A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Stuff that's not Disney/Site related

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
horizons1
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2666
Joined: Mar Thu 18, 2004 4:18 pm
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Contact:

A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by horizons1 » Sep Mon 06, 2010 1:02 pm

On a trip to NYC last week I finally got to go to Flushing Meadows, site of the 1939-40 and 1964-65 World's Fairs. Although Walt's imprint is all over the latter fair, I am particularly fond of the 1939 one. If I could go back in time, this is where I'd go first.

Image

The area is one giant park, with the US Open Tennis grounds on one side, museums on another, and lots of grass in between. Still, there are some remnants including the 140 foot high Unisphere from the 1964 fair:

Image

And of course the towers made famous in the first Men In Black movie and, more recently, Iron Man 2. Rusting peacefully.

Image

Image
No one's gloomy or complaining while the flatware's entertaining.

Amy
Submarine Voyage Captain
Submarine Voyage Captain
Posts: 18542
Joined: Dec Wed 12, 2007 1:41 pm
Location: the flooded, flooded mitten

Re: A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by Amy » Sep Mon 06, 2010 1:08 pm

That is very cool that you got to go there. It is too bad they couldn't have preserved the site.

Jacca5660
Submarine Voyage Captain
Submarine Voyage Captain
Posts: 6842
Joined: Jun Sun 25, 2006 12:11 pm
Location: Chattanooga Tn
Contact:

Re: A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by Jacca5660 » Sep Mon 06, 2010 3:35 pm

Cool pictures!! I haven't been there since 1964.
"Our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them" WED

"There's a fine prow on that steamer, let's climb aboard her!" Fireside

"You're off the map mateys..Here there be SeaMonsters!!"

The original "LICENSE MAYHEM MARAUDER!!ImageImage

horizons1
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2666
Joined: Mar Thu 18, 2004 4:18 pm
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Contact:

Re: A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by horizons1 » Sep Mon 06, 2010 7:43 pm

It was fun just walking on some of the streets where you knew fair goers walked.
No one's gloomy or complaining while the flatware's entertaining.

Amy
Submarine Voyage Captain
Submarine Voyage Captain
Posts: 18542
Joined: Dec Wed 12, 2007 1:41 pm
Location: the flooded, flooded mitten

Re: A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by Amy » Sep Mon 06, 2010 8:09 pm

horizons1 wrote:It was fun just walking on some of the streets where you knew fair goers walked.
It was featured in a CSI:NY episode a while back so I tried to soak in as much as I could through the tv :D

Len90
Submarine Voyage Captain
Submarine Voyage Captain
Posts: 6740
Joined: Mar Sat 29, 2008 8:04 pm
Location: New Jersey
Contact:

Re: A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by Len90 » Sep Mon 06, 2010 10:12 pm

I have driven past that once or twice and it really is a shame to see it all rusting away. I too really wished that somebody would have preserved the site.
- Len90
"If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse."
"Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy"

mindflipper
Submarine Voyage Captain
Submarine Voyage Captain
Posts: 10954
Joined: Sep Sun 06, 2009 8:53 am
Location: 76 Totters Lane

Re: A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by mindflipper » Sep Mon 06, 2010 10:53 pm

Same was true for the WF site in Belgium from back in the 1950's, but within the last 10 years it's centerpiece - the Atomium - got completely renovated. Who knows? Maybe someone will do the same for NYWF site one day?

boilerbabe
Pack Mules Wrangler
Pack Mules Wrangler
Posts: 5143
Joined: Sep Sun 02, 2007 3:27 pm
Location: Valparaiso IN

Re: A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by boilerbabe » Sep Tue 07, 2010 9:19 am

Very cool! I would love to step back in time and attend the World's Fair! What were those towers used for???
Image
Image

Dr. Ravenscroft
Tom Sawyer Island Rafts Skipper
Tom Sawyer Island Rafts Skipper
Posts: 2561
Joined: Dec Thu 29, 2005 11:22 pm
Location: Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty.......

Re: A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by Dr. Ravenscroft » Sep Thu 09, 2010 2:05 pm

I will actually be up there later this month for the Maker Faire being held right around the corner at the New York Hall of Science http://makerfaire.com/newyork/2010/

I haven't been to the worlds fair grounds yet, but I am going to make special early bird trip there to catch the sunrise. Your pics are really good.
[img]http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/4131/userbar460642qi2.gif[/img][img]http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/5236/userbar460651xq4.gif[/img]
[img]http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/7677/userbar461525mz8.gif[/img][img]http://www.disneymountainrides.com/_i/banners/bar/SR_siteadmin.gif[/img]

*****Site Admin*****
[url=http://www.twitter.com/travenscroft]twitter[/url] | [url=http://tinyurl.com/49f5nd]plurk[/url] | [url=http://tinyurl.com/556rz4]Flickr[/url] |

horizons1
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 2666
Joined: Mar Thu 18, 2004 4:18 pm
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Contact:

Re: A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by horizons1 » Sep Thu 09, 2010 6:19 pm

boilerbabe wrote:Very cool! I would love to step back in time and attend the World's Fair! What were those towers used for???
The towers are observation towers from the 1964 Fair. They used to have "bullet" elevators attached to the outsides.

The streets are carryovers from the 1939 Fair, so there is a lot of history.
No one's gloomy or complaining while the flatware's entertaining.

Amy
Submarine Voyage Captain
Submarine Voyage Captain
Posts: 18542
Joined: Dec Wed 12, 2007 1:41 pm
Location: the flooded, flooded mitten

Re: A Visit to Mecca for Any NYWF Fan

Post by Amy » Sep Thu 09, 2010 8:12 pm

Dr. Ravenscroft wrote:I will actually be up there later this month for the Maker Faire being held right around the corner at the New York Hall of Science http://makerfaire.com/newyork/2010/

I haven't been to the worlds fair grounds yet, but I am going to make special early bird trip there to catch the sunrise. Your pics are really good.
Be sure to take a few photos to share :D

Post Reply