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New York City Sites, New York City Tours, Uncategorized

The Sculptor of Central Park

Among the delights of walking in Central Park are the many animal sculptures that seem to pop up everywhere. Many, including the monkey above, are the work of Frederick Roth, born in Brooklyn and the Sculptor of Central Park from 1934 to 1936. (Detail from the Sophie Loeb Fountain, see below.)

Perhaps Roth’s most visited work is Balto, just east of the Willowdell Arch near 67th Street on the East Side. (See our blog on Balto on this site). There are many other Roth statues.

Honey Bear. (known to many as Dancing Bear), is set in an alcove just east of the northern entrance to the Central Park Zoo, steps away from the Delacorte Clock. 

Don’t miss the frogs at Honey Bear’s feet. In fact, look closely at any Roth statue for wonderful details.

Here are some more!

Mother Goose resides at the entrance to the Rumsey Playground, just west of the East Drive at 72nd Street.

The Sophie Loeb Fountain is at the center of a children’s water play area in the James Michael Levin playground near 77th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Frederick Roth’s works of art are just a few of the many sculptures to see in Central Park. If you’d like to learn more or personalize a tour, contact us!  Brendan@NYCToursthenandnow.us

New York City Tours, Uncategorized

Department Store Windows

New York City department store windows are always a must-see for visitors and locals. 

The first department store to decorate their windows for the holidays was Macy’s. They have  been decorating their windows since 1874!  

This year’s windows have a wonderful interactive element to them as well.  You can sing Christmas carols, take pictures and lots more.   They feature Tiptoe the Reindeer, ( a Macy’s character) .

And her friends Polar Bear and Penguin.

Book a holiday tour and see all of the best holiday displays.   Private tours are available 7 days a week.  

Email brendan@nyctoursthenandnow.us or message us here for more information. 

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The Tree at Rockefeller Center

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is probably the most famous part of Christmas in New York City. It all began in 1931 when construction workers at Rockefeller Center pooled their money and purchased a 20 foot tree.  

Two years later in 1933, the first formal tree lighting occurred with a 50 foot tree and 700 lights.  During World War II, instead of one large tree, they opted for 3 smaller trees decorated with red, white and blue lights as a show of patriotism.  The trees were not lit because of blackout requirements during World War II. 

Today, the trees range in height from 80 to 100 feet.   They are decorated with about 50,000 lights and topped with a star made of Swarovski crystals.  

Book a holiday lights tour and learn more about the many other cherished holiday traditions in New York City.   Email brendan@nycstoursthenandnow.us or message us here for more information.   

New York City Tours, Uncategorized

Christmas Tree Bragging Rights 2023

Everyone has heard of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

(For the record, this year’s tree is an 80-foot-tall Norway Spruce from Vestal, NY.)

While it may be the most famous Christmas tree in New York City or anywhere else, the Rockefeller Center tree does not hold the distinction of being the tallest — at least this year. 

That honor goes to the tree in front of the New York Stock Exchange, which is an 81 foot tall Norway spruce from Poughkeepsie, NY.

Book a holiday lights tour and you can see both of these trees along with many other spectacular holiday decorations. Private tours can be booked 7 days a week. Email brendan@nyctoursthenandnow.us or message us here tor more information.

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Brooklyn Bridge Tragedy–May 18, 1883

From the NYPL Digital Collection.

When the Brooklyn Bridge opened to the public on May 24, 1883, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world and already being referred to as one of the seven architectural wonders of the world. Nonetheless, despite being built of 80 percent stone and 20 percent steel, and based on sound engineering principals, some people were still skeptical that the design would hold up. 

From the NYPL Digital Collection.

Skeptical or not, people were drawn to the span in droves for the experience of walking across. Whereas the promenade was made to hold 15,000 persons at a time, 20,000 people were strolling the bridge at numerous points during the first week. On the day after it opened, 140,398 people crossed the bridge. Two days later, on a Sunday, 163,584 made the trip. Then, less than a week after the bridge opened, on Decoration Day, May 30, 1883, tragedy struck. 

Headline from the N.Y. Times.

A woman nearing the New York terminus tripped and fell down a flight of stairs. A policeman went immediately to her aid and helped her out of the way, however, another woman inexplicably screamed. Panic seized the crowds of people and there was a rush for the exit stairs. One eye witness, Kate Ottinger, said that people cried out that the Bridge was sinking. Pickpockets, ready to take advantage of the crowd, may have fanned the flames by shouting similar false warnings. With people already nervous, a virtual stampede resulted in a crush on the stairs that killed twelve people and injured many more. 

A partial list of the victims, including a 13 year old boy, one of the last to be identified. N.Y. Times Archives.

Almost a year later on May 17, 1884, those who still questioned the safety of the bridge, were given further assurances. 

NYPL Digital Collection.

PT Barnum of the Barnum and Bailey Circus had 21 elephants, seven camels, and ten dromedaries march across the bridge. The famous white elephant, Jumbo, brought up the rear. No tolls were collected.

N.Y. Times Digital archives

Since elephants were thought to be able to detect structural problems, the safe and uneventful passage further calmed the populace.  Of course, this escapade also provided excellent publicity for PT Barnum’s circus, which opened a few days later.

NYPL Digital Archives.

If you would like to hear more stories of New York City, then and now, please book one of our tours.

New York City Sites, Uncategorized

Bow Bridge

Of the thirty-six iconic bridges in Central Park, the most well-known is the Bow Bridge, so named because of its graceful curves akin to an archer’s bow.

Its popularity is enhanced because, from its curving walkway, it is possible to have views of the skylines of both Fifth Avenue and Central Park West.   Post wedding photo shoots are a regular occurrence.  

Looking east from the Bow Bridge toward Fifth Avenue.
Looking west from Bow Bridge toward Central Park West.

Of course, it is stunning from many vantage points, and has been a backdrop in many movies, including Enchanted, Spiderman 3, and Night at The Museum.   

When the Bow Bridge was first completed in 1862, it had eight cast iron urns, four on each side. At some point during the 1920’s, the urns were stolen, and, for whatever reason, they were forgotten and not replaced.  In 2008, the bridge underwent a major restoration, and historians studied old photographs of the bridge and discovered the urns that were originally on the bridge.  

Replicas were created and returned to the spots they once occupied.  

Replica urn, replacing those stolen years ago.

Let’s fervently hope that the urns remain just where they were intended to rest, and the the views of the Bow Bridge will continue to captivate visitors for a long, long time.

To learn more about Bow Bridge and other parts of Central Park, come take a tour with us!

New York City Sites, New York City Tours, Uncategorized

Angel of the Waters, Bethesda Fountain

Bethesda Fountain is one of the most well-known and most-photographed locations in Central Park. 

Copyright Kenneth Hicks 2023.

The statue in the center of Bethesda Fountain is called Angel of the Waters, and was created by a female sculptor named Emma Stebbins in the late 1860s.  Ms. Stebbins was the first woman to be hired for a public art commission in the United States.   

Copyright Kenneth Hicks 2023.

It is also the only statue to be included in the original design plans for Central Park.    

Fanciful early portrayal of Bethesda Terrace and Fountain demonstrating central location. (Courtesy NYPL Digital Division).

Angel of the Waters celebrates the opening of the Croton Aqueduct in 1842, which brought a reliable source of clean drinking water to New York City for the first time. The name Bethesda refers to a pool of water in Jerusalem mentioned in the New Testament. 

Coutesy NYPL Digital Division.

The fountain has also been on screen on numerous occasions, including  Enchanted, Home Alone 2; Lost In New York, and the wedding scene in Gossip Girl. In the climactic scene Elf, Santa’s Sleigh actually bangs into Angel of the Waters.   

Schoolgirls visit Bethesda Terrace and the Fountain. (Courtesy, NYPL Digital Division).

Come book a Central Park tour with us and see it for yourself.  There is not end of the list of things to see and do.

New York City Sites, Uncategorized

Bowling Green

Bowling Green Parks was created in 1733, while New York was still a colony, and is the oldest park in New York City. Since New York was first founded, however, this plot of land has been the focus of its citizens and has been used for markets, as a parade ground, and for Mayday celebrations. In 1765, it was the center of protests against the Stamp Act. An effigy of Lieutenant-Governor Golden was burned on this spot, along with his carriage. When the Act was repealed a year later, the grateful citizens asked that a state of King George III be erected here, and a gilded lead statue soon occupied a placer of honor.

 However, deteriorating relations with England caused the statue and the park to again become the site for regular protests.   On July 9, 1776, George Washington read the Declaration of Independence aloud to his troops in what is now City Hall Park, and an angry mob of patriots proceeded down to Bowling Green Park and began to riot.  The statue of king George was soon toppled, and the mob chopped off his hard and marched triumphantly through the streets

German version of the destruction of the statue of King George III dated circa 1776. Apparently, the artist had never visited New York City. Note the German and French captions. The action of the American mob was of interest around the world.

Parts of the statue were melted down and used as bullets by George Washington’s army during the Revolutionary War.  There are still several pieces which remain and are on display at the New York Historical Society. In addition, each of the spikes on the fence at one time was adorned with a miniature crown, representing the King of England.   

Bowling Green around 1839. Note the series of mansions that line Broadway..

When the mob converged on the park on July 9, 1776, those crowns were sawed off.   If you are ever in lower Manhattan and visit Bowling Green Park, you will see that the spikes on the fence are of varying heights. This is because you are looking at the original fence, first erected in 1771, both a witness and a monument to revolutionary fervor.

Bowling Green in 1861. Note the carriages lined up on the south side.
Bowling Green around 1910. Trinity Church in the distance up Broadway.
Bowling Green today. Copyright Brendan Rothman-Hicks 2023)

Take a tour with NYC Tours Then and Now and we will show you all of the best places to visit in New York City, including Bowling Green, and teach you a bit of history at the same time.

(All photos, except as marked, are courtesy of the NYPL Digital Collection. Some have been reformatted and colorized by the authors.)

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Welcome to New York City Tours Then and Now, where you will find tours that blend the past and the present in New York City in a way that you will not find anywhere else.