RMF Custom Travel

Every time I visit NYC I have to get a pastrami sandwich!! We always try out a different deli, so this time it was Stage Door Deli across from St Paul’s Chapel in FiDi right by Oculus World Trade Center. It survived 911, and is literally on the edge of Ground Zero.

Opened in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the world’s longest suspension bridge and a groundbreaking engineering achievement. The bridge’s elevated pedestrian walkway was part of the original design and was built separate from the roadway used by vehicles. To prove the bridge was safe, P.T. Barnum famously marched 21 elephants and 17 camels across it in 1884. The 1.1-mile pedestrian walk remains one of New York City’s most iconic experiences, offering spectacular views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New York Harbor.

1-A little piece of ocean liner history in the heart of FiDi! The historic Cunard Building at 25 Broadway was once the New York home of Cunard Line, one of the world’s legendary transatlantic shipping companies. Built in 1921, it’s a beautiful reminder that Lower Manhattan was once the gateway for millions of travelers arriving in New York by sea.🚢⚓️

2-Charging Bull , Financial District - secretly installed in front of the NY Stock Exchange by the artist in the middle of the night in 1989 after the 1987 stock market crash. Officials removed and impounded the statue because permission had not bee received. People loved it and after their outcry, it was moved and Reinstalled at its current location at the tip end of Bowling Green Park.

3/4-Bowling Green park, NYC’s oldest public park dating back to the 1730s and originally used as a lawn bowling recreational area

5-View of Statue of Liberty from Battery Park

6-American Merchant Mariners

This monument depicts a man in the water reaching up to grasp the outstretched hand of one of three merchant mariners on board a lifeboat. Sculptor Marisol Escobar was inspired by a photograph of victims of a World War II submarine attack on an American merchant ship. This monument is dedicated to all merchant mariners who have served America from the Revolutionary War through the present day.

7-Friendly NYC public safety employee who stopped and asked where I was trying to go while I was looking at directions on my phone. We encountered so many friendly people around the city this time!

8-One World Trade Center (but known to many as Freedom Tower) stands as the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere at 1,776 feet, serving as a powerful symbol of national resilience in Lower Manhattan.

9/10-Inside the Oculus World Trade Center

11-Mural outside the Oculus World Trade Center

12-15- Just steps from the Twin Towers, St. Paul’s Chapel survived the attacks of September 11, 2001, without a single broken window, even as debris filled the surrounding area. In the days and months that followed, the chapel became a place of rest, comfort, and support for the thousands of first responders working at Ground Zero.

Today, one of its most moving displays is the collection of 2,977 blue paper cranes hanging overhead, one for every person killed during the attack, symbols of peace, hope, healing, and remembrance.

St. Paul’s Chapel remains a powerful reminder of resilience, compassion, and the strength of a community coming together in a time of unimaginable loss.

16-18-City Hall Park

By night and by day, I adore this sculpture! ❤️ Group of Four Trees by Jean Dubuffet, Fosun Plaza, FiDi

Another great stay at the Grand Bohemian, Charlotte! 🐒

Meet Olivia 🌳

This 53 year old olive tree is the heart of the Amex Centurion Lounge at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson Airport. A living centerpiece inspired by Atlanta’s nickname, “The City in the Forest,” Olivia adds a surprisingly peaceful touch to one of the world’s busiest airports. Her shape reminds me of a giant bonsai tree. She’s beautiful!