08 September 2008
I never realized how many memorials were in Battery Park. Walking around the Battery, which is the southernmost point in Manhattan and one of the oldest continuous public spaces in New York, sort of reminds me of being in Washington, DC, except on a vastly smaller scale. In DC there may be a couple miles between monuments, in Battery Park, there is a couple feet between them. Nonetheless, Battery Park is filled with history... and since it is a tourist hot-spot, also caricature artists, fake Gucci bag dealers, and trinket vendors in abundance. The New York Parks Department website reports that, "The area’s strategic location was recognized by Native Americans and Dutch settlers, who called it Capske Hook (from Kapsee, an Indian term for rocky ledge)." Modestly speaking, the area certainly does have some history. Before Ellis Island started welcoming immigrants to the United States, Battery Park served as the welcoming ground, specifically Castle Garden (aka Clinton Castle), ushering in thousands of people. According to its preservation website, the Castle served as an immigrant welcome center from 1855 until 1890. Now Castle Clinton hosts theatre and concert events throughout the summer months and is located directly adjacent to the Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty ticket sales booths. I strolled passed The Immigrants, which is, "dedicated to the people of all nations who entered America through Castle Garden" (sculptor: Luis Sanguino), the Korean War Memorial, the American Merchant Mariners Memorial designed by Marisol Escobar and dedicated in 1991, which is, "based on an actual historical event; during World War II, a Nazi U-boat attacked a merchant marine vessel, and while the marines clung to their sinking vessel, the Germans photographed their victims", the World War II memorial, and of course, the Sphere, described as "a monument fostering world peace" which once stood in the fountain of the World Trade Center plaza and was originally designed by artist Fritz Koenig. There are several other monuments in the park; however I decided to cut my tour short in order to take a trip on the Staten Island Ferry!
The ferry is operated by the Department of Transportation, offers beautiful views of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the southern tip of Manhattan, provides commuters from Richmond County a relatively quick trip into lower Manhattan, and is completely free. The particular ferry I was on, the Guy V. Molinari, and others in the fleet are gigantic; holding approximately 4400 people at maximum capacity (which they do reach during weekday rush hours). The Hurricane Deck is the top most level and definitely sports exceptional photo opportunities for hungry visitors, the Main Deck is by far the windiest, and the Saloon Deck holds a snack bar which serves adult beverages and other edibles. The trip is approximately 25 minutes and runs 24 hours a day.
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