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Car Rentals New York City and Fort Tryon Park

If you're looking for a vacation within a vacation, Action Car Rentals New York City highly recommends visiting Fort Tryon Park in northern Manhattan. Home to over 67-acres of pristine green space, the park offers visitors an outstanding place to kick back and relax. Famous for its commanding view of the Hudson River, the George Washington Bridge, the Harlem River and the New Jersey Palisades, Fort Tryon Park is much, much more than your average public gathering place! Steeped in a rich history that spans as far back as the American Revolutionary War, the park is now an important part of many New York lives. Donated to the city by John D. Rockefeller Jr., the Fort Tryon Park includes miles of walking path, beautiful gardens and a handful of medieval buildings. Yes - medieval buildings! Completed in 1935 by the same designer responsible for Central Park (Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.) Fort Tryon Park is now and important part of both the city's public parks system as well as New York's cultural landscape.

Has Manhattan Really Gone Medieval?

Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights, Manhattan is home to one of Manhattan's most unique attractions - Medieval buildings! Mixed in amongst the parks fragrant flowers and dense foliage lies an exhibition hundreds of years in the making! The Cloisters, as they are called, are a permanent part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a standing example of Medieval European architecture. Purchased in Europe and brought to the United States stone by stone, these beautiful buildings are now an integral part of the park's overall makeup and design. Opened in 1938, the Cloisters were previously used as a French monastery. The Cloisters are now a part of the Met and are recognized as an official New York City Landmark. Customers of Action Car Rentals New York City are encouraged to explore the interior of these buildings. Outstanding examples of medieval art and culture are displayed within the buildings walls, not to mention a series of seven famous tapestries. Referred to as the Unicorn Tapestries, these beautiful wall-hangings depict a group of noblemen and hunters pursuing a unicorn in various acts of escape. The tapestries end with the beast's eventual capture. The origin of the tapestries is unknown. Before being purchased by John D. Rockefeller Jr., the hangings had been in the possession of the La Rochefoucauld family in French.

From Glaciers to Meadows - Features of Fort Tryon Park Past and Present

Over the years the Fort Tryon Park has exhibited some amazing natural and man-made attractions. In fact, these features can be traced back right to be the lands very formation! Fort Tryon Park is built atop a formation in Manhattan known as a mica schist which contains an interesting example of igneous intrusions and ancient glacial striations. The lower regions of the park are actually built on Inwood marble. Other features in the park have included a succession of private residences owned by wealthy businessmen, including Dr. Samuel Watkins Glen, Boss Tweed and C. K. G. Billings. John D. Rockefeller Jr. purchased the Billings estate in 1917. Before turning the area into a public park Rockefeller also financed the building of the 190th Street subway station. Customers of Action Car Rentals New York City are encouraged to visit the park for a variety of reasons, but one of the most important is that of the area's gardens. Hundreds of flowering plants are currently located throughout the park including the famous Heather Garden. Extensive walking paths also showcase the park's numerous meadows and outstanding views. No other park in Manhattan is quite like the Fort Tyson Park, so don't miss your opportunity to see it up close!

The Fort Tryon Park is one of Manhattan's most treasured locations. If you would like to learn more about it before embarking on your upcoming Action Car Rentals New York City vacation please feel free to visit the official New York City Parks & Recreation Department website at www.nycgovparks.org. Customers of Action Car Rentals New York City can also contact the Department by calling 1-212-NEW-YORK.