Braving the cold weather and flourishing snowflakes our aimless wandering lead us Battery Park. I soon realized how bitterly cold it was, to the point of being distressing . As we walked towards Battery Park, it was my hands taking the burden of it as I had to keep removing my gloves to take pictures. From history to amazing monuments and memorials - there are quite interesting bits and pieces in Battery Park.
American Stock Exchange
For three decades, this sculpture stood in the plaza of the WTC. Entitled "The Sphere", it was conceived by artist Fritz Koenig as a symbol of world peace. It was damaged during the tragic events of Sept 11,2001, but endures as an icon of hope and the indestructible spirit of this country. The Sphere was placed here on March 11,2002 as a temporary memorial to all who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks at the WTC.
Entering the park we came across The Sphere, a large metallic structure that once stood between the twin towers of World Trade Center. It is one of the few surviving artifacts from the twin towers, it was recovered and placed here temporarily as a memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Looking closer you can still see the dents an caused by the wreckage of the 911. There is also a torch that burns continuously called The Eternal Flame which is a fitting memorial to the people who lost their lives on that tragic day.
Castle Clinton
A bit closer to the Hudson river promenade is Castle Clinton, where you can buy tickets for the water taxi/ferry going to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Long before Ellis Island was built, it was America’s first immigration station as millions of people arrived here way back 1855-90. We just spent a bit of time here trying to warm ourselves in the restrooms hand-dryer before going to the promenade.
Long lines for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
The park does get very busy and crowded as the day goes by as the lines to ride the ferry get very long and packed. We didn’t take the ferry going to Liberty and Ellis Island as we were contented viewing their spectacular views. We didn’t stay long as we’re having a hard time enduring the cool wind not to mention we are standing right next to Hudson river.
Statue of Liberty as seen from the Battery Park
Our final stop in Battery Park is the East Coast Memorial, built to commemorate the US servicemen who lost their lives in the coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean during the World War II. It is composed of four gray 19-foot tall slabs and which the names of 4609 individuals are inscribed here along with their rank, military branch and home state. At the center of the granite slabs is a large bronze eagle called The Diving Eagle.
East Coast Memorial
The Diving Eagle
It was a lot of fun to walk around Battery Park despite the seemingly cold weather. It’s not as big as the Central Park and walking around just gave a great sense of serenity after what seemed like a walk through streets of chaos. Situated in the south western tip of Manhattan located on the River Hudson. The park is easily accessible by subway (1,4,5,N,R) and is not far to walk into the heart of Manhattan's financial district.
