5 fun facts about NYC
Did you know that Safetravelskit, the most beloved product of jetsetters around the world, was designed in the USA?
More precisely in NYC!
And who can tell you some of the Big Apple's secrets if not us?
Indeed, there are things about NYC that are in the public eye but that perhaps no one pays attention to!
We are here to reveal to you no less than 5 fun facts about New York City that maybe even locals don't know about!
The Sound Of Times Square
From the grates in Times Square you can hear an “alien” sound.
It is “Times Square,” a creation that artist Max Neuhaus installed in 1977.
No monuments, or statues, or representative objects of any kind, but rather a series of grates, covering a space underneath much of the sidewalk at the intersection of 45th and 46th Streets, between Broadway and Seventh Avenue.
Neuhaus's iron gratings are capable of creating a distinct, curious, metallic, undulatory sound, almost like that of a gong. A noise that to an attentive ear also reminds one of the ohm, the sacred sound of meditation
A sound installation, dubbed sound sculpture, “Times Square” is more than just a metal rhythm though. In fact, Max Neuhaus thought of a system capable of amplifying the underground rumbling peculiar to the intersection that counters the square.
This acoustic cloud is created without the aid of external instruments, such as a computer for example, or electronic music notes. Sounds come from underground to the ears in a completely natural way.
6½ Avenue
The whole world knows the famous grid into which Manhattan streets are divided: fifth, thirty-second and so on.
But have you ever noticed 6 1/2 Av?
In 2011, the Friends of Private Public Spaces proposed the creation of a six-block path from 51st Street to 57th Street, midway between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, to facilitate pedestrian traffic.
The proposal aimed to connect public spaces in the area, unknown to most pedestrians, through a pedestrian corridor.
In March 2012, NYC DOT, New York City Department of Transportation, announced the plan, with a list of improvements, for the construction of this new pedestrian-only corridor, and on March 26, 2012, the Community Board 5 Transportation Committee voted unanimously to pass a resolution in support of the plan submitted by NYCDOT.
The arched steel entryway in Pier 54
If you go to Pier 55, in addition to the beautiful view of Downton, check out the large iron gates, or rather a large steel archway
Although they often go unnoticed, these have very important historical value: this is where the Titanic should have come.
The ceiling in Grand Central
And what about the wonderful and very famous Grand Central Station?
Is it possible that it, too, hides something unusual? Well, yes.
Look up and take a good look at the ceiling: The pattern is in fact upside down!
Some believe it was an error by the designer while for others that would be the representation of the sky from God's point of view
Let's take a Selfie
This is really a curious fact: In New York you can take a picture of yourself using traffic cameras!
American artist and programmer Morry Kolman, has created a site to access the (publicly available) cameras in the New York area. Complete with tips for taking good photos and customizable formats.
trafficcamphotobot.com allows anyone in New York City to locate the nearest traffic camera (that is publicly available) and use it to take selfies.
How many of these curiosities did you know?
Are you also a New Yorker? How many of these facts did you know? Would you like to share more fun facts with us?
Don't forget that Safetravelskit is featured on the official website of one of Nyc's iconic department stores, Bloomingdales.com
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