The Trinity Place Bank Vault Restaurant and Bar in Lower Manhattan

On June 29, 2022June 29, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New York5 Comments

As with everyplace that we visit, food is central to the overall experience. One of the more unique restaurants that we ate at while we were in New York City was the Trinity Place Bank Vault Restaurant and Bar, which is located near the Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan. The restaurant is literally built in the inside of what was once the largest and strongest bank vault in the world. It is a casual restaurant that serves Irish and American style food.

Sitting at the bar, you can watch people on the street above walking by as the restaurant is partially below street level. What makes the place unique are the huge vault doors that provide the entrance to the restaurant. After passing through the vault door, there are some the old, barred doors that served as additional security within the vault. We have been to many different restaurants and bars that have been converted from churches, banks, and other unique locations during our travels and always find them to be fascinating.

The Fascinating History of the Explorers Club Headquarters in Manhattan

On June 28, 2022June 28, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New York1 Comment

As we researched places to visit during our recent trip to New York City, the Headquarters of the Explorers Club quickly rose to one of the top priorities. Although it takes more than an appetite to travel the world to become members of the Explorers Club, just seeing the inside of the historic club was amazing. To become a member of the Explorers Club, you must have participated in some form of scientific exploration or field research as well as being sponsored by at least two current members. The club was founded in 1904 by some of the world’s leading explorers of the time and one can only imagine the conversations that occurred as they sat in leather chairs in front of the fire and recalled their latest exploits.

As you walk through the Explorers Club Headquarters, you are greeted with paintings and memorabilia that remind you not only of the great accomplishments, but of the harsh conditions that the early explores endured. As you walk through the entrance to the club, immediately on your left you will see a private, members only, lounge and bar with a fireplace and leather chairs. Above the fireplace is a painting by Charles R. Knight titled Woolly Rhinoceros. Just as one would expect from such an illustrious group, there is a plaque commemorating famous firsts achieved by the members which includes the North Pole, South Pole, Everest, Challenger Deep, and the moon.

The second floor has the Clark Room, which has flags that have been on various expeditions, the library with a large collection of books and a large painting titled The Rescue of Greely, which depicts the famous rescue of Adolphus Greely’s expedition that attempted to create the first permanent base at the edge of the Arctic Sea. Greely and six other survivors of the expedition were rescued in 1884 after being stranded for 2 years. Greely became the first president of The Explorers Club 1905 and the bell from the ship that rescued him, named Bear, is also on display on the second floor. There is also a terrace on the second floor with antique stained glass and bistro tables for entertaining.

With our love for travel and exploration, seeing the historic Explorers Club Headquarters with all of the history and paintings was one of the highlights of our visit to New York City. There are parts of the headquarters that are off-limits to visitors, but there is more than enough to see if you decide to visit. They are happy to provide you a flyer with their history and explanations of all of the fascinating artifacts and artwork located throughout the six-story building. They will even give you an application to apply for membership if you ask. There were not any other visitors during the time that we were there, so it is definitely not as well-known as most other locations near mid-town Manhattan.

The Beautiful Greenery of the Elevated Acre in Lower Manhattan

On June 16, 2022June 16, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New York5 Comments

We spent the past weekend exploring some different parts of Manhattan in New York City. We have visited New York previously and did most of the traditional tourist items like going Rockefeller Plaza, the Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, and seeing a play on Broadway, so this trip we wanted to do some different things. It was quite hot over the weekend, so one thing that we certainly appreciated along with the people who live in New York is taking advantage of whatever green spaces there are in the city. One of the places we went to see was the Elevated Acre, which is located at 55 Water Street.

The Elevated Acre is an outdoor park with flowers, benches, and views of the river, making it a great spot to relax on a summer afternoon. There is also an area of artificial grass where people can rest or play. Part of the appeal is the fact that it is somewhat elevated, which provides for a slight breeze as well as the interesting views. There were several tourists boats out on the river as well as a helicopter pad nearby where we saw a few different helicopters landing and taking off.

We went to a few different parks during our weekend trip, including returning to Central Park for further exploring, but we certainly enjoyed going to the Elevated Acre. We could certainly see it being a place where local businesspeople could go for a relaxing lunch break and almost forget about the fact that they were in the midst of the big city. There was a groundskeeper in the plaza while we were there and clearly, they take good care of the plants and green spaces.