New York / Toronto: December 20, 2015: odd things in NYC

Here are some of the "interesting" or "odd" things I visited in New York City.

Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine

As I said yesterday, I visited the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine at around noon on my last day in New York, (Friday December 18).  You can read about it by clicking here.

Here are a couple of bizarre things about the Church.

First, the church is named for guy who wrote the Book of Revelations, and accordingly, there's a lot of doom and gloom in the church ornamentation.

This is the front of the Church on Amsterdam Ave at 112th St.  (Click on all photos to enlarge for a closer look).

Entrance to Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York City.  December 18, 2015 at 11:47 AM.

Surrounding the main centre doors are sculptures of prophets from the bible, which were completed in 1997.  Construction started in 1892 and still is *not* finished!!  (You can see above, the tower on the left isn't completed).

Detail of the main entrance at Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York City.  December 18, 2015 at 1:11 PM.

Underneath one of the sculptures is a depiction of the destruction of New York City.

Destruction of NewYork City at Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York City.  December 18, 2015 at 1:12 PM.

You will notice that prominently displayed are the destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center.  These sculptures were completed in 1997.  Prophetic?  Who knows?  Definitely odd, though. Lots of scary stuff...

This is the Peace Fountain, to the south of the building on the grounds of the Church.

The Peace Fountain at Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.  New York City.  December 18, 2015 at 1:16 PM.

Now this fountain, in my opinion, is just plain bizarre.  This is something I would have sketched when I was 8 years old and thought was "really cool."  What is happening here, exactly?  Looks like a crab claw, a moon face of some sort, a guy with wings making out with something, and a deer (?) humping (or pre-humping) him?  How is this related to peace?  Just strange, in my opinion....

Other "odd" things in New York City

These aren't really odd, but things and places I found notable.

Ford Foundation Building

This is the Ford Foundation building at 320 E 43rd St, though I entered on 42nd St.  (Just a side note, I think anyone could spend a whole day just wandering 42nd St and see amazing architecture).

Exterior of the Ford Foundation Building, New York City.  December 17, 2015 at 10:02 AM.

The building, according to the plaque outside, was constructed from 1963 to 1967.  It is a glass cube with a full height atrium inside, allowing all the offices to see each other and the atrium.  Innovative design, especially for its time.  There is a really peaceful garden in the atrium, with trees and running brook-like water.

The atrium inside the Ford Foundation Building, New York City.  December 17, 2015 at 9:50 AM.

Even the atrium isn't above getting dressed for Christmas in New York.

Detail of the Ford Foundation atrium, New York City.  December 17, 2015 at 9:52 AM.

Trinity Church Cemetery

Trinity Church is one of the older churches in the City, but not the oldest.  Located in the financial district in Lower Manhattan, it contains one of the oldest tombstones in the city for a five year old boy who died in 1681.  Many of the tombstones are so old that the weather (presumably) has worn them down to illegibility.

Then there's this, the tombstone of James Leeson.  Note the symbols that follow the curve at the top of the tombstone.

Tombstone of James Leeson at Trinity Cemetery, Broadway near Wall St, New York City.  December 18, 2015 at 8:07 AM.  Yeah, I got up early for my last day, (for now), in NYC.

The symbols are a code and apparently, stumped people for a century.  When it was finally interpreted, it was found to state simply "Remember Death."  Sad for the people hoping it was a secret revelation of lost treasure, or something.

Amiable Child Monument

On my first morning in New York for this trip, I went to see the Riverside Church.  (I have no idea why I visit so many churches.  They are great architecturally, I guess).  As I recounted earlier, I was too early and the Church wasn't open, and I ended up finding what is called "Grant's Tomb" but properly called the General Grant National Memorial.

A few dozen feet away is the Amiable Child Monument.

Amiable Child Monument, Riverside Drive near 123rd St, New York City.  December 15, 2015 at 8:09 AM.

The land in the area was owned by a rich merchant whose son died when he was 5 years old in 1797.  Upon selling the land, the merchant requested the small plot be kept sacred and intact.  And so it has, fenced off and everything.   

It's an interesting juxtaposition to the Grant Memorial, just a few dozen feet away, which is much larger and ornate, but I'm told, the Memorial to the Amiable Child is still moving to many New Yorkers, who often leave flowers for the deceased child, and other tokens...

General Grant National Memorial, New York City.  Nice morning light.  December 15, 2015 at 7:49 AM.  There's a security guard moving fences in the lower left hand corner, to give you an idea of how big this memorial is.

Tomorrow, some last shots of New York City before I start thinking more about my future travels....and maybe Christmas.  Just started shopping yesterday.  (There's no excuse for that, since I have time....)