Our very first exciting New York City Architecture attraction from the Lower Manhattan walking tour was the National Museum of the American Indian, the George Gustav Heye center, situated within the U.S. Customs House. Located on the south side of  Bowling Green adjacent to the Battery Park, the Museum had been a hot spot of the tourists as well as the multi cultural New York City where they explore the diversity of the Native people of the Americas.

Surrounded by modern International styled buildings, Museum of the American Indian stands out as a giant Greek Revival style building. Decorated in massive Corenthian styled columns, the deep steps at the entrance , the stoned detailed decorations have caught my sight. The exterior of the Museum is competitive to its interior as well. The oval shaped intreior roof was stunning as it was heavly decorated at it’s Best! The interior details of the Museum belongs to Beax-styled architecture. In my opinion  it is well worth to visit the Museum to see the Architectural details of the Historic Customs House that houses the collection. Morever, Battery Park, Financial District, Trinity Church, St.Paul’s church etc. happens to be Museum nearby attractions.

By the 1825, New York had achieved a tremendous commercial recognition in rapidly growing America. Half the country’s imports and a third’s of it’s exports were handled by its port. 500 new businesses along with 3000 houses were built to provide shelter to a population of 165,000. All this good was a preparatory to the great event, the long- awaited Erie Canal.
With all the arguments and rejections, the governor DeWitt Clinton stood firm planning his way through the process to his greatest contribution to New York. Finally, the Canal was opened in October 26, 1825. New York was already America’s greatest city yet in long term he wanted it to become one of the great world centers.
Erie Canal expanded the New York network. Coal fields in Pennsylvania were opened to New York when the Delaware and Hudson railroads were built. Various inventions were taking place such as pumps, submarine devices and steam engines. These devices created job market and contributed to the America’s most modern City. New York was growing rapidly … more and more waves of Immigration was happening. With the largest European Immigration to the nation by the nineteenth century New York established many different ethnic neighborhoods.
With the expansion of the population, the living conditions were not fairly equal in New York City. Older buildings were converted in to apartments to serve the purpose of the housing need. In 1850, more than 29,000 Immigrants lived in dark cellar quarters. The facilities a typical tenement house apartment offered was vey little and unsanitary. Kitchen, dining room and living room combined with no bathtubs. Water came from a street pump. The backyard wooden privies through over use and improper care caused health hazard.
Improper sanitation in tenements soon caused infectious diseases to spread around. New York was no longer a healthy environment. City’s first priority was given to develop a clean water channel to supply water. In 1835, an aqueduct and reservoir system was built.
B y the mid 1850′s New York had become the greatest city in the nation. Erie Canal led to a rise of population and prosperity. Economic strength and diversity of cultures in New Yorkers had transformed the nation’s development.

My New York … the journey of five years through thick and thin. Going back five years, … I remember… starting a new life from scratch, and getting use to the American way of life was a challenge yet it was my dream! Coming from an Island in the Indian Ocean called Sri Lanka, I was not exposed to many different ethnicities and religions. Well , my first impression of My New York was a cultural shock. Seeing the diversity of the people around me from different nationalities, different races and several different backgrounds. It is also one of the my BEST experiences in life. Getting to know people from all over the world, learning their languages, their tradition and customs was truly amaizing. Today, I proudly say My New York have given me friends from all over the world.

Every time I have flashbacks about my childhood freedom … the wonderful memories I had when I was growing up … the pain of missing a loved one back home … My New York becomes my remedy, because My New York gave me responsibilities … My New York taught me the life lessons and showed me that I have grown up to a young lady and even gives me the hope that the time will fly by and soon I will reunite with my loving father who’s back home.
Mother nature shocked My New York. Recalling the Blizzard of 2010 and the devastating Sandy hurricane in 2012 made a huge impact on all New Yorkers if not most of the people in the United States. No longer I have an excitement for seasonal changes in My New York but a well prepared self to face any circumstance.
Seeing the New York City skyline … being in the Times Square the city that never sleeps … seeing the colorful night view of My New York will be a forever happiness in my life!!! since My New York has made an obsession on me! My love and respect to My New York for all the lessons … experiences and memories for having me!!!