbolizing spring and rebirth to celebrate this grand annual festival. In the movie 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' Audrey Hepburn's character would sit outside the Tiffany & Co. window on Fifth Avenue every morning, eating a pastry and dreaming of one day enjoying a leisurely breakfast inside the elegant jewelry store.

Police Officers Below a Building (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Fifth Avenue has so many characteristics and stories for people to savor. Climbing to the top of the Rockefeller Center Observation Deck to overlook New York City is a travel experience that brings direct pleasure and awe. The reporter and a few group members joined together to participate.

Rockefeller Ice Skating Rink (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Rockefeller Center is a symbol of the Rockefeller family. The center of the complex features a sunken plaza with a gilded statue of the Greek god Prometheus in flight, over a fountain pool that glitters and, in winter, serves as an ice skating rink. Every year, New York's Christmas tree is placed at the entrance of Rockefeller Center, adorned with a large five-pointed Swarovski crystal star. The center also houses a large Swarovski store; upon entering, you see a huge, curtain-like chandelier made of countless Swarovski crystals.

New York Central Park (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Rockefeller Center is also a complex of several skyscrapers on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Built between 1931 and 1940, it is a large commercial, entertainment, and office complex funded by the Rockefeller family, covering 8.9 hectares and comprising 19 buildings. The architect was Raymond M. Hood. It consists of four main buildings, with interconnected lower levels. The largest is the GE Building, 259 meters tall with 70 floors, emphasizing vertical lines and serving as a prototype for slab-style high-rises.

Overlooking from Above (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Visitors to Rockefeller Center ascend to the top of the GE Building. After entering, the reporter and the group first went through security, then followed staff instructions to take the high-speed elevator. The elevator, which goes directly to the 67th floor, has a transparent glass ceiling. As the elevator rises, looking up through the transparent top, the rapidly passing scenery creates a dizzying, exhilarating sensation of shooting into the sky. In just one minute, the express elevator delivers you to the 67th floor, where you can pause briefly to recover from the high-speed ride. Then, take the stairs to the 68th-floor observation deck. The deck covers about 200 square meters and is enclosed by about 3-meter-high glass, allowing a full 360-degree view of New York City. The enclosed environment on the 68th floor ensures visitors don't have to worry about wind or rain, and looking out the windows doesn't give the vertiginous feeling of being on an open precipice, likely alleviating any fear of heights.

Photo on Manhattan Street (Photo: Wang Jue)

Climbing the stairs from the 68th floor leads to the highest level of Rockefeller Center. This floor has a slightly smaller area than the 68th floor, allowing visitors to move freely and take photos from any comfortable angle. On clear, cloudless days with visibility of 40–50 kilometers, a panoramic view of Manhattan's bustling scene unfolds. Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the United Nations Headquarters, and other skyscrapers all seem to shrink. The unique perspective and feeling of 'seeing all the small hills at a glance' are truly delightful. Looking down at the colorful vehicles moving on the roads between the skyscrapers, they appear as tiny as beetles—a stark contrast.

Skyscrapers (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

That evening, a night tour of Manhattan was another dreamlike journey full of highlights and pleasures. Retired military researcher Luo Youlin from the Academy of Military Sciences recorded it in his WeChat: 'As night fell, accompanied by our guide Xiao Deng, we started from Central Park, entered Fifth Avenue, and first strolled along the surrounding shopping streets. Colorful neon advertisements and crowds of bustling shoppers and entertainers intermingled in a lively scene. Then we drove through the entire length of Fifth Avenue. Starting from the world's first 24-hour Apple Store at the southern entrance, we enjoyed the dazzling night views of numerous brand stores, hotels, and all buildings illuminated along Fifth Avenue.'

Overlooking the Hudson River (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Afterwards, we arrived at Times Square, located on Broadway, the birthplace of American theater and musicals. Advertisement rates here are extremely high. Visitors can take photos with lifelike wax figures of celebrities, including Pope Francis, at the famous Madame Tussauds. Passing the grand New York Central Station, the group drove to the heights of Manhattan on Hoboken Hill for a final panoramic view of New York Bay and the twinkling city lights. New York night is truly stunning!'

Fifth Avenue at Night (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Although Mr. Luo Youlin briefly recorded the night tour, the reporter believes that the topic of Times Square and the awe-inspiring experience of visiting it at night are worth mentioning. Times Square is also called 'New York Times Square,' originally named 'Longacre Square.' Due to translation issues, it became known as 'Times Square.' It is called the 'Crossroads of the World.' The square derives its name from the headquarters of The New York Times, whose Chinese translation is 'Niuyue Shibao,' hence 'Shidai Guangchang' (Times Square).

Nonstop Flashing Billboards (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Times Square extends from Sixth Avenue to Ninth Avenue east to west, and from West 39th Street to West 52nd Street north to south. Nearby are over 40 shopping malls, theaters, and other venues, making it a famous entertainment and shopping center. In people's minds, Times Square is a symbiosis of wealth and art, but everyone has a different view of it. Whether day or night, Times Square glitters with giant electronic billboards—a wildly colorful world.

Square That Never Sleeps (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Here, people can sense economic changes through the changes in cylindrical advertisements on Times Square. Times Square is also the most concentrated area for theaters, where classical and modern coexist. Musicals and歌舞 performances alternate, with world-famous shows like 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Miss Saigon,' and 'Madama Butterfly' providing visual feasts. You might even encounter world-class performing artists unexpectedly. Additionally, Times Square holds various annual events, such as New Year's Eve celebrations and Thanksgiving parades.

Window Display (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

Strolling through Times Square that night, everything was beautiful, colorful, brilliantly lit, crowded, and heavily guarded—all of it unforgettable. Today, the theaters on Broadway, the dazzling neon signs, and the television-style billboards have become iconic symbols of New York, reflecting Manhattan's strong urban character. Times Square is the only area in New York City where, by zoning law, property owners are required to display bright signage. The density of its billboards rivals that of Las Vegas.

Nighttime Bustle (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

In Times Square, a flow of people from different races, countries, and ethnicities gathers; it showcases a stage without a stage, a world fashion show more dazzling than any directed one. As the center of Broadway theaters, countless actors consider it an honor to perform on Broadway. Walking along the streets, you see three-wheeled pedal bikes for tourists, carrying fashionably dressed young people shouting wildly as they speed by. Looking up, the buildings are covered with giant electronic billboards that change with artistic short ads every few seconds, running 24/7. It seems that Wall Street barons are using this triangular area to flaunt their wealth in a wild yet highly artistic manner!

Dazzling Billboards (Photo: Feng Ganyong)

With the successful conclusion of the night tour of Manhattan, the 'East and West Coast of the United States: Appreciating Famous City Styles' tour also came to an end. The ten-day trip to the United States, neither too long nor too short, left lasting memories and impressions deep in people's hearts. (Text and photos: Feng Ganyong)