Exploring More of Central Park in New York City

On June 27, 2022June 27, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New YorkLeave a comment

We have walked through Central Park during our previous trip to New York, but if you’ve been to Central Park before, you’ll know that it is huge. There is so much to see throughout the park and we saw very little of it on our first trip. We still only made it about halfway through the park this time, but we did take time to explore more and see so many interesting features, including Belvedere Castle. It was hot and sunny as we walked through the park, so the shade of the trees was very welcome and we once again went to Loeb Boathouse for a glass of wine before heading back to our hotel.

Chess Board at the Chess and Checkers House

There are many fascinating statues within Central Park including the Mall and Literary Walk and the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument. We turned towards Belvedere Castle after passing by the King Jagiello Monument. Central Park truly is an oasis in the middle of such a large and vibrant city. Although our recent visit to New York was more about going to unique and different locations than the typical tourist spots, we couldn’t help but go back to the park and wonder along the many different paths.

With so many different trails and the sheer size of Central Park, it could be easy to get lost as you wonder around. With that said, what better way to spend an afternoon than losing oneself in this beautiful park. We spent our first afternoon after taking the train from Baltimore to New York strolling through the park and admiring all of the nature and statues.

Historic Trinity Church on the Corner of Broadway and Wall Street in New York City

On June 20, 2022June 20, 2022 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn New YorkLeave a comment

We decided to spend time in Lower Manhattan during our recent visit to New York City. One of the places that enjoyed seeing was Trinity Church, which is located at Broadway and Wall Street and is surrounded by towering skyscrapers. The fact that the church is located in the heart of the city does not diminish the beauty of the church, but it is different that a lot of cathedrals and churches in Europe where the church dominates the skyline. The church is an active church that received its first charter from King William III in 1697 when the America’s were in their infancy.

The first thing that strikes out to you as you visit Trinity Church is the historic cemetery with its oldest headstone dating back to 1861. The headstone is for Richard Churcher, the 5-year-old son of William Churcher. The cemetery is also the gravesite of Alexander Hamilton and there are also many different monuments in the graveyard. It is a peaceful spot in an otherwise very busy part of the city.

Steeple with Skyscrapers in the Background

The facade of the building is quite stunning with its huge steeple reaching toward the sky. Within the steeple are 12 change-ringing bells that rotate 360 degrees making a rich and complex sound. It is the only set of these types of bells in the United States. We did not enter the church during our visit, but just walking around the grounds was quite interesting. With such an amazing history and architecture, Trinity Church is quite fascinating, especially considering the juxtaposition between the church and the surrounding modern buildings.

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.