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If youre longing for a little green space during your New York discount car rental trip downtown, be sure to stop by lower Manhattan and visit Battery Park! Situated at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, Battery Park is a great place to reconnect with nature, so be sure to stop by! Inside the parks boundaries youll find loads of greenery and great monuments, along with breathtaking views of the New York City Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. Built initially as a defense post during the war of 1812, Battery Park is now an area beloved by all, providing the perfect place for an afternoon picnic! Whether youre interested in history, or just looking for a place to relax, Battery Park is the ideal spot for an afternoon outside!

About Battery Park

Battery Park is unlike any other New York City green space because of where and how it came to be. If you were to drive past the park today in your New York discount car rental you will notice that the skyscrapers of Manhattan abruptly end where the park begins; this is because the land on which Battery Park is built wasnt always there! You see, Battery Park is an addition to Manhattan Island, created back in the 19th century atop a gigantic landfill site created after the war of 1812. Home to a historic Fort, Battery Park was salvaged and turned into a beautiful public space, perfect for tourists and locals alike! Measuring in at just over 21 acres, Battery Park is named for the artillery which was stationed there during war times.

Attractions Inside the Park

Inside Battery Park youll find a variety of wonderful statues and gardens even a castle! The Castle Clinton National Monument is a circular sandstone fort designed by John McComb Jr. and Jonathan Williams. Constructed between 1808 and 1811 out in New York Harbor, Clinton Castle was built as a complementary defense mechanism to the already existing Fort Williams. As Battery Park began to expand after the war, thanks to subsequent landfill action, Castle Clinton was connected to mainland Manhattan and preserved as a national monument. Originally named Castle Garden, the fort has been used for a variety of non-military purposes, including public entertainment and as an Emigrant Landing Depot in 1855. Castle Clinton was even the site of the New York City Aquarium until 1941! Today the fort is completely rehabilitated and protected as landmark museum facility.

The Gardens of Remembrance

If youre planning on visiting Battery Park in your upcoming New York discount car rental, AAMCAR strong encourages you to check out The Gardens of Remembrance. These gardens, which were in construction on September 11, 2001 are entitled The Gardens of Remembrance not as a memorial, but as a tribute to the survivors of the tragic New York terrorist attacks. Designed by Dutch horticulturalist Piet Oudolf, The Gardens of Remembrance is just the first phase in an extensive landscaping plan for Battery Park. The Gardens of Remembrance features and international walkway along New York Harbor which includes the flags of 82 nations nations whose citizens were lost during the attacks of September 11th.

Events in Battery Park

If youre looking for something to do during your New York discount car rental trip to lower Manhattan, look no further than Battery Park! Battery Park is home to a variety of events throughout the year including free concerts and exciting festivals! Battery Park is proud to be the largest public assembly area in the downtown Manhattan area, providing plenty of space for local events and activities, so remember to stop by! If youre interested in holding an event at Battery Park, be sure to request a permit from the City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation.

Battery Park is at the Southern tip of Manhattan with beautiful views of the Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. Parking is available near the park for your New York car rental, or take public transportation. This is one of New Yorks oldest open public spaces, with 23 acres of waterfront land. In the summer, there are beautiful promenades and other activities, such as open-air concerts. Also, many other famous New York landmarks are within walking distance. They include the New York Stock Exchange, the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, and the Staten Island Ferry. You can drive your New York car rental down for the day and explore this section of New York City.

A New World

The land where Battery Park now stands is where the Hudson and East Rivers meet. Dutch settlers landed here in 1623 and built a battery of cannon to defend the new city, which they called New Amsterdam. Fortifications were built over the years, until the War of 1812, when Castle Clinton was built. After tensions between Canada and the U.S. calmed down, Castle Clinton was renamed Castle Garden and made into a cultural center. By the mid-1800s, Castle Garden became the first immigrant receiving center before Ellis Island was established. At the end of that century, the Castle was turned into the New York Aquarium, one of the first in the country. Come down with your New York car rental and experience this part of early American history.

The Gardens of Remembrance

Battery Park has extensive gardens on the property. The Upper Promenades gardens are now called the Gardens of Remembrance as a tribute to the survivors of September 11, as well as a place of solace and renewal. There are 109 varieties of hybrid perennials and native plants through all four seasons.

Monuments and Memorials to See

Netherlands Memorial this memorial was dedicated by the people of the Netherlands to commemorate their history at Battery Park.
Fort George Memorial this memorial marks the spot of the southwest bastion. It has disappeared and been rediscovered twice since 1817.
New York Korean War Veterans Memorial this memorial is dedicated to the veterans of the Korean War.
There are many more memorials dedicated to important events in New York Citys history. Be sure to visit them when you come down with your New York car rental.

Recent Findings

Come see Battery Park and the history of early New York with your New York car rental. On December 8, 2005, workers found a 200-year-old stone wall where they were beginning to work on a new subway station. “This wall most likely is a portion of the gun batteries that once protected the city in the late 17th and 18th centuries and gave rise to the modern park name,” said Robert Tierney, chairman of the Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Come down to Battery Park for a relaxing day and to experience part of New Yorks history with your New York car rental.

When you travel to New York City with your New York car rentals company AAMCAR Discount Car Rentals no trip is complete without a Broadway musical. Beauty and the Beast is a lovely classic tale known by many. Do the tale justice by watching it in a large Disney theatrical production with your New York car rentals company AAMCAR Discount Car Rentals. Only in New York can you see Beauty and the Beast in all its grandeur with the use of pyrotechnics, costuming and special effects to produce one of the greatest Broadway productions.

See the classic tale with your New York car rentals…

Beauty and the Beast on Broadway premiered on April 18, 1994. Owned by The Walt Disney Company, Beauty and the Beast is Broadway’s sixth – longest running production by Disney Theatrical. Beauty and the Beast is a traditional fairy tale which has its origin as far back as 1740 where it was believed to be first published. The story begins when Beauty’s father takes refuge in Beast’s castle during a bad storm. He plucks a rose from the palace intending to give it to his daughter. The owner of the castle, Beast is enraged and as a thief he must die. Beauty’s father begs to see his daughter one more time. The Beast offers him a deal; he may live if one of his daughter’s will come back and suffer in his place. Beauty becomes the mistress of the enchanted palace and the Beast asks her to be his wife. She declines, only wanting to be friends but as one last request she wishes to see her father one last time. The Beast allows it but with the delay of her promised return Beauty returns to find the Beast distressed almost to the point of death. Begging for his life, Beauty agrees to be his wife and the Beast becomes transformed into a handsome prince. Unknowingly, Beauty had broken a spell cast on the prince by a witch long ago.

The people behind the theatrical production…

Beauty and the Beast Disney film were adapted as a theatre production by Linda Woolverton and Alan Menken. Lyrics by the original lyricist Howard Ashman were used with the addition of lyrics made by Tim Rice. These seven new songs are not included in the original movie and you can only hear it during the Broadway performance with your New York car rentals company AAMCAR Discount Car Rentals. The songs include “No Matter What”, “Me”, “Home”, “How Long Must This Go On?”, “Maison des Lunes”,”Human Again”, and “If I Can’t Love Her”.

Before you go with your New York car rentals…

• Beauty and the Beast on Broadway is recommended for a general audience but as an advisory Disney does recommend its production for children over the 6 years of age
• The show runs for two and a half hours with a 15 min intermission
• No smoking, outside food, or recording devices are allowed in the theater
• If you need wheelchair – accessibility, hearing devices or Showtrans audio translation system (available in Italian, German, and Japanese) when you travel with your New York car rentals company AAMCAR Discount Car Rentals they are all available through the Lunt – Fontanne Box Office. You can call (212) 575 – 9200 for more information.

Visit the Beauty and the Beast on Broadway’s official website at http://disney.go.com/theatre/beautyandthebeast/index.html for more information on your visit when you travel with your New York car rentals company AAMCAR Discount Car Rentals.

Beauty and the Beast on Broadway

Lunt – Fontanne Theatre
205 West 46th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue)
New York City, NY
Telephone: (212) 575 – 9200

Looking for something to do during your trip to New York? Why not visit the Empire State Building located at 350 Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan! Observatory hours are 9:30 AM to Midnight daily, with special holiday hours for Christmas and New Years. The Empire State building is open 365 days a year and has a large staff waiting to answer all of your questions. The Empire State building is located right in the center of Manhattan so why not drive on over in your New York rental car; it isn’t everyday that you get to see one of the largest buildings in the world!

Facts

• The Empire State building is 1,453′ 8 and 9/16″ tall, from the ground floor all the way to the top of the lightning rod
• There are 102 floors in the building housing office space, restaurants, banks and local retailers like Diamond’s Hallmark and Walgreen’s
• The Empire State Building was built in 1930 and was completed one year later
• The Empire State Building was engineered to “give”. This means that during winds of 110 miles per hour the building will give approximately 1.48 inches, allowing the structure to retain its stability
• There are 1,860 steps from street level to the 102nd floor, 6,500 windows, 73 elevators, and 70 miles of piping that delivers water throughout the building

You may notice when you drive past the Empire State Building in your New York rental car a splendid array of colored lights that decorate the top of the building. These lights are not just erected during the Christmas season; instead they are lit year round as a symbol for different events. For example, when all of the lights are gold on the top of the Empire State Building it is in honour of the Academy Awards and Oscar week in NYC. When the lights alternate blue, white, white it is for United Nations Day and the pattern of orange, blue, blue symbolizes the New York Knicks opening basketball game! These lights allow for quite a view from below in your New York rental car, and are even more spectacular when viewed from the neighboring buildings.

The Observatory

Driving through NYC in your New York rental car is one way of seeing the sights, but by far the best way to see New York is from the top of the Empire State Building. On floor 86 of the Empire State building lies the Observatory. This floor has spacious outdoors promenades on all four sides, creating a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. The Observatory also offers a heated and air conditioned glass-enclosed gallery (for those visitors who aren’t exactly excited about heights!). The Observatory is handicap accessible and offers a snack bar along with souvenir counters.

High powered binoculars are available for visitors to use, at a minimal fee, which are perfect for scanning the horizons of New York City’s skyscrapers. Please note that the Empire State building, for obvious reasons, enforces a variety of safety precautions within the building. Security checks are mandatory when entering the building and are described as being similar to those preformed at airports. Cameras and camcorders ARE definitely allowed during your tour of the Empire State Building, but please no glass bottles or large duffel bags.

The Empire State Building is such a charming and beautiful building that it has even appeared in some major motion pictures and documentaries over the years! Some of the most famous include: When Harry Met Sally, King Kong, Guys and Dolls, Sleepless in Seattle and of course, Independence Day. The Empire State Building has also had some famous visitors during its almost 75 year run. They include Queen Elizabeth in 1957, Fidel Castro in 1959, KISS in 1976 and even the soccer star Pele in 1975.

For more information on the Empire State Building or to order your advance tickets visit the buildings official site at www.esbnyc.com!

Constructed in 1872 by designer Frederick Law Olmsted, Belvedere Castle is one of Central Parks most enchanting attractions, providing AAMCAR Car Rental New York City travelers with a unique mix of medieval and modern culture. Perched atop an immense outcropping of bedrock, this delightful structure is currently home to the Henry Luce Nature Observatory, as well as art exhibits and seasonal displays. Located within walking distance of Central Parks Turtle Pond, the Great Lawn and the Delacorte Theater, Belvedere Castle is one of NYC most prized architectural monuments. Named for the castles large belvedere tower, Belvedere Castle adds a dash of unexpected class to the carefully crafted pastoral land landscape.

The Castle Then and Now

The Belvedere Castle in Central Park was originally constructed as a Victorian folly in 1872, showcase a myriad of open window frames and doorways. In architectural terms a folly, or fantasy building, is simply a pint-sized representation of a Greek or Roman temple, or as in this case, a Gothic Castle. Today the castle features true windows and doors, playing host to one of the parks most popular attractions the Henry Luce Nature Observatory. This state-of-the-art building features a variety of exciting displays showcase the natural world beneath high powered microscopes and technologically advanced telescopic lenses. Designed to inspire car rental New York City travelers of all ages, the Henry Luce Nature Observatory also features a display of paper mch reproductions, representing most of the local birdlife. Belvedere Castle is also home to one of the citys most advanced meteorological instruments, providing AAMCAR Car Rental New York City travelers with up-to-the-minute weather reports and temperature readings.

Located atop the second highest vista in Central Park, Belvedere Castle is a great place to begin any Central Park adventure providing travelers with wide-spanning views of the surrounding landscape and tourist attractions. Facilities located within walking distance of Belvedere Castle include:

• Turtle Pond and Turtle Island: Located directly beneath Belvedere Castle, Turtle pond features an extensive natural habitat of shoreline plants, providing insects, reptiles and birds with a sound ecological niche.
• The Great Lawn: The Great Lawn is located just next door to Belvedere Castle, providing AAMCAR Car Rental New York City travelers with a place to stretch their legs and enjoy some physical activity. The Great Lawn is also the site of many annual events and open-air concerts.
• The Delacorte Theater: The Delacorte Theater, which can be seen from the top of the Belvedere observation tower, is home to numerous summer theatrical presentations, including the ultra popular Shakespeare in the Park festival.

If youre traveling with young nature enthusiasts during your upcoming AAMCAR Car Rentals New York City vacation, remember to drop by Belvedere Castle and ask for one of the free backpack packages, which feature binoculars, reference material, maps and notepaper. Budding naturalists are encouraged to borrow these hand knapsacks before embarking on a further adventure of the surrounding areas. AAMCAR Car Rentals New York City recommends investigating the Ramble area (located just outside the castle) first, as it houses many exciting insect and bird species.

Belvedere Castles mix of old and new creates an exciting tourist attraction at the heart of Central Park, so dont miss your chance to drop by and check it out! Open from Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 4:30pm, Belvedere Castle is unlike any other attraction in the city, so grab a friend and remember to check it out during your upcoming AAMCAR Car Rental New York City vacation. If you would like to learn more about the history of Belvedere Castle please feel free to visit the official Central Park website at www.centralparknyc.org. Visitors are also invited to contact the Castle information center for more details on current exhibitions on display at the Henry Luce Nature Observatory by calling 212-772-0210.

AAMCAR Discount Car Rental would like to welcome you and your fellow travelers to New York City, one of the biggest, brightest and by far busiest places in the world! If this is your first time visiting New York City you may be a little overwhelmed by the high volumes of traffic speeding down most of the expressways and downtown avenues. But just because it looks a little scary doesn’t mean that you should abandon the idea of purchasing a New York car rental. We here at AAMCAR have put together a few helpful tips for getting around the Big Apple in your New York car rental. From keeping your cool in rush hour traffic, to navigating busy intersections, we’ve got all your basic questions covered here!

1. Know where you are going! New York City is an extremely hectic place to drive, even for seasoned veterans! So make sure that you know exactly where you wish to go, and try having at least two routes planned. That may sound like a lot of extra work, but trust me; if you only have one route to follow it’ll be just your luck to hit construction or an accident. In this case be sure to always have a local map stashed in the glove compartment of your New York car rental. If you’re lucky you may still be able to formulate a backup plan!
2. Watch for Pedestrians! NYC is always crawling with pedestrians regardless of the time of day so be careful to watch for jaywalkers and other inattentive by standers.
3. Avoid driving with distractions! Please don’t try and drive while talking on your cell phone, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the streets. Cell phones can cause you to miss unfamiliar street signs resulting in the possibility of an accident. So please turn down your radio, eat breakfast before you leave the hotel and turn off your cell phone; you don’t want to spend your trip to New York City in the hospital.
4. AHHHHH, Rush hour traffic! It’s ok, try to stay calm! The best advice I can give about rush hour is to avoid it! Driving between the hours of 7 to 9 AM, and 5 to7 PM on any main streets is probably not a good idea; you will most certainly get stuck in the morning and evening commutes. If it is absolutely necessary to be on the roads during these periods be sure to plan your time accordingly. Try to leave at least and hour ahead of schedule. And don’t be surprised if you have to wait for over 2 hours in traffic it’s been known to happen!
5. Common Street Signage! The following are common street signs that can be found on many of NYC’s main streets:

• Two-Way: many major streets in New York are common two-ways; this means traffic is traveling both with you and against you.
• One-Way: If you’re planning to visit Manhattan in your New York City car rental be prepared to see a lot of these; this may hamper many of your traveling plans so be sure to have a map handy!
• Odd and Even Streets: Odd-number streets travel West, while even-number streets travel East. Avenues: These streets are normally North to South and can be both one way or alternating

As you walk down the aisles of the department store, you realize that you didnt need to buy anything. You have been looking at the clothing, furniture, beauty products and bedding and suddenly, your arms are full of items. All you wanted to do was come into the store and have a look around because youve heard all of this hype about it. Now you are going home with piles and piles of things that you feel you just cant do without. Arent you glad you came into the Bergdorf Goodman department store? Thats right Manhattan car rental customers, come into this retail wonderland and you will not be disappointed. Founded in 1899 by an immigrant who came from Alsace, this department store with many luxurious supplies is located in Midtown, Manhattan. Herman Bergdorf decided to open a tailoring store above Union Station when he came to America. Someone who worked at Bergdorfs bought the store from him and decided to move it to Fifth Avenue. This someones name was Edwin Goodman and the Bergdorf Goodman enterprise began from there. For a great shopping experience and amazing gift ideas for family and friends, Bergdorf Goodmans is the place to check out on your future Manhattan car rental vacation.

Everything has its ups and downs

You may be interested to know, Manhattan car rental customers, that Bergdorfs hasnt always been the huge success it is today. During the 1960s and 1970s, the store was in a bit of a hole and things were not going well for the sales. Dawn Mello was hired as the vice president of fashion and soon, things began to look up. She became president in 1984 because of all her hard work and her great ideas. There have been lots of changes in the store over the years. The womens store has been expanded 3 times and the mens store even moved across the street to give each section more room. The penthouse in the apartment was turned into a salon and spa and Goodmans Caf was soon opened. The caf offered lunch and afternoon tea to busy and exhausted shoppers. In 2002, the store had a huge renovation, introducing new stores and restoring the older ones. Come to the Bergdorf Goodman department store Manhattan car rental customers and enjoy what has been made out of the history that began.

Its a perfect fit!

After the big renovation in 2002, Bergdorf Goodmans opened many new boutiques to increase the competition with Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord and Taylor and Barneys (their rivals). Gucci, Armani, Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel were introduced into the scene. If you have ever wanted to shop like a movie star or be that gorgeous model you saw on television, these are the stores to look at. There are shops for women and men as well as home decorating stores and beauty stores. Bergdorfs has some of the biggest name brands available for people who love to shop. You can find great shoes and handbags, as well as many other accessories to go along with a new outfit. You can get hats, scarves and gloves for those cold winter months or a pair of sunglasses for when you are relaxing in the sunshine. If you like to wind down with music or by reading, Bergdorfs has some great books and CDs that may be of interest to you. Bergdorf Goodmans is open Monday-Friday from 10:00am-8:00pm. It is also open on Saturdays from 10:00am-7:00pm and Sundays from noon-6:00pm. You can find everything you need and more at Bergdorfs on your upcoming Manhattan car rental vacation.

On September 11th, 2001 the world as we know it changed. For weeks images of that infamous day were replayed over and over again on every national and international television station. Now, four years later, New York City, the United States and the world are still coping with the tragic ramifications of that fateful day. Today the ground where the World Trade Center Towers stood is known as Ground Zero. After months of debris removal and waves of never ending emotion a memorial is in the process of being erect at Ground Zero.

The Design

Driving past the spot that used to be home to the World Trade Centers today in you’re New York rental car is sure to fill both American and international visitors alike with an immense sadness. After the initial shock of the World Trade Center attacks had become less apparent the question of what to do with the grounds was bought up. A memorial was the only suitable option, a place for family, friends, fellow Americans and international tourists to visit and pay tribute to the fallen heroes and victims of that fated day. The architect behind the design of the World Trade Center Memorial was chosen from a record number of entries. Co-designer Michael Arad was the winner of the competitions with a design that includes a tree-studded plaza, subterranean corridors housing artifacts and two reflecting pools. This design is called “Reflecting Absence” and is meant to give visitors a sense of peace.

Memorabilia from the attacks such as a demolished fire truck, the tower’s faade and Fritz Koenig’s sculpture “The Sphere” (which was originally a centerpiece in the foyer of one of the Towers) have been singled out by the Coalition for 9/11 Families as specific artifacts requested to dot the memorials premises. This site, once completed, will be a magnificent site, both up close, or from the window of your New York rental car, calling forth the American spirit, and the will to persevere. The world will never forget September 11th, 2001, nor will we forget the brave policemen and fire fighters who gave their lives in the line of duty. America thanks you.

The World Transit Transportation Hub

Ground Zero will also be the home to a brand new World Trade Center Transit Hub. The new PATH commuter terminal was designed by a Spanish architect named Santiago Calatrava as an open aired gateway workstation. The pavilion will mirror the outstretched wings of a bird capturing “the beauty and promise of a dove flying free from a child’s hand”. The terminal will be a $2 billion dollar project that will link an estimated 250,000 passengers to different ferries and 14 different subways helping to alleviate the flow of Traffic for those of you driving New York rental cars. The hub will hopefully open in 2009, so be sure to give your New York rental car sometime that year and take a ride on the subway, remembering the lives lost September 11th.

Rebuilding the World Trade Center

The area around Ground Zero has been dedicated to rebuilding parts of the World Trade Center and other commercial buildings like hotels and retail space. Proposed building plans include skyscrapers which will rise 1,500 feet into the air, higher than the original 1,350 feet World Trade Center Towers, proving that America will not surrender to the fear of terrorism.

The skyline of New York City will never be the same without the twin towers of the World Trade Centers and nothing can be done to bring back the lives of loved ones lost. Hopefully the proposed memorial at Ground Zero will help to keep their memory alive.