Battery Park is a well known green space in New York City. Along the waterfront of the garden, ferries depart taking visitors to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The park also has many monuments and memorials within its grounds.
Battery Park gets its name from the artillery stationed by the British in the location to protect the early New York settlements. Castle Clinton, the last remnant of the fortress that protected the city, built in 1812, lies at its northern end. Pier A, a former fireboat station, Hope Gardens, a memorial to AIDS victims, and the East Coast Memorial, a monument to soldiers who died in World War II, lie within the park. In 1855, Castle Garden that forms part of Battery Park became the first immigrant depot in the world and remained so for 40 years until the venue shifted to Ellis Island. A sculpture called, “The Sphere”, that stood in front of the erstwhile World Trade Center, survived the attack and is now located in the Park.
Today, Battery Park is a beautifully landscaped and flower bed laden place to take a relaxing stroll with breathtaking views. Its location has made the park the starting point of walking tours around the city. All through the summer, there are concerts playing on the grounds.

The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House is an imposing building constructed to handle the increasing duty collection requirements for the prospering port of New York City. In 1990, the United States Congress passed a legislation to name the building in honor of Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the U.S. treasury.
The present Custom House stands in the location of an earlier customs office that burned down in 1814. The building was designed in Beaux Arts style by Minnesota architect, Cass Gilbert, and the plan was selected by the then supervising architect of the treasury, James Knox Taylor. It was constructed between 1900 and 1907 under the supervision of John Pierce. The structure has a Roman dome under which public transactions once took place. There are also many ornate sculptures, paintings and decorations by American artists like Daniel Chester French and Albert Jaegers. The building was saved from demolition in 1979 by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who lobbied for its preservation and restoration.
Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House is on the National Register for Historic Places and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. Today, the building houses the New York branch of the National Museum of the American Indian and the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Located near the financial district of New York City, Bowling Green Park is a fenced in garden that was once used for bowling. It is the place where the Dutch Governor, Peter Minuit, bought Manhattan for $24 worth of merchandise and is regarded as the birthplace of New York City.
Bowling Green Park stands besides the original Dutch fort of New Amsterdam. It is the oldest public park in New York City. At first it was a cattle market. Later, it became a parade ground with a large statue of King George III made of lead in its midst. During the war of independence, the statue was torn down and the lead used to make patriot bullets. After the revolution, elegant houses were built around the park and it became the promenade of wealthy residents. In 1850, it was thrown open to the general public. In 1939, the park was improved for the World’s Fair. After years of neglect, it was restored in 1970 and improved further in 1990.
The crescent shaped Bowling Green Park, enclosed by its original 18th century fence, has benches and tables making it a favorite lunchtime destination for financial district employees. The charging bull statue of the New York Stock Exchange, a symbol of financial hope, is located within the park.

The Episcopal Church of the Holy Trinity serves the residents of the Upper East Side of New York City. It is a functioning parish church that opens its doors to worshippers from all walks of life.
The Episcopal Church of Holy Trinity was consecrated in 1899. The structure was designed by J. Smith Barney of the New York firm of Barney and Chapman. The inspiration of the interior plan was the Litchfield Cathedral in England. It has an octagonal apse and an open timbered ceiling. There are 17 stained glass windows made by Henry Holiday. The exterior walls are clad in dark terra cotta wainscoting to give the impression of a brownstone building like other landmark buildings in New York City. The exterior has a 13th century French Gothic architectural style. The tower that rises from the middle of the church is 150 feet high. Ten bells of varying weight cast by the New York firm Meneeley and Co, chime using a manual chimestand stationed in the middle of the tower.
The church provides shelter for about 15 people every night and is home to the Triangle Theatre that produces works of established and new playwrights.

This building, regarded as the finest example of classical architecture bears witness to momentous events in the history of New York City and the entire nation. Today, the building houses a museum dedicated to the history of the city after independence.
Federal Hall stands on the location of the former city hall built by the British in 1700. The first congress met in the building after the revolutions and it was here that George Washington was declared President. In 1789, architect Charles Pierre L’Enfant was given the task of building the city of Washington DC and enlarging Federal Hall. The result was the first federal style building in the US. In 1790, New York City ceased to be the capital of the U.S. and the original building was torn down. Ithiel Down and Alexander Jackson Davis designed the present building with a classical design. Doric columns and a domed ceiling by John Frazee added to the classical appearance of the structure. The intent of the architects was to make the structure a symbol of democracy like the Parthenon in ancient Greece.
A large bronze statue of George Washington taking oath by John Quincy Adams Ward marks the spot where the first president of the United States was sworn in. Exhibits at the museum in Federal Hall include displays depicting the inauguration and meeting of the first congress and the arrest of newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger for exposing the corruption of the British government that led to major changes in the freedom of the press.

The best known location in the United States, Wall Street symbolizes the financial markets of the country. It is the principal financial center of the world. The street consists of eight blocks and runs from Broadway to South Street in the East River, Manhattan.
Wall Street was originally De Waal Straat after a wall built by the Dutch to protect their settlements from the British and Native Americans. A small group of traders met under a buttonwood tree after the war of independence and called themselves the Buttonwood Association. This group started what later became the New York Stock Exchange. In the 19th and 20th centuries, all major financial institutions had their headquarters or offices in the street. The New York Stock Exchange, the New York Mercantile Exchange, the New York Board of Trade and the Federal Reserve with a Gold vault 80 feet beneath the surface are located here. Wall Street was the scene of the September 11th destruction of the World Trade Center that caused a temporary loss of business in the area with firms relocating to other places in the city or to other States.
Some beautiful historic buildings located here include the classic Federal Hall, the neo classic New York Stock Exchange and the elaborately decorated former home of the Bank of Manhattan at 40, Wall Street.

The New York City Police Museum is a repository of exhibits showcasing the history of one of the largest and most famous police services in the world. The collections and educational programs show the role played by the New York Police Department in shaping the history of the city.
The New York City Police museum is housed in the first Precinct Building of the city. The building was designed by Richard Rowland Hunt and Joseph Rowland Hunt and constructed between 1909 and 1911. The architectural style of the building is Florentine Renaissance with an ornate façade. It became the home of the museum in 2002. The collection has exhibits that date from the early Dutch settlements to a special section on officers who died during the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001.
Exhibits at the museum include a mock jail cell, police cars, lock picking tools of Willie Sutton and the gun of notorious gangster, Al Capone. The extensive collection on the third floor is dedicated to every officer who was killed in the September 11 attacks. Interactive exhibits for children include testing sirens in NYPD police cars and taking mock mug shots.

When the Brooklyn Bridge was dedicated in 1883, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world and regarded at the time as the 8th wonder of the world. The bridge connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn over the East River.
The design of the Brooklyn Bridge was drawn up by John Augustus Roebling who had previously planned other smaller suspension bridges. Construction began under the supervision of his son Washington Roebling and later his daughter in law Emily Roebling oversaw the building of the bridge. It was completed in 1883. The opening was a grand ceremony attended by prominent statesmen like President Chester A. Arthur and the New York Mayor, Franklin Edson. Emily Roebling was the first person to cross the bridge and on the first day, 1,800 vehicles and 150,300 people went across from Manhattan to Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Bridge has carried a range of vehicles from horse drawn carriages to modern automobiles in its lifetime. Earlier trolleys and elevated trains crossed the bridge. Today there are six lanes for automobile traffic. Commercial vehicles and buses are prohibited from using the bridge because of the height and weight restrictions. Visitors can take a stroll on the separate walkway in the center lane of the bridge for breathtaking views and to admire the brilliant skills that went into making this amazing engineering feat.