New York, though a very modern city, finds ways to memorialize the history of the city through its architecture and culture. One can walk around the city and stumble upon monuments dedicated to the history of New York and prominent figures from this history. One such example is the monument of George Washington on display at the entrance of Washington Square Park. Not only are there monuments reflecting the rich history of New York but there are also plaques all over town explaining the historical importance of certain buildings and neighborhoods. For example, Greenwich Village is known for its part in the Beatnik movement and counterculture movements where you’ll find plaques marking buildings as historically significant. Though these buildings have been updated in recent years some still maintain the look of the building when it was first erected; however, when you enter the buildings the inside has been updated to more match the modern times. We especially see the architectural history of the city when visiting the churches scattered throughout the city. For example, St. Pauls, which was originally built in the 1860s, later served as a safe-haven/headquarters for the first responders in the 9/11 attack.
New York is a treasure trove of cultures reminiscent of the fact that New York was one of the cities where many immigrants were forced to go to. For this reason, New York is a melting pot of individuals from different cultures, which we see reflected in the many food options and in areas such as Chinatown and Little Italy, where one feels like they have been transported somewhere different. New York is a place where history is both preserved and built upon to create something vibrant, new, and modern.