Morningside Drive and Park, New York

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the largest cathedral in the world. The area totals 121,000 square feet. Some highlights: the nave rises over 100 ft; the 1933 Rose Window features the motif of the Great Rose; the St. Ambrose Chapel is decorated with Renaissance-style ironwork; the choir columns stretch 55-ft tall and are made of polished gray granite; the portals of the east front entrance are adorned with stone carvings some of which are re-creations of medieval religious sculptures.The cathedral was originally designed in the Romanesque style by Heins and LaFarge and started construction in 1901. By 1910, the original architects had died, and Ralph Adams Cram took over. Cram had designed several buildings in Boston. For St. John, he envisioned a High Gothic style to blend in with the existing Byzantine-Romanesque design. Because the cathedral is so enormous, the two styles merge seamlessly.

Riverside Drive and Park offers a sweeping view of the Hudson River. It is lined with a mix of older townhouses and newer apartment buildings. The park was laid out by the same designer who tackled Central Park, Frederick L. Olmstead.Several parts of Riverside Drive have enough significance to make the National Register. The part along the park spans from 72nd to 129th Streets. West 80th and 81st Streets off of Riverside and the blocks bounded by West 104th up to 106th Streets in as far as West End Avenue also merit the distinction.

Columbia University was founded in 1754 as King's College and was first situated downtown around Wall Street. The present campus began in 1897. Architect Charles McKim created spacious lawns and plazas in contrast to the crowded environs of Manhattan. An Ivy League school, Columbia is noted for its law, medicine and journalism programs, and its famous alumni include J.D. Salinger, Isaac Asimov and James Cagney.

Nicholas Roerich Museum is a major center for the exhibition of paintings by Russian born artist, Nicholas Roerich. It makes available about two hundred pieces of his work and numerous books about his life and work.Roerich had many talents and interests. Consequently, there is a space at the museum for performing arts. This space is generally used by aspiring musicians who may only be able to afford a venue such as this.

Riverside Church is a 21-storey Gothic church inspired by the Cathedral at Chartres. John Rockefeller funded its construction in 1930. The 74-bell, 20-ton Bourdon (hour bell) is the largest and heaviest carillon bell ever cast. The 22,000-pipe organ is among the largest in the world. The Christ Chapel is patterned after an eleventh-century Romanesque church in France. The bell tower offers a fine view of Upper Manhattan.

The Low Library is situated at Columbia University. It is a classical, columned building atop three flights of stone stairs. The building is actually now used for offices. The statue outside, Alma Mater, served as the backdrop to many anti-Vietnam War protests in the sixties.