Tag: New York

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I <3 WTC

WTC Model
Early 1964: Architect Minoru Yamasaki and Gov. Nelson D. Rockefeller pose with the first “finished” configuration model of the World Trade Center.

This humble post is dedicated to Minoru Yamasaki, modern architectural master, and Guy Tozzoli, the man who directly managed the original World Trade Center project and deeply loved his Twins.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was a source of political contention and financial worry. In the late 1970s, it was a symbol of metropolitan glamor (it was the Emerald City in The Wiz, after all!). In the 1980s and 1990s, it stood for commercial success and tourist fascination. In the early 21st century, it became Ground Zero. And now, for most people, the World Trade Center is back to being the World Trade Center once again, proof that determination can – just as in the 60s and 70s – overcome political strife. Things may never be right in Lower Manhattan again, but things can be good.

Continue reading “I <3 WTC”

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Kali does Corona Park…

I’m a huge, huge, huge 1964-65 New York World’s Fair fan. And on May 23, I finally got to visit the Mecca of NYWF fandom – CORONA PARK at Flushing Meadows in Queens! My good-natured friend Dasha accompanied me. In fact, she assisted me greatly by taking a few photos (See a galleryful of my Corona Park images here).

Here are a few pics of the Unisphere, the fair’s official symbol and the embodiment of the fair’s aim:  Peace through [global] understanding.

“It will remain as a permanent reminder of man’s aspirations for peace through understanding, and a symbol of his achievements in an expanding universe. Unisphere is truly the miracle in the meadow.”

~ US Steel Ad

This 900,000 pound stainless steel structure was designed by Gilmore Clark and engineered/constructed by United States Steel’s American Bridge Division.

Kali, the Unisphere, and the NYS Pavilion observation towers.
Kali, the Unisphere, and the New York State Pavilion towers. Photographed by Dasha.
Classic Unisphere.
Classic shot of the Unisphere with USTA-Arthur Ashe Stadium in the background. The tennis stadium sits where the Federal Building (aka the United States Pavilion) sat during the fair (and until 1976, when it was finally removed). Photo by Kali Pappas.
Unisphere + NYS Pavilion.
The Unisphere and the New York State Pavilion observation towers. By Kali Pappas.
NYS Pavilion observation towers, viewed through the "roof" of the Tent of Tomorrow.
NYS Pavilion observation towers, viewed through the "roof" of the Tent of Tomorrow. By Kali Pappas.
New York State Pavilion Observation Towers
More NYS Pavilion observation deck action. By Kali Pappas.

You can learn more about the Unisphere, the NYS Pavilion, and the rest of the fair at NYWF64.com, an excellent resource for NYWF enthusiasts.

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Man on Wire

Here’s a trailer for a crazy documentary about tightrope phenomenon Philippe Petit and his successful 1974 attempt to cross the span between WTC 1 & 2 on a wire. The film is streaming on Netflix!