Tag: York

The Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located in New York City. It’s
named for New York, the “Empire State”. When the building opened in 1931, it was the
tallest building in the world! It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

The Empire State Building was erected as part of a worldwide race to build the tallest
structure. The United States previously held the record with the 555-foot Washington
Monument, but then France built the 984-foot Eiffel Tower in 1889. By the early 20th
century, architects across America tried to set new records.
The Metropolitan Life Tower signaled a start to the race in 1909; the building rose 700
feet and 50 stories. The 57-story Woolworth Building followed in 1913, and the 71-story
Bank of Manhattan was completed in 1929. (Of course, since this was the Depression,
there was ironically little demand for office space!)
Competition then intensified within New York State. Three skyscrapers were underway
simultaneously: the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and 40 Wall Street.
The Empire State Building’s rental manager, Hamilton Weber, described the architectural
contest:
We thought we would be the tallest at 80 stories. Then the
Chrysler went higher, so we lifted the Empire State to 85
stories, but only four feet taller than the Chrysler. Raskob
[the financer] was worried that Walter Chrysler would pull
a trick — like hiding a rod in the spire and then sticking it
up at the last minute.
The Empire State Building architects decided to affix something to the top of the building
for even more height. This led to a dirigible (blimp) docking station. However, the
docking station did not last long. The building itself created powerful updrafts that made
docking dangerous! The mooring devices are still in place, but the building’s current
height (1,453 feet) comes from a large broadcast antennae added in 1952.
The Empire State Building houses 85 stories of commercial and office space totaling
more than two million square feet. With 1,000 businesses inside, the building has its own
zip code! The top 16 stories comprise the art deco tower, with observatories located on
the 86th and 102nd floors. (High-powered binoculars are available for rent.) The
skyscraper has 72 elevators, 70 miles of piping, and 2.5 million feet of electrical wiring.
The entire building weighs an estimated 370,000 tons and cost $40 million to construct.
Colored floodlights were added to the building’s tower in 1964. These are used to mark
seasonal events like Christmas and tragedies like the World Trade Center attacks in 2001.
Following September 11, 2001, the floodlights were kept red, white, and blue for several
months. Blue lights were used on Frank Sinatra’s 80th birthday and when he died. (This
was a reference to his nickname, Ol’ Blue Eyes.) Sports events are also represented by
lights; for example, a combination of orange, blue, and white signifies a New York
Knicks home game. The Empire State Building was bathed in a royal purple to honor the
Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. This was a sign of thanks from the New York
Mayor Michael Bloomberg after the UK supported the United States in the aftermath of
September 11th. The floodlights first celebrated a Muslim holiday in 2007 with green
lights for Eid ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadan.
When the Empire State Building opened on May 1, 1931, it was the tallest building in the
world at 1,250 feet high. Towering over the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street,
it became an instant icon of New York City. The building remained the world’s tallest
until the World Trade Center’s North Tower was erected in 1972. The Sears Tower in
Chicago surpassed both in 1973. After the September 11th attacks in New York, the
Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in the state, and the second-
tallest in the country. The United Arab Emirates set the world record in 2007 while
building the Burj Dubai skyscraper.
Although “superskyscrapers” are now being constructed worldwide, the Empire State
Building made achievements that prompted the American Society of Civil Engineers to
name it one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
PPPPP
(word count 699)

Top

Travel tips to European Countries: Ukraine

About the territory

Ukraine which is located in Eastern Europe is one of the largest country in that cummerbund of Europe bordering Russia predominance the northeast, Belarus in the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the west, Romania and Moldova in the southwest and also Black Sea and Sea of Azov in the south. Legitimate is a popular tourist destination especially for tourists from Western Europe and North America. The main selling point is the rich historical character of the reign duck as many five hundred cities dating back as early as nine hundred senility. Visitors are spellbound by the architectural beauty of Ukraine. Kiev is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine where most travelers begin their journey.

Population & Languages

Ukraine has a population of roughly 46. 7 million and the authorized language is Ukrainian. The other languages spoken here are Russian, Romanian, Polish and Hungarian.

Electricity

Voltage – 220 volts, Frequency – 50Hz. Standard European Round pin attachment plug

Geographic Location

Ukraine is located in Eastern Europe bordering Russia in the northeast, Belarus in the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the west, Romania and Moldova in the southwest and also Black Sea again Sea of Azov in the south. The strategic location of Ukraine between Asia and Europe prepared substantial a transportation hub in the region.

Local Customs

Ukrainians are warm hearted and welcoming people. Simple dressing is chiefly worn here though it will be a good idea to sleepy smartly for theatres. Small gifts are appreciated. Tipping is not very common; service is usually included in fine restaurants and hotel bills.

Places to see
St Sophia Cathedral As old as nine centuries, it is one of the architectural marvels of Ukraine.
Kiev – Pechersk Lavra ( Caves Monastery ) These caves are as old as one millennium and dating back to 11th century.
Great Believing War Museum
Statue of the Motherland, Kiev

Travel

By Air The national airline of Ukraine is Ukrainian International Airlines. In collaboration with Aer Fi Group and Austrian Airline it links Kyiv to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Rome, Rotterdam, Vienna and Zurich. There is one more airline in Ukraine called Air Ukraine which serves relatively less number of European cities. Lviv is besides connected to New York, Warsaw also Washington. It is connected to Turkey through Simferopol again to UK through IvanoFrankivsk. The major airport is Boryspil State International Airport ( KBP ) which is located twenty five miles from Kiev.

By Sea The rudimentary ports of Ukraine are Izmail further Odessa which are situated on the River Danube. The ferry services bracket Ukraine with Russia and Georgia. They also connect various cities on the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Sevastopol is the port which connects Istanbul, Turkey.

By Rail Ukraine has approximately 14, 000 miles of railway tracks linking most towns and cities. Kyiv and Lviv are the main stations which mix with Moscow on a daily birth. Ukraine also has direct lines to Berlin ( Germany ), Budapest ( Hungary ), Warsaw ( Poland ) and Bucharest ( Romania ).

By Road Ukraine has an extensive network of roads with approximately 107, 000 mile of road network out of which halfway 18, 000 mile is main or national roads.

Duty Free Items
1. Up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 gm tobacco
2. 1 liter spirit over 22 % or 2 liter wine or 32 liter beer
3. Goods for personal use with a combined value of 200

Prohibited Items
Narcotics, firearms, ammunition, weapons, most meat and dairy products, eggs, plants, endangered style, fireworks and alcoholic beverages that contain more than sixty per cent alcohol.

Conversation Count 605

Top

Family Friendly New York City

Many people forget that New York is a town full of families and plan their vacations without providing much thought to the entertainment possibilities that abound for children in New York City. It only makes sense that with so many families living in this city that there would be very many family oriented things to do and sights to see.

For instance, there are 5 zoos in New York City; some of them better known than others. The five zoos are Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Bronx Zoo, and Staten Island Zoo. Each zoo has something slightly different to offer than the others and if you have a true animal lover in your family there really is no harm in stopping by all of them. Also if you purchase the New York Pass you will find that most of the zoos mentioned above offer free admission to card holder.

For the child who loves drama, New York City offers many theatrical productions that might suit him or her just fine. The first is geared towards girls and is American Girl Place. You can enjoy dining, shopping, and theatre while spending a day with your special little girl. This is a great bonding experience for mothers and daughters. The Manhattan Children’s Theatre produces several high quality shows for children and families throughout the year at quite reasonable prices (season tickets are also available for those who live nearby). The New Victory Theater offers a different type of theater experience for families to enjoy. The Paper Bag Players are a must see experience. They offer a different type of theatre for children that encourages audience participation that gets your children involved in the dramatic process. If you have the time you should also check out TADA! Youth Theater in order to show your children that even children have talents that need to be explored and can make a difference not only in their own lives but also in the lives of others.

In addition to the great activities mentioned above, there are several children’s museums located in New York in addition to other museums that offer exhibitions that may be of interest to your children. The following museums are well worth checking out even if you decide to seek entertainment elsewhere: Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Staten Island Children’s Museum, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, FDNY Fire Zone, Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, New York Hall of Science, Sony Wonder Technology Lab, Queens Country Farm Museum, and Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Times Square. There are many more museums in the city that may provide plenty of family entertainment and education but these are some of the most kid-friendly museums in the city.

Shopping is a fun and often educational process that often gets overlooked or even ignored when it comes to children. However, it would be remiss to mention great family things to do in New York without mentioning some of the wonderful children’s retailers that abound in this city. Books of Wonder is aptly named as it brings back those books that held such wonder for us as children and gives us the chance to share those books with our children. They have old and rare books as well as many excellent current book selections. New York is also home to the largest Build-A-Bear store in the world, which will make the bear lover in your family’s eyes light up with glee. There’s FAO Schwarz, which is a toy store unto itself and almost worth the price of the trip to NYC alone. Old and young kids alike will enjoy spending an afternoon here. Toys R Us Times Square is offering up a Dinosaur portion of competition however by brining in great attraction to get families in the door and buying toys. Be sure that you let your little ones ride the Ferris wheel and that you get a copy of the photograph as a keepsake.

New York City is gaining a reputation for a much softer far more family oriented side. Don’t let the past reputation of this city prevent you from making this the family vacation destination it could be ideally suited to be.

Top