Union Square, New York City: "All Along Broadway" Video Tours

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• published: 16 May 2010
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We continue our video tour of Broadway Avenue, heading north through Manhattan with our next stop being Union Square- a lovely spot to be on any given day in New York City! Broadway runs north to south, covering Bowling Green all the way to the top of Manhattan into the Bronx. Its' route covers many neighborhoods, one being the exciting Union Square -- one of the city's most popular meeting places for locals and travelers alike! New York Habitat http://www.nyhabitat.com presents "All Along Broadway", a video series where we will break down what each neighborhood has to offer! Our last episode, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwx_lomIrMw , focused on the Financial District so don't forget to take a look! Take a look at New York Habitat's blog, as well, for more info on our video of Union Square! http://www.nyhabitat.com/blog/2010/05/12/video-tour-union-square-new-york-city/ Union Square The actual history why it is called Union Square is from the simplicity of the intersection of Broadway and 4th Avenue. However, New Yorkers were very happy with such famed streets crossing, that they had to call it "Union" Square Union Square Park Re-designed in 1872 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who also designed the famed Central Park. Political and Social leaders array themselves amongst the park, one being the equestrian statue of George Washington in 1856, and the statue of Abraham Lincoln in 1870. James Fountain With a statue of Charity, emptying her jug of water aided by a child, the James Fountain has quite an interesting symbolic history. Known as a Temperance Fountain, which were created in the US in hopes that by having easy access to safe drinking water this would keep people from consuming alcohol. Statue of Gandhi Raised in 1986, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, a non-violent social and political leader in India who inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world, is a representation of Union Square's history and devotion towards social activism. Metronome In the southern part of the square you will find a massive eye-turning wall sculpture that sporadically expels steam from the center-point. Created by Kristin Jones and Andrew Ginzel in 1999. It cost $4.2 million to construct and is one of the largest private commissions of public art in the US. The Passage Beside the Metronome there are 15 digits called "The Passage" which display the time in 24 hour format by the left side showing the time-meaning the hour, minutes, and seconds. The right, showing 7 digits representing the time remaining time we have left in the 24 hour day! Greenmarket & Holiday Market In New York's Greenmarket, established in 1976, you will be able to find fruit, vegetables, and other farms products in open market surrounding the Union Square Park. The Greenmarket is opened on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8 am to 6 pm. You can always find an assortment of farmer-fresh local produce! The Union Square Market is also a great place to check out if you're in New York City during the holiday season! It is held from November 23 to December 24 and an array of different vendors from arts and crafts to jewelry made by local artists (which sports a jewelry store that creates jewelry made from preserved real-life orchids!) Shopping and Cuisine in and around Union Square There is an abundance of stores from fashion to bookstores! The Strand Bookstore being one of New Yorkers most prized possessions, which is located on 12th street and offers "18 miles" of both new and used books. There is also plenty of family fun including a bowling alley and game center on University Place at 12th street! New York Habitat offers many apartments all over New York http://www.nyhabitat.com/new-york-apartment.html . It is always more economical to opt for one of our rentals that fully accommodate you and your family in a number of ways! We have a great vacation rental http://www.nyhabitat.com/new-york-apartment/vacation/11288 in the East Village, New York, just one subway stop from Union Square! With Space for up to 3 people, it comes furnished with a queen sized bed, a television with cable and a fully-equipped kitchen! There is also this lovely 1 bedroom accommodation http://www.nyhabitat.com/new-york-apartment/vacation/11848 in Chelsea located just blocks away from Union Square, complete with laundry in the building. Tenants will also have a rooftop terrace, which has views to the north of New York City's skyline! That closes our tour of Union Square! Don't forget to check out all our NYC Vacation Rentals http://www.nyhabitat.com/new-york-apartment/vacation , as well as our other Furnished NYC Apartments at http://www.nyhabitat.com/new-york-apartment/furnished ! And comment if you know of something we missed!