Tag: Walking Manhattan

Charging Bull Bowling Green Park New York, NY 10004

Charging Bull

Bowling Green Park

New York City, NY 10004

http://www.chargingbull.com/

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d1605557-Reviews-Charging_Bull_Wall_Street_Bull-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

When you are in lower Manhattan and are visiting the Battery Park and/or Wall Street area don’t miss the Charging Bull statue by artist Arturo Di Modica. The artist created this piece of ‘guerrilla’ art after the Crash of 1987, when we were about to enter the depths of another major recession, one that went from the end of 1987 until the summer of 1995.

This interesting piece of New York history is actually a recent addition to the street art of New York City. The statue was created and cast in 1987 following the Crash and made its first appearance outside the New York Stock Exchange on December 15, 1989.

The bull according to the artist, “represents the symbol of the strength and power of the American people’ following the Crash. It has taken on many meanings since such as the power of Wall Street and the progressiveness of money and power in the Financial industry.

During the high tourist season expect to see the statue surrounded by tourist taking pictures in all directions. The statue of ‘Charging Bull’ is now paired with ‘Fearless Girl’ by artist Kristen Visbal. Some have commented that it has changed the meaning of the statue but I think it is how you interpret both works. Its best to visit and make your own opinion.

The ‘Charging Bull’ with ‘Fearless Girl’

While you are visiting the statue, take time to visit this historic section of Manhattan and visit the other sites that include Bowling Green Park, the Museum of the Native Americans, Frances Tavern and Stone Street as well as the boats to Governor’s, Ellis and Liberty Islands. It is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.

Please refer to my blog, ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’- “Day One Hundred and Thirteen Tour of Historic Pubs and Bars in Lower Manhattan with the Cornell Club” for a full list of things to see in this section of the City.

History of Charging Bull:

Construction and installation:

The Bull by Bowling Green Park in the early morning hours.

The bull was cast by the Bedi-Makky Art Foundry in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Di Modica spent around $360,000 to create, cast and install the sculpture following the 1987 stock market crash as a symbol of the ‘strength and power of the American people’. The sculpture was Di Modica’s idea and in an act of ‘guerrilla art’, Bedi Makky Art Foundry and Di Modica trucked it to Lower Manhattan. On December 15, 1989, they installed it beneath a 60 foot (18m) Christmas tree in the middle of Broad Street in front of the New York Stock Exchange as a Christmas gift to New Yorkers. That day, hundreds of onlookers stopped to admire and analyze it as Di Modica handed out copies of a flier about his artwork (Wiki).

NYSE officials called the police later that day and the NYPD seized the sculpture and placed it into a impound lot. The ensuing public outcry led the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to reinstall it two blocks south of the Exchange in the Bowling Green, with a ceremony on December 21, 1989. It faces up Broadway at Whitehall Street (Wiki).

Confusion over ownership:

The sculpture technically has a temporary permit allowing it to stand on city property since the city does not own the sculpture but the temporary permission has lasted since 1989, when city officials said the new location would not be permanent. Art on loan is usually limited to a year’s display and although the city does not buy art, it does accept donations. A writer in the New York Daily News wrote in 1998 that the statue’s placement was ‘beginning to look a mite permanent.’ According to an article in Art Monthly, Di Modica as well as officials and New Yorkers, ‘view it as a permanent feature of Lower Manhattan (Wiki).

In 2004, Di Modica announced that the bull sculpture was for sale, on condition the buyer does not move it from its present location. Di Modica continues to own the artistic copyright to the statue. In 2006, Di Modica sued Walmart and other companies for illegally benefiting from his copyright, by selling replicas of the bull and using it in advertising campaigns. In 2009, Di Modica sued Random House for using a photo of the bull on the cover of a book discussing the collapse of financial services firm Lehman Brothers (Wiki).

Artist Arturo Di Modica:

Artist Arturo Di Modica

http://www.artnet.com/artists/arturo-di-modica/

Arturo Di Modica first conceived of the Charging Bull as a way to celebrate the can-do spirit of America and especially New York, where people from all over the world come regardless of their origin or circumstances and through determination and hard work overcome every obstacle to become successful. It’s this symbol of virility and courage that Arturo saw as the perfect antidote to the Wall Street Crash of 1987.

The artist was born in Vittoria, Italy in 1941 and studied at the Academia Del Nudo Libra in Florence, Italy in 1960. In 1973, he relocated to New York City to a Lower Manhattan space. ‘Charging Bull’ is his most famous piece (Artnet).

Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden 421 East 61st Street New York, NY 10065

Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden

421 East 61st Street

New York, NY 10065

(212) 838-6878

http://www.mvhm.org

Home

Open: Tuesday-Sunday-11:00am-4:00pm (check the website during each season)

Fee: Adults $15.00/Seniors & Students $12.00/Children 16-12 $5.00/Children under 12 Free

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d309468-Reviews-Mount_Vernon_Hotel_Museum_Garden-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum at 421 East 61st Street

Mount Vernon historical sign during the summer months

The history of the building

The model of the building

I had come across the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum when I was walking on East 61st Street for my blog and went to take the tour of the building. It is a one hour (or more as I there for almost two hours but I was by myself) tour of both floors. You start with a film and a quick talk about the history of the building. The hotel building has had several owners and uses over its over hundred years.

I visited the museum during the holiday season in 2025 and I got to see all the decorations around the hotel. There was elegant decorations in most of the rooms and got to see how people ate during the holiday season as well as with visits guests would have indulged in when they came for the day.

Then you start the tour of the upper room where the ladies would gather and talk. This is where they might have tea, musical recitals and read and sew. They would gather with other women for conversation and debate.

The Upstairs foyer gallery

The foyer landing decorated for the holidays with the former traveler, James Taylor, who discussed in his memoir about visiting the hotel

The Ladies Parlor

The upstairs is where the sleeping rooms and the ladies parlors are located, where female guests would enjoy tea, games, music and reading. The main landing was for dancing and for gatherings.

The Ladies Palour with the Chinese writing desk and festive decorations.

The room set for tea with Englishware

The holiday set up afternoon service

The sleeping rooms were kept simple and functional

The Men’s game room

The main floor was the Men’s gaming rooms, where there is a bar and two rooms for male activities such as cards, gambling and reading. Here the men would discuss politics and business over a drink and games of chance.

The main games room

The main entrance was used as the dining room for dinner (our lunch), which was the biggest meal of the day served around 2:00pm.

The bar area where spirits are sold

The afternoon supper was part of the package and couples would join one another for a several course meal, which would serve as the main meal of the day.

Dinner time at the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum

The tour guide went over what would have been served, menu’s and meal times. Dinner would have been served at 2:00pm, tea time would have been around 4:00pm-6:00pm and Supper around 8:00pm.

The multi course meal for everyday on display

The meal would include popular dishes such as turkey and oysters and a specialty, Turtle soup. Fresh vegetables and fancy desserts would be part of the package.

The tour of the kitchen show preparation of foods, recipe books and all kitchen equipment including the stoves and baking materials.

The kitchen for both the hotel and house

The kitchen used to cook afternoon meals

The area used for baking and roasting

If you like the history of “Old New York” and like old homes, hotels and buildings, this is a very interesting tour that deals with the City’s growing middle-class and the new ‘leisure time’ that was coming with the changes in the work week. There are many pieces of period furniture all over the building that show the growth of affluence of the time.

The side board set with holiday desserts

The side board ladened with holiday treats

Don’t miss the formal walled in garden in the back. It is a place of relaxation from the rest of the city. There are stone walk ways and landscaped gardens as well as an herb garden. The building is owned and maintained by the Colonial Dames of America.

The walled gardens during the winter

The walled garden in the winter

I revisited the museum for the holidays and the hotel was decked out in garland and holy based on the decor traditional for the Revolutionary War era Christmas. The archways and tables were lined with greenery and the tables were loaded with oranges plunged with cloves to give the homes at that time a rich citrus smell.

The downstairs dining table was set for a Christmas meal of wild turkey, mock turtle soup, and apple and pumpkin pies. This would have been served in the afternoon as the main meal while it was still light out.

Holiday goodies at the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum getting ready for the holidays

There had been a light snow while we were touring the hotel so when we visited the gardens, it really did have that Christmas feel to it with that light snow all over the pine and the bushes.

How the neighborhood has changed

The old stable area

During the time of the Revolutionary War and afterwards, homes were not as elaborately decorated as they would have been during Victorian times after the Civil War. Homes were lined with greenery that would have given the home the fragrant smell of pine and strings of cranberries and popcorn would have been used to decorate mantles.

The hotel decorated for the holidays

The hotel was getting ready for one of its many special events during the holidays so there was a lot of commotion going on downstairs. It is a very festive looking place for the holidays so try to tour it when it is open in the month of December.

The museum in the 2025 holiday season

What is the Museum:

Constructed in 1799 as a carriage house and converted into a ‘day hotel’ in 1826, the Museum transports visitors back to Mount Vernon Hotel, a 19th Century country resort for New Yorkers escaping the crowded city below 14th Street.

The model of the original house layout

Recognizing the building as one of the few remaining 18th century sites and the only surviving day hotel in New York City Historic Landmark in 1967, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1983.

History of the House:

The Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden presents the period of the Mount Vernon Hotel which operated from 1826 until 1833.

Constructed in 1799 as a carriage house for a 23 acre estate and converted into the Mount Vernon in 1826, this stone building sits on land originally owned by Colonel William Stephens Smith and his wife, Abigail Adams Smith, the daughter of John Adams.

This fashionable country resort was popular among New Yorkers who wished to escape the hustle among the bustle of the city, which at that time extended only as far north 14th Street. The Hotel advertised “free from the noise and dust of the public roads and fitted up and intended for only the most gentle respectable” clientele. In those days, one could take the stagecoach or steamboat up to 61st Street spend the day at the hotel sipping lemonade in the ladies parlor or playing cards in the gentlemen’s.

In 1833, the house became the home for three generations of a New York City family. In 1905, as the area became more industrialized, the building was purchased by Standard Gas Light Company (today’s Con-Edison). The Colonial Dames of America, a woman’s patriotic society purchased the building in 1924 and did an extensive restoration to the structure, the Colonial Dames opened the site to the public in 1939. The building endures as a rare reminder of an important era in New York City’s history.

What the organization does:

*Welcome 5000 school children annually in grades-pre-K through high school for field trips.

*Summer History Weeks for children ages 6-12

*A Summer High School Internship for 15 students to support college readiness skills and career exploration.

*Two summer Hearst Fellowships for undergraduates or graduate students.

*40+public programs each year, including:

-monthly free Story time

-monthly Lunchtimes lectures

-holiday programs, garden concerts, hands on craft and cooking workshops.

*Temporary exhibitions on facets of life in early 19th century NYC, some promoting local contemporary artists.

*Special programs for individuals with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

*Outreach programs to schools, senior centers and homeless shelters.

*Themed group tours focused on 19th century food, decorative arts or literature.

*Three options for team building events.

*Two free admission days: Smithsonian Museum Day and Open House New York.

Programs are made possible in part by the support of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and Council Member Ben Kallos, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, the Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Rosenthal Foundation and the Michael Tuch Foundation.

(Mount Vernon Hotel Pamphlet)

The Colonial Dames of America:

With these words, spoken in April 1890, Maria Denning “May” Van Rensselaer imitated what was to become the oldest colonial lineage society for women in the United States. The Colonial Dames of America. Its mission is to preserve historic sites and objects, award scholarships, educate the public about American history, inspire patriotism and promote fellowship among its members.

(The Colonial Dames of America information).

The backyard gardens in the Winter time

Video on the museum

Gracie Mansion Carl Schurz Park East 88th Street and East End Avenue New York, NY 10128

Gracie Mansion

Carl Schurz Park

East 88th and East End Avenue

New York, NY 10128

(212) 570-4773

Hours: Mondays only-10:30am. 12:00pm and 1:30pm. See their website at www1.nyc.gov/site/Gracie/visit/visit page or gracieinfo@cityhall.nyc.gov

http://www.historichousetrust.org

https://www.nycgo.com/events/gracie-mansion-tours

https://www.graciemansion.org/

Admission: $10.00

TripAdvisor Review:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d136688-Reviews-Gracie_Mansion-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Hours: There are free house tours at 10:30am, 12:00pm and 1:30pm on Mondays only. Check their website for availability. This is one of the few rare treats of New York if you can snare one of the tours of Gracie Mansion. It is a really interesting tour of the first floor rooms and entrance to the gardens of this historic home and the Mayor of New York City’s residence.

This was really a wonderful tour of the mansion given by a woman who has been a docent for twenty years and has seen the changes of the administrations. We went room by room and discussed how the Gracie’s then the Wheaton’s and the other families who lived here use the house until Robert Moses, the great City Planner, decided this should become the Mayor’s residence.

The front of the mansion at the start of the tour in the Summer of 2025

The formal gardens in front of the house in full bloom

The formal gardens to the side of the house near the parking lot

We started the tour on the front porch of the old Gracie Mansion

The tour consists of the first floor only and you can not take pictures inside with the exception of the Wagner Ballroom. We saw the formal entrance, the Living Room, Library, Dining Room and then the hallway leading to the front of the house to the Susan Wagner Ballroom, the newest extension of the house (the front section is the original section of the home built during the Gracie period).

The front rooms you are not allowed to take pictures so as you tour the Living Room, the Dining Room and Parlor rooms, you can not take pictures. When we left the older section of the home and entered the hallway to the Susan Wagner Ballroom added in the Wagner Administration, then you could take pictures in this room only (outside the gardens).

The inside of the Susan Wagner Ballroom

The Chandelier in the ballroom was from an old mansion downtown

The Bayard Fireplace from the Bayard Mansion once located in lower Manhattan

The Wagner Ballroom details

History of the Mansion and Gracie Family:

Gracie Mansion, built in 1799 by shipping merchant Archibald Gracie, is the last of the elegant county estates that once lined Manhattan’s East River shore. Gracie hosted elegant dinner parties at his country estate for visitors including Alexander Hamilton, Rufus King, Joseph Bonaparte and Washington Irving.

Archibald Gracie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Gracie

Major losses during the years after the War of 1812 forced Gracie to sell his estate in 1823 to Joseph Foulke. In 1857, the Mansion was bought by Noah Wheaton. After Wheaton’s death in 1896, the City of New York appropriated the estate, incorporating ts 11 acres of grounds into the surrounding park that was renamed Carl Schurz Park in 1910.

After years as a comfort station and ice cream stand, Gracie Mansion became the first home of the Museum of the City of New York. When the museum moved to a larger building, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses convinced City Authorities to designate the Mansion as the official residence of the Mayor. In 1942, Fiorello H. La Guardia moved into Gracie Mansion.

In 1966, the Mansion was enlarged with the construction of the Susan E. Wagner Wing, which includes a ballroom and two additional rooms. Under the guidance of the Gracie Mansion Conservatory, major restorations to the Mansion were undertaken between 1981 and 1984 and in 2002.

The 2002 restoration transformed Gracie Mansion into the “People’s House” and increased accessibility to the public and City agencies. First Lady Rosalyn Carter and South African President Nelson Mandela are among the many notable visitors.

Gracie Mansion at the turn of the last century

Gracie Mansion is owned by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, operated by the Gracie Mansion Conservatory and is a member of the Historic House Trust.

(Gracie Mansion Pamphlet)

Gracie Mansion Conservatory:

After years of neglect and continual erosion of any trace of history, Mayor Edward I. Koch and founding Chair Joan K. Davison, established the Gracie Mansion Conservatory in 1981. as a public./private partnership.. Under its guidance, the first major restoration of the house was undertaken between 1981 and 1984. Besides creating a connection between the original house and the Wagner Wing, this effort included the display of art, furniture and decorative objects either purchased or more often, lent by the City’s many cultural institutions. The Charter mandate of the Conservatory was not to seal the residence in the past (especially as there is no record of how it originally appeared inside) but to protect its history while accommodating change and progress by successive generations of New Yorkers.

The Gracie Mansion Conservatory continues to operate as a charitable organization dedicated to enhancing and enlivening its namesake. Its mission is to preserve and honor Gracie Mansion’s Federal Period origins while also making sure it remains as forward-looking and welcoming as the city it serves. An increasing share of this work focuses on exploring the many different people and cultures whose contributions to Gracie Mansion and the New York at large gone unrecognized for far too long. The Conservatory also works to improve the surrounding landscape and gardens and provide public programming and educational services, including publications and tours for local school students, especially those studying in New York State’s 7th grade social studies curriculum.

(Gracie Mansion Conservatory pamphlet)

Disclaimer: This information was taken from the Gracie Mansion Conservatory pamphlet press kit given on my tour and I give the Conservatory full credit for it. Please check the website for tour information or call them to find out about group tours.

It really is a great tour!

Gallery of New York School of Interior Design: NYSID Gallery 170 East 70th Street New York, NY 10021

Gallery of the New York School of Design; NYSID Gallery

170 East 70th Street

New York, NY 10021

(212) 472-1500

https://www.nysid.edu/exhibitions

https://www.nysid.edu/

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 11:00am-6:00pm/Closed on Sunday and Monday

Admission: Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

New York School of Interior Design at 170 East 70th Street

I came across the Gallery of the New York School of design when walking the Upper East Side for my project, ‘MywalkinManhattan.com’ when covering the lower part of the Upper East Side.

The entrance to the Gallery

The New York School of Interior Design was displaying their Senior projects as most the college galleries I visited were doing at this time (this takes place between May and June around graduation time). It was interesting to see how the seniors at the college reused space in old buildings for new purposes. The seniors use their creativity to recreate these spaces. It is the student’s project to take a space and redesign it for a new purpose.

The entrance sign to the gallery

We had done similar projects in college but did not have the computer technology that students do today and they really went above and beyond the things we did back then. You can take this project into 3-D if you want and how real it looks. These kids are so talented that their creativity reminds me of us when we were in school. If only we had what they have today.

The Student Projects line the walls

Take time to look at the detail work and space design of each project. Some of the students even include samples of fabrics and stone/wood work that will be used for the surfaces.

The Gallery is located on the Upper East Side in the back of the school’s building on the first floor. The admission is free and the Gallery is open when the school is open. There are only two shows a year. You just have to show your ID to get into the galleries.

The student project along the walls

The student project along the walls

What I like about the museum is that you get to see the student creativity and how they imagine the space will be designed. The use of color and shape play a roll in all the designs. It looks like the students get to choose their own space to design.

The best part is the you get to go in for free with you ID and just enjoy the show and see the students creativity.

History of the Gallery/Museum at the College:

The New York School of Design’s gallery presents two public exhibits yearly on design and architecture. Exhibitions have included ‘Paris in the Belle Epoque’, rare photographs from the years 1880-1914; Perspective on Perspective, an exploration of artistic technique; ‘The Great Age of Fairs; London, Chicago, Paris, St. Louis’, selective coverage from the first World’s Fair in 1851 to the last in 1904; ‘Venice’s Great Canal’, architectural drawings of the buildings along the famous thoroughfare; ‘Stanford White’s New York’, a survey of that classicist’s many metropolitan buildings and ‘Vanishing Irish Country Houses’, a look into the preservation crisis facing these not infrequently grand structures.

The gallery’s Thursday-evening lectures have included ‘Palladio’s Villas’; ‘Beaux-Arts New York’ and a survey of the Grands Projects undertaken in Paris during the tenure of French President Francois Mitterrand.

(New York School of Interior Design Website)

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