Our Student Trip New York City was amazing! We began with a stop on the way at the famous Howe’s Caverns? This cave was discovered decades ago by Mr. Howe in 1842 and bought from the property owner soon afterwards. The cave is home to many formations and sights, such as this formation above. It is where stalagmites and stalactites meet. A stalactite is an icicle-shaped formation that hangs from the ceiling of a cave, and is produced by precipitation of minerals from water dripping through the cave ceiling. A stalactite is the cone that grows from the ground up due to drops that come from above.
Next on our studen tour New York City was arriving at the Big Apple. First coined in the 1920s by a sports writer for the New York Morning Telegraph, it was used to describe the large prize that was won after the horse races in the city. The New York City area has been home to aboriginals for thousands of years and the first land purchase in the area was made by the Dutch in the 16 hundreds. They named it New Amsterdam. The idea of a land purchase at the time was unheard of for the aboriginal peoples; they did not understand the significance of purchasing land. It would be equivalent to you purchasing international water from me. This rich swampy area was property of the Dutch until mid-way in the century when they lost it to the British. With all of their originality they named the new city New York, both names (including New Amsterdam) coming from older cities from across the ocean. The city fell to American hands during the American Revolution. Ever since New York City has continued to grow as a port city but has also grown in many other areas such as entertainment, fashion, sightseeing, immigration and Wall Street.
View of Central Park in the midst of New York City
During any school trip New York City must get a sense of direction and get themselves orientated. So what better way to do that than visit the Top of the Rock! Financed by John D. Rockefeller, the Rockefeller Centre is one of the most famous and iconic buildings in New York City. The Centre was funded by Mr. Rockefeller’s exploitation and empire of the standard oil in America during the years of the Great Depression, employing around 75,000 New Yorkers. Throughout the years the Rockefeller family has built many partnerships and expansions, also venturing into new frontiers and acquiring new acquisitions. At this height any viewer can see land marks including The Brooklyn Bridge, The Chrysler Building, One World Trade Centre, The Statue of Liberty, The Hudson River, Central Park and much more!
The bright lights to Time Square, New York
When the sun sets the city definitely does not choose to sleep. It becomes alive and a great place to go is New York’s Times Square! Times Square is a major commercial neighbourhood midtown Manhattan at the junction of Broadway and 7th Avenue. Also known as The Crossroads of the World, this area is lit up by billboards and advertising. This pedestrian friendly area, seeing about 50 million visitors a year, is also one of the beating hearts of the world’s entertainment industry, with Broadway shows from all sorts of genres. If you come on December 31 you’ll also get to witness the great countdown in the square, recently hosted by Ryan Seacrest.
Another must do in the city is of course go through Central Park. This grand park attracts most people that come to visit the city. You’ll have to pass by the Dakota Building, where John Lennon used to live and through Strawberry Fields where one can see the Imagine monument and the fields that Yoko and the city of New York built together. Once you walk through the park you can end up at The Museum of Art or The MET on Fifth Avenue. This museum presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world! Since it’s founding in 1870 it has grown into one of the world’s grandest museums of art that houses hidden treasures and rare and beautiful objects. One can take a step back into time to visit the Mesopotamia era, where the first known human civilization began!
One of thousands of art pieces at the Met, New York City
A Student trip New York City is the perfect destination for your next educational school trip!
By Aaron Wry
