1
00:00:00,411 --> 00:00:02,994
(wind blowing)

2
00:00:06,709 --> 00:00:09,876
(awe-inspiring music)

3
00:00:35,033 --> 00:00:37,783
(majestic music)

4
00:01:10,490 --> 00:01:13,050
- [Narrator] Our journey
begins at Hyde Park Mansion,

5
00:01:13,050 --> 00:01:15,250
the summer home of the Vanderbilt family

6
00:01:15,250 --> 00:01:17,710
on the Hudson River,
about 100 miles upstream

7
00:01:17,710 --> 00:01:20,200
from New York, which
is just one of the many

8
00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:22,133
great houses overlooking the river.

9
00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:26,930
Heading south, we take in
West Point Military Academy

10
00:01:26,930 --> 00:01:28,680
as well as a famous golf club

11
00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,323
and a notorious prison facility.

12
00:01:31,580 --> 00:01:34,990
At Sleepy Hollow, we take a
look at the old Dutch church

13
00:01:34,990 --> 00:01:37,360
in Washington Irving's creepy tale

14
00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:41,080
before looking at two more
19th-century mansions.

15
00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,880
The river then takes us down
to the city that never sleeps,

16
00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:46,050
New York.

17
00:01:46,050 --> 00:01:48,200
(birds chirping)

18
00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:52,600
The Hudson River flows for
315 miles through New York

19
00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:56,940
and is named after Henry
Hudson who explored it in 1609.

20
00:02:01,630 --> 00:02:03,240
In the late 19th century,

21
00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,330
during what has become
known as the Gilded Age,

22
00:02:06,330 --> 00:02:08,950
many beautiful, large mansions were built

23
00:02:08,950 --> 00:02:11,403
for wealthy industrialists
along the river.

24
00:02:13,690 --> 00:02:16,780
Hyde Park Mansion, with its 54 rooms,

25
00:02:16,780 --> 00:02:20,380
was home to Frederick William
Vanderbilt and constructed

26
00:02:20,380 --> 00:02:23,860
in the Beaux-Arts
architectural style from 1895.

27
00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:30,080
It was designed to be a
seasonal country residence.

28
00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,170
The house was very modern at the time

29
00:02:32,170 --> 00:02:35,460
and used concrete and
steel in its construction.

30
00:02:35,460 --> 00:02:38,420
Electricity came from
a private power house

31
00:02:38,420 --> 00:02:40,993
and the house even had
hot air central heating.

32
00:02:42,310 --> 00:02:45,500
The original estate was around 600 acres

33
00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:48,950
but in 1938, much of
the land and the mansion

34
00:02:48,950 --> 00:02:51,731
were donated to the National Park Service.

35
00:02:51,731 --> 00:02:54,600
(gentle instrumental music)

36
00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,100
Two miles downriver is
the Springwood Estate

37
00:02:58,100 --> 00:03:01,550
which is the birthplace,
home and burial place

38
00:03:01,550 --> 00:03:04,700
of the 32nd President
of the United States,

39
00:03:04,700 --> 00:03:06,313
Franklin D. Roosevelt.

40
00:03:07,990 --> 00:03:12,880
The estate was bought by the
President's father in 1866

41
00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:14,623
who then enlarged the house.

42
00:03:15,519 --> 00:03:18,350
It was further enlarged in 1915

43
00:03:18,350 --> 00:03:20,430
so that they yet-to-be-president

44
00:03:20,430 --> 00:03:22,633
could entertain his political friends.

45
00:03:23,550 --> 00:03:25,780
He designed the two wings himself,

46
00:03:25,780 --> 00:03:28,653
giving the house a Colonial Revival Style.

47
00:03:29,820 --> 00:03:32,410
The Roosevelt Library, close to the house,

48
00:03:32,410 --> 00:03:34,140
was the first Presidential Library

49
00:03:34,140 --> 00:03:35,960
built in the United States

50
00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,793
and was designed by the
President himself in 1939.

51
00:03:41,524 --> 00:03:44,107
(wind blowing)

52
00:03:46,310 --> 00:03:49,060
(majestic music)

53
00:03:52,900 --> 00:03:55,550
The Hudson River is still a busy waterway

54
00:03:55,550 --> 00:03:57,400
and navigable for much of its length.

55
00:03:58,330 --> 00:04:01,500
With the opening of the
Erie Canal further upstream,

56
00:04:01,500 --> 00:04:04,850
goods could be transported
between the city of Buffalo

57
00:04:04,850 --> 00:04:07,443
and the Great Lakes and
the Port of New York.

58
00:04:08,950 --> 00:04:12,100
The success of the waterway
led to industrial growth

59
00:04:12,100 --> 00:04:15,300
along the river during
the late 19th century.

60
00:04:15,300 --> 00:04:18,600
However, serious pollution
problems of raw sewage

61
00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,220
and industrial waste followed

62
00:04:21,220 --> 00:04:23,530
and it was only from the 1960s

63
00:04:23,530 --> 00:04:27,520
that anti-pollution legislation
finally came into force

64
00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,763
and the clean up effort could begin.

65
00:04:34,390 --> 00:04:37,160
Environmental protection
was also important

66
00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,160
for the landscape overlooking the river.

67
00:04:40,250 --> 00:04:42,840
The Hudson Highlands were saved

68
00:04:42,840 --> 00:04:46,260
and became a state park
during the mid 20th century,

69
00:04:46,260 --> 00:04:50,322
as previously the area had
been heavily logged and mined.

70
00:04:50,322 --> 00:04:53,000
(gentle instrumental music)

71
00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,340
Today, the 6,000 acre
park, with its proximity

72
00:04:56,340 --> 00:05:01,182
to New York City, is a popular
destination for day hikes.

73
00:05:01,182 --> 00:05:03,932
(birds chirping)

74
00:05:05,310 --> 00:05:08,740
Just downstream is the United
States Military Academy

75
00:05:08,740 --> 00:05:12,800
at West Point, and the oldest
of the five such academies

76
00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,203
in the United States.

77
00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:19,037
It was founded in 1802 with the motto,

78
00:05:19,037 --> 00:05:20,087
"Duty,

79
00:05:20,087 --> 00:05:21,197
"honor,

80
00:05:21,197 --> 00:05:22,840
"country."

81
00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:25,790
On the hill above West
Point is Fort Putnam,

82
00:05:25,790 --> 00:05:29,110
Completed in 1778, to protect the Hudson

83
00:05:29,110 --> 00:05:31,310
during the Revolutionary War.

84
00:05:31,310 --> 00:05:35,060
It was later enlarged but had
gradually fallen into disuse

85
00:05:35,060 --> 00:05:36,513
by the mid 19th century.

86
00:05:38,150 --> 00:05:42,050
Around 65,000 cadets have
graduated from West Point,

87
00:05:42,050 --> 00:05:46,230
including several household
names, Custer, Lee,

88
00:05:46,230 --> 00:05:48,413
Sherman and Meade from the Civil War.

89
00:05:49,550 --> 00:05:53,023
From World War II, MacArthur,
Bradley and Patton.

90
00:05:54,590 --> 00:05:57,850
And also two presidents, Ulysses S. Grant

91
00:05:59,190 --> 00:06:00,553
and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

92
00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,060
George Washington is
celebrated as America's first

93
00:06:05,060 --> 00:06:08,490
Commander in Chief who won
independence for America

94
00:06:08,490 --> 00:06:10,453
before the academy was founded.

95
00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:15,330
In West Point's history,
there have been 74 recipients

96
00:06:15,330 --> 00:06:18,880
of the Medal of Honor, the
highest award for bravery

97
00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:20,393
in the United States.

98
00:06:24,550 --> 00:06:26,410
On the opposite bank of the Hudson

99
00:06:26,410 --> 00:06:28,500
is the first railroad track to be built

100
00:06:28,500 --> 00:06:31,213
in the sate of New York in 1831.

101
00:06:32,150 --> 00:06:33,670
The line was originally called

102
00:06:33,670 --> 00:06:36,030
The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad

103
00:06:36,030 --> 00:06:39,080
and was built by Frederick
William Vanderbilt

104
00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:40,723
whose house we saw earlier.

105
00:06:43,090 --> 00:06:46,870
In 1853, the line became
part of the much bigger

106
00:06:46,870 --> 00:06:49,056
New York Central Railroad.

107
00:06:49,056 --> 00:06:51,639
(upbeat music)

108
00:06:54,980 --> 00:06:57,590
Today, diesel locomotives carry commuters

109
00:06:57,590 --> 00:07:01,260
to and from Grand Central
Station in New York

110
00:07:01,260 --> 00:07:04,830
on a 75-mile scenic stretch of track,

111
00:07:04,830 --> 00:07:07,073
much of it running
right next to the river.

112
00:07:12,370 --> 00:07:16,120
In 1996, the Hudson National Golf Club

113
00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,460
opened up on the site of an old estate

114
00:07:18,460 --> 00:07:20,100
downstream from West Point

115
00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:24,690
and the mansion easily
converted into the club house.

116
00:07:24,690 --> 00:07:28,360
The 260-acre site, which
now ranks in the top 100

117
00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,660
golf clubs in America,
offers unrivaled views

118
00:07:31,660 --> 00:07:33,423
over the Hudson River.

119
00:07:33,423 --> 00:07:36,410
(upbeat music)

120
00:07:36,410 --> 00:07:40,010
The club is unusual in that
players have to walk the course

121
00:07:40,010 --> 00:07:43,870
and only have use of a golf
cart if over 60 years of age

122
00:07:43,870 --> 00:07:44,973
or physically infirm.

123
00:07:46,314 --> 00:07:48,220
(birds chirping)

124
00:07:48,220 --> 00:07:51,740
A very different sort of
club is a few miles downriver

125
00:07:51,740 --> 00:07:54,457
and one that you don't
really want to join.

126
00:07:54,457 --> 00:07:57,630
Sing-Sing Correctional Facility.

127
00:07:57,630 --> 00:08:01,873
This maximum-security prison
came into being in 1824.

128
00:08:03,540 --> 00:08:07,270
Over the years there
have been 614 executions,

129
00:08:07,270 --> 00:08:11,040
but in 1972, the death
penalty was finally declared

130
00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,600
unconstitutional in the state of New York

131
00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,193
and the electric chair was removed.

132
00:08:19,300 --> 00:08:23,073
Today the prison houses
around 2,000 inmates.

133
00:08:24,055 --> 00:08:25,398
(wind blowing)

134
00:08:25,398 --> 00:08:27,130
(gentle instrumental music)

135
00:08:27,130 --> 00:08:32,130
In 1996, North Tarrytown
was renamed Sleepy Hollow

136
00:08:32,490 --> 00:08:34,890
when residents voted to have it changed

137
00:08:34,890 --> 00:08:37,410
to honor Washington Irving's story,

138
00:08:37,410 --> 00:08:41,210
The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow, published in 1820,

139
00:08:41,210 --> 00:08:43,500
which was set in the town.

140
00:08:43,500 --> 00:08:46,113
The story is still in print today.

141
00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:49,460
Over the decades, the legend has been made

142
00:08:49,460 --> 00:08:54,253
into several films, including
Tim Burton's version in 1999.

143
00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:58,740
In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,

144
00:08:58,740 --> 00:09:00,900
the cemetery and old Dutch church,

145
00:09:00,900 --> 00:09:02,970
which is the oldest church in the state,

146
00:09:02,970 --> 00:09:05,250
feature prominently in the tale

147
00:09:05,250 --> 00:09:08,460
where Ichabod Crane, the new schoolmaster,

148
00:09:08,460 --> 00:09:11,923
competes with a rival for the
hand of Katrina Van Tassel.

149
00:09:14,550 --> 00:09:17,440
When he leaves a party
at the Van Tassel house,

150
00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:21,300
he rides his horse, Gunpowder,
towards a wooden bridge

151
00:09:21,300 --> 00:09:23,710
close to the church and cemetery,

152
00:09:23,710 --> 00:09:27,513
where he sees the Headless
Horseman on the other side.

153
00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,517
Irving writes, "In the
dark shadow of the grove

154
00:09:31,517 --> 00:09:33,087
"on the margin of the brook,

155
00:09:33,087 --> 00:09:38,087
"he beheld something huge,
misshapen, black and towering.

156
00:09:38,387 --> 00:09:42,137
"It stirred not but seemed
gathered up in the gloom

157
00:09:42,137 --> 00:09:44,057
"like some gigantic monster

158
00:09:44,057 --> 00:09:46,217
"ready to spring upon the traveler."

159
00:09:48,230 --> 00:09:50,623
Ichabod was never seen again.

160
00:09:51,660 --> 00:09:53,480
But who was the horseman?

161
00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,443
An evil spirit from the
past in search of his head?

162
00:09:57,460 --> 00:09:59,043
Or was it Ichabod's rival?

163
00:10:00,020 --> 00:10:01,970
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

164
00:10:01,970 --> 00:10:04,353
leaves it up to the reader to decide.

165
00:10:09,833 --> 00:10:12,416
(jaunty music)

166
00:10:13,790 --> 00:10:15,710
On a hill above Sleepy Hollow

167
00:10:15,710 --> 00:10:18,530
is one of New York State's
most famous houses,

168
00:10:18,530 --> 00:10:21,820
built for the industrialist
John D. Rockefeller

169
00:10:21,820 --> 00:10:24,513
who had made a fortune
in the oil business.

170
00:10:25,910 --> 00:10:28,470
Commanding wonderful
views over the Hudson,

171
00:10:28,470 --> 00:10:30,550
it is named Kykuit,

172
00:10:30,550 --> 00:10:33,063
derived from the Dutch
word meaning lookout.

173
00:10:34,300 --> 00:10:37,520
The Classical Revival house
took six years to complete

174
00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,093
and was finally finished in 1913.

175
00:10:41,850 --> 00:10:44,970
It's six stories high, with
the two basement floors

176
00:10:44,970 --> 00:10:48,300
housing all the service rooms
as well as delivery tunnels

177
00:10:48,300 --> 00:10:50,293
and inter-connecting passageways.

178
00:10:51,830 --> 00:10:54,720
The garden is laid out
in a series of terraces

179
00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,790
and in the park, mature
trees were transplanted

180
00:10:57,790 --> 00:11:01,493
at huge cost and placed
into prominent positions.

181
00:11:02,490 --> 00:11:04,470
The house is now open to the public

182
00:11:04,470 --> 00:11:06,403
and a National Historic Landmark.

183
00:11:11,690 --> 00:11:15,860
In 1952, construction began
on the Tappan Zee Bridge

184
00:11:15,860 --> 00:11:19,220
across the Hudson at
its second-widest point.

185
00:11:19,220 --> 00:11:22,533
It's the first bridge upriver
from the City of New York.

186
00:11:23,930 --> 00:11:26,700
Because it was built at a
time of material shortages

187
00:11:26,700 --> 00:11:28,260
during the Korean War,

188
00:11:28,260 --> 00:11:30,763
it was only meant to last for 50 years.

189
00:11:31,870 --> 00:11:33,830
But together with an increase of traffic

190
00:11:33,830 --> 00:11:36,710
that was never envisaged,
the cantilever bridge

191
00:11:36,710 --> 00:11:40,373
is beginning to deteriorate
and a new bridge is planned.

192
00:11:43,660 --> 00:11:44,980
Half a mile from the bridge

193
00:11:44,980 --> 00:11:48,600
is a Gothic Revival house begun in 1838

194
00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,290
and today called Lyndhurst.

195
00:11:51,290 --> 00:11:53,200
The original house was smaller

196
00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:55,780
and given the nickname Paulding's Folly

197
00:11:55,780 --> 00:11:58,250
after its builder, William Paulding

198
00:11:58,250 --> 00:12:00,863
because of its unusual
architectural style.

199
00:12:02,030 --> 00:12:03,940
The second owner, George Merritt,

200
00:12:03,940 --> 00:12:06,980
a successful businessman,
doubled the size of the house

201
00:12:06,980 --> 00:12:10,350
in the 1860s and named it Lyndenhurst

202
00:12:10,350 --> 00:12:12,413
after the linden trees on the estate.

203
00:12:14,580 --> 00:12:18,080
In 1880, the house was
purchased by railroad tycoon

204
00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,610
Jay Gould who added the first
steel-framed conservatory

205
00:12:21,610 --> 00:12:24,730
in the United States, replanted the park

206
00:12:24,730 --> 00:12:26,793
and called the house Lyndhurst.

207
00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,173
The house is still privately owned.

208
00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,210
Perhaps one of the most
unusual properties to be built

209
00:12:35,210 --> 00:12:38,090
during the Gilded Period
of the late 19th century

210
00:12:38,090 --> 00:12:42,003
is this domed octagonal house,
the Armour-Stiner House.

211
00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,590
It was named after its first two owners,

212
00:12:46,590 --> 00:12:48,943
Paul Armour and Joseph Stiner.

213
00:12:51,870 --> 00:12:55,830
Paul Armour built the
octagonal house in 1860

214
00:12:55,830 --> 00:12:57,053
but with without a dome,

215
00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:02,160
that was added by the
second owner, Joseph Stiner,

216
00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:03,543
in the 1870s.

217
00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:09,103
He also enlarged the house,
creating what we see today.

218
00:13:10,890 --> 00:13:13,450
The design may well be unique in America

219
00:13:13,450 --> 00:13:17,180
and its exuberant style led
to it being described as

220
00:13:17,180 --> 00:13:19,410
the Taj Mahal of the Hudson Valley

221
00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,103
and a pastry chef's nightmare.

222
00:13:24,288 --> 00:13:27,030
In 1976, the house was declared

223
00:13:27,030 --> 00:13:28,963
a National Historic Landmark.

224
00:13:32,020 --> 00:13:35,020
Our journey is fast approaching
the City of New York

225
00:13:35,020 --> 00:13:37,893
and the river becomes a
transport system for commuters.

226
00:13:39,680 --> 00:13:43,070
Alongside the river and on
the border with New Jersey

227
00:13:43,070 --> 00:13:46,120
is the Palisades Interstate Parkway,

228
00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:48,710
a major route in and out of the city

229
00:13:48,710 --> 00:13:51,573
and now designated a National Landmark.

230
00:13:52,570 --> 00:13:57,570
Construction began just after
the Second World War in 1947

231
00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:01,270
and was completed 10 years later.

232
00:14:01,270 --> 00:14:05,350
The Parkway takes its name
from the New Jersey Palisades,

233
00:14:05,350 --> 00:14:07,173
a line of cliffs on the Hudson.

234
00:14:08,030 --> 00:14:10,850
And behind the cliffs is the silhouette

235
00:14:10,850 --> 00:14:13,610
of one of the best-known
and best-loved cities

236
00:14:13,610 --> 00:14:15,733
in the world, New York.

237
00:14:16,935 --> 00:14:18,647
(wind blowing)

238
00:14:18,647 --> 00:14:21,397
(ethereal music)

239
00:14:31,190 --> 00:14:33,580
With special permission
from New York's Air Traffic

240
00:14:33,580 --> 00:14:37,090
Control Center to climb to 5,000 feet,

241
00:14:37,090 --> 00:14:40,233
the whole of Manhattan
is set out before us.

242
00:14:42,790 --> 00:14:46,760
Manhattan is one of the five
districts of New York City,

243
00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,560
the others being the Bronx, Queens,

244
00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:51,603
Brooklyn and Staten Island.

245
00:14:52,670 --> 00:14:55,490
But Manhattan, the smallest of the five,

246
00:14:55,490 --> 00:14:59,063
is the most densely populated
and the heart of the city.

247
00:15:00,130 --> 00:15:03,010
It's a major commercial, financial

248
00:15:03,010 --> 00:15:06,983
and cultural center of the
United States and the world.

249
00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:12,180
This awe-inspiring sight, with its myriad

250
00:15:12,180 --> 00:15:15,500
of high-rise buildings,
looks simply spectacular

251
00:15:15,500 --> 00:15:16,948
from the air.

252
00:15:16,948 --> 00:15:19,698
(ethereal music)

253
00:15:21,083 --> 00:15:23,122
(helicopter whirring)

254
00:15:23,122 --> 00:15:25,700
So, one of the best ways to see New York,

255
00:15:25,700 --> 00:15:28,650
without doubt, has to be by helicopter.

256
00:15:28,650 --> 00:15:31,160
And several companies
operate passenger flights

257
00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:34,750
around the city, some of
them will include flying out

258
00:15:34,750 --> 00:15:36,660
to the Statue of Liberty,

259
00:15:36,660 --> 00:15:40,399
surely one of the most
famous statues in the world.

260
00:15:40,399 --> 00:15:43,566
(helicopter whirring)

261
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,250
The gilded flame held aloft
by the Statue of Liberty

262
00:15:48,250 --> 00:15:50,520
has been a symbol of freedom
to millions of people

263
00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,803
around the world for over 120 years.

264
00:15:55,090 --> 00:15:58,520
The statue was to be a gift
to the people of America

265
00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:01,740
from the people of France in 1876,

266
00:16:01,740 --> 00:16:04,280
in recognition of the friendship forged

267
00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:06,420
during the American Revolution,

268
00:16:06,420 --> 00:16:09,090
and also to celebrate the centennial

269
00:16:09,090 --> 00:16:11,113
of the Declaration of Independence.

270
00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:15,770
It was agreed that the base
would be funded and built

271
00:16:15,770 --> 00:16:19,213
by America and placed on
what is now Liberty Island.

272
00:16:20,310 --> 00:16:23,360
Following years of hard
fund raising in both the US

273
00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:25,710
and France, the statue eventually arrived

274
00:16:25,710 --> 00:16:28,163
in New York in 1885.

275
00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:33,240
The 350 individual pieces were packed

276
00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:37,350
in 214 crates and took
four months to assemble

277
00:16:37,350 --> 00:16:38,533
on the new pedestal.

278
00:16:41,260 --> 00:16:44,530
On October the 28th, 1886,

279
00:16:44,530 --> 00:16:46,340
the dedication ceremony took place

280
00:16:46,340 --> 00:16:48,463
in front of thousands of spectators.

281
00:16:49,570 --> 00:16:53,180
And in 1984, the Statue
of Liberty was declared

282
00:16:53,180 --> 00:16:56,957
a World Heritage Site
by the United Nations.

283
00:16:56,957 --> 00:17:00,900
(gentle instrumental music)

284
00:17:00,900 --> 00:17:02,960
Close by is Ellis Island,

285
00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:04,900
the gateway for millions of immigrants

286
00:17:04,900 --> 00:17:07,750
arriving in the new world
and where roughly half

287
00:17:07,750 --> 00:17:10,410
the population of America
can probably trace

288
00:17:10,410 --> 00:17:11,663
their families back to.

289
00:17:13,030 --> 00:17:17,829
The center operated between 1892 and 1954

290
00:17:17,829 --> 00:17:20,550
and the small island
was gradually enlarged

291
00:17:20,550 --> 00:17:24,493
through landfill until
9/10ths of it was artificial.

292
00:17:25,550 --> 00:17:28,033
It is now a much-visited museum.

293
00:17:31,130 --> 00:17:33,750
Tourist boats criss cross the harbor

294
00:17:33,750 --> 00:17:35,740
along with various ferries,

295
00:17:35,740 --> 00:17:39,960
including the distinctive
orange Staten Island Ferries

296
00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,287
which pass Governor's Island.

297
00:17:42,287 --> 00:17:46,250
(gentle instrumental music)

298
00:17:46,250 --> 00:17:48,920
The name goes back to
a time of British rule

299
00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,480
when the island was the exclusive preserve

300
00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:53,603
of New York Royal Governors.

301
00:17:56,266 --> 00:17:59,880
(energetic music)

302
00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,120
Bridges are a distinctive
feature of New York

303
00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:05,420
and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge

304
00:18:05,420 --> 00:18:07,580
straddles the entrance to the harbor

305
00:18:07,580 --> 00:18:09,863
and joins Staten Island to Brooklyn.

306
00:18:11,225 --> 00:18:13,860
The bridge is named after
the Italian explorer

307
00:18:13,860 --> 00:18:17,480
Giovanni da Verrazzano
who was the first European

308
00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,943
to enter the harbor in 1524.

309
00:18:22,210 --> 00:18:25,510
It was completed in 1964 and at the time

310
00:18:25,510 --> 00:18:28,992
was the longest suspension
bridge in the world.

311
00:18:28,992 --> 00:18:31,825
(energetic music)

312
00:18:32,910 --> 00:18:35,370
In 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge

313
00:18:35,370 --> 00:18:37,860
was the longest suspension
bridge in the world

314
00:18:37,860 --> 00:18:40,143
as well as the first to be build of steel.

315
00:18:41,190 --> 00:18:44,100
The pedestrian walkway offers great views

316
00:18:44,100 --> 00:18:46,770
of the city and bridge.

317
00:18:46,770 --> 00:18:49,890
It took 16 years to build
and claimed the lives

318
00:18:49,890 --> 00:18:54,373
of 20 people, including its
designer, John A. Roebling.

319
00:18:55,370 --> 00:18:59,350
Most died of caisson disease,
known today as the bends,

320
00:18:59,350 --> 00:19:01,770
after coming up too fast from the caissons

321
00:19:01,770 --> 00:19:03,552
below the East River.

322
00:19:03,552 --> 00:19:06,070
(energetic music)

323
00:19:06,070 --> 00:19:07,620
The George Washington Bridge

324
00:19:07,620 --> 00:19:09,580
is the first to cross the Hudson

325
00:19:09,580 --> 00:19:13,013
and connects Washington Heights
to Fort Lee in New Jersey.

326
00:19:15,070 --> 00:19:18,300
The double-decker bridge
was completed in 1931

327
00:19:18,300 --> 00:19:20,493
and has 14 lanes for traffic.

328
00:19:22,070 --> 00:19:25,150
By the year 2007, the bridge was carrying

329
00:19:25,150 --> 00:19:28,313
well over 100 million vehicles a year.

330
00:19:29,670 --> 00:19:32,700
Also along the Hudson River
is the New York Passenger

331
00:19:32,700 --> 00:19:36,713
Ship Terminal which is also
known as Luxury Liner Row.

332
00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:39,530
Before the age of air travel,

333
00:19:39,530 --> 00:19:41,470
this was where passengers would arrive

334
00:19:41,470 --> 00:19:44,617
in the great ocean liners
from around the world.

335
00:19:44,617 --> 00:19:45,830
(helicopter whirring)

336
00:19:45,830 --> 00:19:49,860
Even today around a million
people arrive by ship each year

337
00:19:49,860 --> 00:19:53,113
and get superb views of
the city before docking.

338
00:19:54,780 --> 00:19:58,000
The East River separates
Manhattan and Brooklyn

339
00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,820
on Long Island and was the
busiest shipping channel

340
00:20:00,820 --> 00:20:02,953
in the early part of New York's history.

341
00:20:03,900 --> 00:20:07,130
The Williamsburg Bridge was built in 1896,

342
00:20:07,130 --> 00:20:09,573
13 years after the Brooklyn Bridge.

343
00:20:11,870 --> 00:20:15,480
Overlooking East River is the
United Nations Headquarters,

344
00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:16,973
built in 1950.

345
00:20:17,993 --> 00:20:19,490
The land it stands on

346
00:20:19,490 --> 00:20:22,143
is considered to be
international property.

347
00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:25,960
A mile upstream and the river forks right

348
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,260
under Hell Gate Bridge before widening out

349
00:20:29,260 --> 00:20:31,993
at LaGuardia Airport and Rikers Island,

350
00:20:33,130 --> 00:20:35,833
New York City's main jail complex.

351
00:20:37,380 --> 00:20:41,310
The Harlem River forms part
of the Hudson Estuary System

352
00:20:41,310 --> 00:20:43,470
and serves as a narrow channel

353
00:20:43,470 --> 00:20:45,763
dividing the Bronx from Manhattan.

354
00:20:47,190 --> 00:20:51,023
And over this short stretch
of river are 14 bridges.

355
00:20:52,090 --> 00:20:56,030
Close by are the old
and new Yankee Stadiums.

356
00:20:56,030 --> 00:20:58,930
The furthest away, built in 1923

357
00:20:58,930 --> 00:21:01,583
and the nearest in 2006.

358
00:21:04,430 --> 00:21:06,810
The best-known open space in New York

359
00:21:06,810 --> 00:21:08,730
must be Central Park.

360
00:21:08,730 --> 00:21:11,560
This 770 acre open space

361
00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:14,280
was completed by 1873

362
00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:17,043
and is the most popular
park in the United States.

363
00:21:18,470 --> 00:21:21,380
One of its creators, Frederick Olmsted,

364
00:21:21,380 --> 00:21:23,677
said that it was of, "Great importance

365
00:21:23,677 --> 00:21:27,207
"as the first real park
made in this country.

366
00:21:27,207 --> 00:21:30,877
"A democratic development of
the highest significance."

367
00:21:34,730 --> 00:21:38,037
It took 16 years to create
and involved planting around

368
00:21:38,037 --> 00:21:41,320
500,000 trees and shrubs.

369
00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,160
Lakes were dug, hills created,

370
00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:47,590
follies built, formal gardens laid out

371
00:21:47,590 --> 00:21:49,123
and bridges constructed.

372
00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,480
The only building encroaching
into the perfect rectangle

373
00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:58,683
is the Metropolitan Museum
of Art, begun in the 1870s.

374
00:22:00,235 --> 00:22:03,760
At the southern end of Manhattan
is the financial district

375
00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:05,680
which roughly overlaps the original

376
00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,600
New Amsterdam settlement
of the 17th century.

377
00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,630
And right on the end is Battery Park

378
00:22:12,630 --> 00:22:14,530
where the Dutch and then the British

379
00:22:14,530 --> 00:22:16,013
had an artillery fort.

380
00:22:17,683 --> 00:22:21,160
The district is home to
major financial institutions

381
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:24,623
including the Federal Reserve
and the Stock Exchange.

382
00:22:26,550 --> 00:22:29,700
It was also home to the Twin Towers

383
00:22:29,700 --> 00:22:31,773
until the tragedy of 9/11.

384
00:22:32,820 --> 00:22:34,590
And that appalling event

385
00:22:34,590 --> 00:22:36,260
meant that the Empire State Building

386
00:22:36,260 --> 00:22:40,218
was once again the tallest
skyscraper in New York.

387
00:22:40,218 --> 00:22:42,968
(birds chirping)

388
00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:47,930
It was built in the Art Deco Style in 1931

389
00:22:47,930 --> 00:22:51,660
and is still the 15th
tallest building in the world

390
00:22:51,660 --> 00:22:53,563
at 1,250 feet.

391
00:22:57,870 --> 00:23:00,070
It was opened in dramatic fashion

392
00:23:00,070 --> 00:23:03,010
when president Hoover pushed
a button in the Oval Office

393
00:23:03,010 --> 00:23:06,482
in Washington and turned the lights on.

394
00:23:06,482 --> 00:23:09,065
(swanky music)

395
00:23:15,740 --> 00:23:18,800
New York comes alive at night

396
00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,070
and nowhere is it more brightly lit

397
00:23:21,070 --> 00:23:23,283
than around Times Square.

398
00:23:23,283 --> 00:23:25,866
(swanky music)

399
00:23:28,731 --> 00:23:31,570
Back in 1899, Oscar Hammerstein

400
00:23:31,570 --> 00:23:35,580
built the Victoria and Republic
theaters and since then

401
00:23:35,580 --> 00:23:38,330
Broadway has been at the
heart of entertainment.

402
00:23:38,330 --> 00:23:41,210
Theater goers take in a
show and then eat and drink

403
00:23:41,210 --> 00:23:43,433
in one of the many bars and restaurants.

404
00:23:44,820 --> 00:23:47,230
The bright lights welcome everyone,

405
00:23:47,230 --> 00:23:49,970
ward off the darkness and produce a city

406
00:23:49,970 --> 00:23:51,733
where everything seems possible.

407
00:23:52,970 --> 00:23:56,610
New York is known as the
city that never sleeps,

408
00:23:56,610 --> 00:23:59,413
a saying taken from a film of 1924.

409
00:24:00,770 --> 00:24:03,220
Even the traffic contributes
to the lighting effect

410
00:24:03,220 --> 00:24:07,233
along the streets, like long
multi-colored glowing ribbons.

411
00:24:08,980 --> 00:24:11,250
Buildings are lit with neon hoardings

412
00:24:11,250 --> 00:24:14,753
and some of the skyscrapers
are lit like works of art,

413
00:24:15,650 --> 00:24:18,003
none more so than the Chrysler Building.

414
00:24:18,882 --> 00:24:21,465
(swanky music)

415
00:24:23,616 --> 00:24:26,190
For many people, this
is the greatest Art Deco

416
00:24:26,190 --> 00:24:30,840
building in the city and
was completed in 1930.

417
00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:33,640
At night, the distinctive V-shaped lights,

418
00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,620
which were fitted when the
skyscraper was being built,

419
00:24:36,620 --> 00:24:38,563
have become an iconic sight.

420
00:24:39,810 --> 00:24:41,823
The floodlighting was added later.

421
00:24:42,709 --> 00:24:45,292
(swanky music)

422
00:24:52,570 --> 00:24:55,670
Seen from the river, the
city resembles a magical

423
00:24:55,670 --> 00:24:58,860
ocean liner, set against a black sky

424
00:24:58,860 --> 00:25:01,853
to dazzle, entertain and amaze.

425
00:25:04,090 --> 00:25:07,210
Great walls of glass sparkle in the night

426
00:25:07,210 --> 00:25:09,710
as the skyscrapers reflect the light

427
00:25:09,710 --> 00:25:12,183
from the streets of the
city that never sleeps.

428
00:25:13,298 --> 00:25:15,881
(swanky music)

429
00:25:19,541 --> 00:25:21,860
And out in the harbor,
the Statue of Liberty

430
00:25:21,860 --> 00:25:25,030
watches over the city,
her light shining out

431
00:25:25,030 --> 00:25:26,943
for the freedom she represents.

432
00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:31,317
A perfect place to end this journey.

433
00:25:31,317 --> 00:25:33,900
(swanky music)

434
00:25:36,904 --> 00:25:40,071
(awe-inspiring music)

435
00:26:00,212 --> 00:26:03,045
(dramatic music)