воскресенье, 27 февраля 2011 г.

South Street Seaport


Situated on Lower Manhattan’s waterfront with a breathtaking view, South Street Seaport is a must-see for anyone visiting New York City. It’s a combination maritime museum and mall, offering insight into New York’s rich maritime history and providing a great place for shopping and dining.
History
South Street Seaport is located on the site of what was once the busiest port in America. Fulton Street, at the neighborhood's center, was one of the most crowded streets in the city, 
Fulton Street, South Street Seaport
Fulton Street
especially after a fish market opened here in 1821. A popular ferry service to Brooklyn also departed here.


After the construction of the 
Brooklyn Bridge nearby trade activity quickly declined and the neighborhood was soon abandoned and left to decay. In the 1960s Peter Stanford and a group of sympathizers formed the 'Friends of South Street Seaport', a collective striving to preserve the historic area by turning it into an open air museum. It would take until the 1980s before this idea became a reality. In 1983 South Street Seaport officially opened and two years later a new shopping mall opened here as well.

Peking, South Street Seaport Museum
The 'Peking'
Today the area is again attracting crowds, be it mostly tourists instead of sailors and merchants. Many come here to see one of the frequently changing expositions, to dine and have a drink or to take a trip on a historic vessel.


South Street Seaport Museum
The whole area around south street is part of the South Street Seaport Museum where visitors can stroll past 18th and 19th century buildings and homes, situated along cobblestone streets. Visitors can enjoy galleries and exhibits relating to Manhattan’s importance as a port city. Also part of the museum is a 19th century print shop and a collection of historic vessels on the museum’s Street of Ships.


The area today
The historic neighborhood consists of about seven blocks and is intersected by an elevated highway, the F.D.R. Drive.

On the east side of this road are three piers, of which Pier 17 is the most famous. Here you'll find a modern shopping mall. You can have a nice view of the 
Brooklyn Bridge from the mall's top floor. The historic vessels of the South Street Seaport Museum are moored at Pier 15 and Pier 16. 
Pier 17, South Street Seaport, New York
Pier 17
Nearby is the small Pilot House, originally the pilothouse of a tugboat. Here you can buy tickets for boat trips.

At the other side of the F.D.R. Drive are a number of traffic-free cobblestone streets lined with historic houses such as the row of twelve early 19th century warehouses along Fulton Street, known as Schermerhorn Row. In this neighborhood you'll find a number of restaurants, shops, galleries and exhibitions.
At the west end of the South Street Seaport, at the intersection of Water and Fulton Streets stands the Titanic Memorial, a small lighthouse installed here in 1913 as a monument honoring the casualties of the sunken luxury passenger liner Titanic.

www.aviewoncities.com

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