Original subtitles

the independence of america and entered the war as its ally.

including, crosby, stills, and nash have returned to play here.

in new york state,

freedom has always been hard fought and won.

some of the most important battles

in the american revolutionary war

took place on new york soil.

an obelisk in the town of victory

celebrates two of the biggest.

it was here in the fall of 1777

where british forces surrendered in the battles of saratoga.

afterwards, france finally recognized

original woodstock musicians

four sides hold statues three of the obelisk』s

that honor the generals that led the american advance:

horatio gates, daniel morgan and phillip schuyler.

schuyler lived nearby in this farmhouse.

during the war, british troops occupied the site

and burned his original house to the ground.

but after the war, schuyler later salvaged what he could

and rebuilt his farmhouse in just 29 days.

saratoga lies on the hudson river.

but henry hudson never made it this far north.

the greatest musical event of all time: woodstock.

just three years short of his goal.

but even incomplete, remains

artistic treasures. one of new york state』s

50 miles to the southeast,

another piece of the hudson river valley

has been transformed into art space.

these rolling hills used to be farmland

until half a million concert-goers

descended on them in august 1969

for what』s been called

his last stop was a place on the river now known as albany,

performances by jimi hendrix,

janis joplin and the grateful dead

drew so many concert-goers

that new york state governor nelson rockefeller

used the national guard to airlift in supplies.

35 years after the historic event,

the site of the concert

was turned into the bethel woods center for the arts.

today, its amphitheatre holds 15,000 people,

just 3% of the attendance at woodstock.

with its abundant forests and streams,

new skete was originally started in 1966

when a small group of monks broke away

from the franciscan brotherhood

and formed their own monastery.

three years later, eight nuns followed,

establishing their own practice nearby.

later, a few married couples arrived

and formed a third religious community in the area.

new skete broke away from the roman catholic church in 1979

and is now part of the orthodox church.

each day revolves around intense monastic practice.

live in this picturesque setting.

finding sites for peaceful contemplation in new york state

has never been hard.

turned back at albany in 1609 if henry hudson hadn』t

and had followed the hudson river to its source,

he would have ended up here.

this is the largest area of protected wilderness

in the continental united states.

the adirondack park covers 6.1 million acres,

one fifth of new york state.

it』s nearly eight times the size of california』s yosemite.

on the back of a postcard.

the new york state capital.

dutch fur traders

first established a settlement here in 1614.

today, albany is the second oldest chartered city

in the united states.

at the city center lies the empire state plaza,

home to the more than 10,000 employees that run the state,

as well as the state library and museum.

governor nelson rockefeller is said

to have first sketched the original plan for the plaza

sadly, fite died here in 1976 from an accidental rock fall,

its two billion dollar price tag,

marble facade and stark design

have drawn criticism ever since it was finished in 1979.

upstate new york has long been a popular haunt for weekenders.

but its forests are also home

to those seeking more permanent solitude.

from the air, unless you』re looking

it would be hard to know that they』re even here.

this is a place called "new skete."

three separate but united communities

the highest green building rating possible today.

walkways and native plants it』s a suspended ribbon of

that weaves its way down the city』s west side.

thousands use it every day.

today, green space in new york is also sky high.

the second tallest building in new york city

is also its greenest skyscraper.

insulated floor-to-ceiling glass walls

and a rainwater collection system

have helped enable the bank of america tower

to become the first skyscraper in the world

to receive platinum leed status,

into "the high line." now they』ve been transformed

green skyscrapers are the latest addition

rich architectural heritage. to new york』s

most unique structures but many of the state』s

require a trip upstate.

the banks of new york』s hudson river

can best be explored by air.

a 2-seater helicopter lifts off over the valley.

below, the houses and estates

most illustrious names. of some of america』s

john d. rockefeller, once america』s richest man,

is still in operation.

and then beat out his competitors,

including his own father, one by one.

by the 1840s,

vanderbilt was the largest employer in the united states

and soon bought up railroads and shipping companies

that reached all the way to california.

modern ferries still ply vanderbilt』s old routes.

today, the staten island ferry

carries 21 million passengers a year.

on the hudson vanderbilt』s old rail line

built this six-story stone house called kykuit

in vanderbilt』s day,

his trains steamed right along the river and into the city

down 10th avenue on street level tracks.

at the time this busy street was nicknamed "death avenue"

due to the number of train-related fatalities.

travelling through the city it』s why every train

had to be led by a man on horseback,

to warn residents of its approach.

in the 1930s, the original tracks

were replaced with elevated ones to increase safety.

bought the site in 1938.

now restored, it』s part

architectural heritage of the hudson valley』s unique

and is as visually stunning from the ground

as it is from the air.

the only ones but architects aren』t

who have made their mark on the landscape.

this is said to be one of the largest works of art

in north america.

to enjoy it than from above. and there』s no better way

it used to be an abandoned bluestone quarry

until a local sculptor named harvey fite

stepped in to rescue it from demolition.

inspired by ancient mayan art,

he set to work on a sculpture opus 40,

since he expected it to take 40 years to complete.

passion and patience. it』s a work of

employing the techniques of ancient egyptian builders,

fite hoisted and pieced together giant individual slabs

of the quarry』s bluestone

to create a sculpture

of multi-level curved terraces and ramps.

he also built a house to live in right next to the quarry.

in 1859, a new york financier named paul j. armour

in sleepy hollow,

turning profits from standard oil

into a palatial 3,500-acre estate.

it lies on one of the highest points on the river.

rockefeller designed much of kykuit』s gardens himself.

the house now belongs

to the national trust for historic preservation.

this is believed to be one of only two

domed octagonal residences in the world:

the armour-stiner house in irvington.

unlike most mountain ranges,

built this eight-sided country residence.

it was believed that an eight-sided house

would have twice as much sunlight in its rooms

as a four-sided one.

later, a prominent tea importer named joseph stiner

bought the house and added its most distinctive forms:

a colorful domed roof and cupola.

after stiner, residents included a finnish writer and a poet.

in 1976 the house had fallen into disrepair,

and the national trust for historical preservation

but they』re no comparison

before it arrives in rochester,

the genesee flows through lechtworth state park.

the grand canyon of the east. it』s been called

in 1852, the erie railroad company

built a bridge across the river, just above upper falls.

the old portage bridge was called

the highest wooden bridge in the world,

before it was destroyed by fire in 1875.

the bridge that replaced it

is made of steel and is still used by trains today.

gorges and waterfalls line the river,

in the western hemisphere, on its way to lake ontario.

most famous natural wonder... to new york state』s

niagara falls.

the falls straddle the border of the u.s. and canada,

in the northwest corner of new york state.

there are two main falls:

horseshoe falls,

which is primarily on the canadian side of the border...

and the american falls, in new york.

when glacial waters carved up this land

and created the falls, they were seven miles downstream.

and helped turn rochester

in 1884,

long before he made the fortune he needed to build this mansion,

a scrappy inventor named george eastman

patented the first mechanism that held rolls of paper film.

he and his mother came up with a new name for the company:

eastman kodak.

at the time, photography required big cameras,

heavy glass plates, and messy chemicals.

kodak film rolls and cameras

brought picture taking to the masses,

but over time, the raging water has eroded the rock below...

into the imaging capital of the world.

bausch & lomb and xerox, two other imaging giants,

were also founded in and around the city.

today, the digital age has reduced kodak』s fortunes,

are still right in downtown. but the company』s headquarters

the only waterway the erie canal isn』t

flowing into rochester, new york.

water from the genesee river

once powered the city』s mills.

that flows north it』s the longest river

new york from the air,

more than a century later, new mill owners expanded the canals,

and in 1881 niagara falls became the site of the country』s

first large-scale hydroelectric power station.

j.p. morgan and the vanderbilts invested,

and electric power soon lit up mills and towns

all around the river.

nearby buffalo, new york, became the first city in america

to have electric streetlights,

earning its nickname "the city of light."

today, buffalo is new york state』s second largest city

and most of its power still comes from niagara falls.

constructed a small canal above the falls to run his sawmill.

a land of ancient trails and rivers,

where industry flourishes and bald eagles thrive.

from the battlefields of revolutionary soldiers,

across the spires of the country』s tallest towers,

and waters that have fueled

most famous fortunes. one of america』s

to see new york from the air

is a chance to discover its people, bridges,

waterways, and the skyscrapers and natural wonders

that make new york the empire state.

water from the falls generates 280 tons of force

and the falls have been inching their way upriver ever since.

many a daredevil has been tempted to test their power.

the first to survive the falls

was a woman named annie taylor in 1901.

on her 63rd birthday, she climbed inside a wooden barrel

and, clinging to her heart-shaped pillow,

disappeared over the american falls.

taylor managed to survive the more than 70-foot drop

with just a few bruises.

others haven』t been as lucky.

are synonymous with rochester.

on the rocks below...

enough to power two giant hydroelectric plants

that siphon water off the river.

generators of electricity they』re the biggest

in new york state...

churning out millions of kilowatts of power

the u.s. and canada. that』s shared between

harnessing power from the niagara river

is nothing new.

in 1759, a frenchman named daniel joncaire

which still had large numbers of beaver,

in upstate new york.

this was the land of the iroquois confederacy,

a group of native american nations

rich forests and hills. that inhabited the valley』s

stretching from the hudson river all the way to canada,

its rivers and ancient footpaths

became a major route for the fur trade.

by the early 1600s,

the popularity of hats made from beaver fur

were driving the beaver to near extinction in europe.

fur traders set off for the new world,

ancient trails once crossed the mohawk river valley

especially here in upstate new york,

and further north, in canada.

and trails were paramount, access to the mohawk』s rivers

and conflicts over trade routes flared among the tribes

and between the british and french.

in 1758, a british general named john stanwix

established a fort on this site in what is today rome, new york.

fort stanwix was built to control

an important six-mile land route

connecting the mohawk river and nearby woods creek.

lake placid was the site

the adirondacks are not strung out in a chain.

a giant dome, 160 miles wide. instead they』re formed as

this region was once flat, but five million years ago,

giant forces from below pushed up rock and soil,

peaks and valleys. creating the adirondacks』

impenetrable today they』re almost as

as they were 400 years ago.

lakes and streams the adirondack park』s

hidden treasures, are some of the country』s

but one is well known around the world.

the oneida hoped the fort would bring peace

of one of the greatest events in american sports history.

it was here, during the winter olympics in 1980,

when the u.s. hockey team, made up largely of amateur players,

called "the miracle on ice." beat the soviets in what』s been

deep in these mountains,

the headwaters of the hudson river

were discovered in 1872.

but by then, it was another waterway to the west

that was about to power the cities and towns

of new york state.

ever since, the city has been known for its broad avenues,

is as scenic as it gets as it approaches rochester.

today, the rochester metropolitan area

has the second largest economy in the state.

and part of the canal still runs right through downtown.

the arrival of this waterway in 1820

to double in just ten years. caused the city』s population

with mills turning out more flour

than any other place in america,

rochester became america』s first boomtown,

and was nicknamed "the young lion of the west."

through the mohawk valley but the canal』s route

elegant homes, and famous citizens.

leader susan b. anthony abolitionist and women』s rights

lived in this humble red house on 17 madison street

where she was once arrested for trying to vote

in the 1872 presidential election.

anthony died here in 1906,

just 14 years before the 19th amendment

guaranteed women the right to vote.

across town, these well-tended gardens

once belonged to a man whose name and company

and turn former trading posts into boomtowns.

between their tribe and the pioneers.

but the british abandoned fort stanwix

just three years after completion.

and in 1777, an american revolutionary force

successfully defended the fort against attack

by british and iroquois troops.

half a century later, rome became the site

of the biggest construction project in the state』s history.

a man-made waterway that would replace

ancient trading routes the mohawk valley』s

with a loan of 100 dollars in 1810

the 363-mile-long erie canal follows new york』s mohawk valley

and links the hudson river with a string of towns to the west,

all the way to the port of buffalo on lake erie.

today, locks in the canal still help ships move upriver,

just as they did almost two centuries ago.

when it was finished in 1825, after seven years of digging,

cargo could travel on a single ship

from new york city to america』s great lakes

right through the state for the first time.

the going is just as slow today as it was then,

tallest skyscraper. are building america』s

the city』s tallest buildings,

the towers of the world trade center.

it happened here at ground zero.

nearly 3,000 people died in the attack,

including 343 firefighters.

now the footprints of the world trade center

are being turned into reflecting pools,

memorials to those who perished.

is about to change again. and new york city』s skyline

a new tower is rising above ground zero.

more than 1,000 workers

after terrorist attacks brought down

site in the country. it』s the largest construction

one world trade center, also known as the freedom tower,

will rise a symbolic 1,776 feet.

this city has been reinventing itself

ever since it was founded.

in the 1960s the earth excavated during the construction

of the original twin towers was used as landfill

to extend lower manhattan and its shores.

today, new york city has more than 600 miles of coastline

and includes land on dozens of islands of all shapes and sizes.

was short lived, too. but chrysler』s achievement

40 wall street, with its distinctive copper roof,

was once the tallest building in the world

when it was completed in 1930,

a title it held for only a few weeks.

was already building that』s because walter chrysler

his own now-famous skyscraper uptown at 405 lexington avenue.

after 40 wall street opened its doors,

chrysler hoisted a secretly built spire

onto the top of his building』s art deco crown,

topping out 40 wall street by 120 feet.

one is the historic ellis island.

less than a year later, the new, even higher,

empire state building was completed

after just 14 months of construction.

the empire state building hasn』t always been

the tallest structure in manhattan,

but it is again today, after what many have called

the greatest tragedy in american history.

these are the footprints of the twin towers.

on september 11, 2001,

clouds of ash engulfed lower manhattan

this double-decker suspension bridge

the most densely populated even though it』s

county in america,

70% of its workers,

or nearly a million and a half people,

still live somewhere else.

most get to work via the eight bridges

that connect manhattan with the boroughs and beyond.

the brooklyn bridge may be more famous,

but its neighbor, the manhattan bridge,

is one of the busiest.

it links brooklyn with manhattan』s chinatown.

compared to manhattan. but that』s nothing

dates from 1909 and carries cars and trucks on both levels,

as well as four new york city subway tracks.

can be a dangerous job. maintaining the city』s bridges

one misstep and you could end up in free-fall.

but without its bridges and tunnels,

manhattan would only be accessible by air and water,

just as it was more than 400 years ago.

appeared on the horizon that』s when a european explorer

and set the stage for new york to be born.

verrazano narrows bridge. new york city』s

more than a million immigrants arrived here.

only part of it actually lies in new york state.

from 1892 to 1954, this tiny island

was the gateway to america

for a staggering 12 million immigrants.

americans can trace their roots it』s believed that 40% of

to at least one ancestor who passed through ellis island.

inside the famous great hall,

new arrivals from europe and beyond

lined up to be inspected and processed.

busiest year, 1907, in the island』s single

between developers in the early 20th century.

now three million people from around the world

visit the great hall every year as tourists.

but not all of new york city』s islands

are places most would want to come.

this is the only way for convicts to get in and out

of the city』s largest prison.

rikers island is practically a borough of its own,

complete with schools, a tailor shop, ball fields, and chapels.

on some days, the prison population at rikers

can swell to nearly 20,000.

on the island and shores of manhattan.

more than 10,000 years ago, a torrent of melting glacial ice

carved through upstate new york and created niagara falls.

every second 3,000 tons of water surge over the falls,

making them the most powerful in north america.

water has played a defining role

in new york state ever since the beginning...

from the breathtaking power of the niagara

empire state began. to the waterways where america』s

long before its skyscrapers,

a native american tribe called the lenape

used to hunt and fish

begins with an incredible gift of nature.

they called it mannahatta,

meaning "the island of many hills."

it was also an island of meadows, ancient forests,

black bears and bald eagles.

in 1624, the lenape agreed

to share their island with the dutch

for an exchange of goods worth 60 guilders,

or what would have been about 24 dollars at the time.

but the dutch considered it a sale

and soon took control of the island.

fought to forge america』s independence

a state rich with the stories of a nation

that began long before european explorers

discovered its mighty rivers.

a land of stunning peaks and colorful valleys;

home to writers, presidents and prisoners.

it was here where a crafty inventor

first brought photography to millions

and innovation harnessed a raging river

first city of light. to power america』s

on new york soil, revolutionary soldiers

ancient footpaths some of the lenape』s

and an elite corps of cadets still learns

how to defend the country』s freedom.

it』s here where one of america』s greatest fortunes

was built on the ferries that ply these waters

and daring workers keep manhattan moving.

aerial new york tells the stories

of the city』s tallest spires

and the hallowed ground of its fallen towers.

this is the empire state.

the story of new york state

including dancer rudolf nureyev,

two artists helped by a team of rock climbers

are assembling thousands of pieces of bamboo

to create a 50-foot-high sculpture called "big bamboo".

its designed to look like a cresting wave

perched above central park』s treetops.

this urban oasis draws 25 million visitors a year,

but only the lucky ones get to enjoy views of it

from their windows every day.

apartment building the city』s first luxury

lies on the park』s west side.

the dakota has been the home of famous artists for decades,

the metropolitan museum of art.

actress lauren bacall and john lennon.

when it was built in 1884,

the dakota was surrounded by undeveloped land.

by taller towers now, it』s flanked

with even more spectacular views of central park and the city.

building higher and higher is nothing new in manhattan,

but trying to build the highest

has always been a risky proposition.

tallest skyscrapers today many of new york』s

were built during a period of fierce competition

a unique feature of its design

have become new york city streets.

and 843 acres of their former land

is now one of new york city』s treasures.

created in 1858, central park covers 6% of manhattan.

it was the first landscaped park in america,

but creating it wasn』t easy.

some say that it took more gunpowder

to blast and create

hills and meadows central park』s lakes,

than was used in the battle of gettysburg.

it spans the mouth of new york bay

was its separate pathways for horse drawn carriages

to help people quietly enjoy the park.

now bicycle rickshaws share these old carriage routes

with new york city taxis.

the design of the park was originally inspired

by 19th century landscape paintings,

but ever since, it』s been an inspiration

for artists themselves.

today a work of art is rising on the roof

of one of the greatest museums in the world:

shore searches for prey. a bald eagle at the river』s

but its seemingly quiet waters hold hidden dangers.

mudflats can ground a vessel,

and its million-dollar cargo, in seconds.

but one obstacle in the river is a welcome sight to pilots:

the esopus meadows light.

on this spot since 1839. there』s been a lighthouse

the light was later closed

after ice floes damaged its foundation,

but citizens banded together to save this historic site.

today, the esopus meadows light

is the only surviving clapboard lighthouse on the hudson.

carrying cargo from new york city to albany.

once on the verge of extinction,

has made a comeback. america』s national bird

but the fish they catch in the hudson

could be more of a threat than food.

for 30 years, until 1977, the general electric company

pumped as much as 1.3 million pounds

of toxic compounds called pcbs directly into the river

from its manufacturing plants upstream.

luckily, new york city』s watershed

in the nearby catskills wasn』t affected.

and they literally keep new york city alive.

since then, new york became one of only 16 states

to ban capital punishment,

still inspires fear. though sing sing』s reputation

when henry hudson first discovered this river,

he called it "the river of mountains."

just 100 miles north of new york city

lies one of the most beautiful landscapes in north america:

a stunning range of peaks,

speckled with forests, rivers, and lakes.

these are the catskill mountains.

but fish, birds and other species along the hudson

drinking water 100% of the city』s

comes from watersheds like this one.

and to ensure its continued supply,

the city has purchased more than 100,000 acres of land upstate,

making it one of the largest landowners here.

water from lakes and streams feed into underground aqueducts

that carry fresh drinking water down to the city.

many locals don』t even know

where these giant underground pipes lie.

to the east, the hudson river is a lifeline for ships and barges

competition is nothing new to the banks of the hudson river.

to be the most strategic military site

in the country.

american soldiers at west point

once controlled river traffic here

using a 150-foot-long iron chain

strung across the river to stop ships.

the west point military academy was established in 1802

by president thomas jefferson.

cadets come from all 50 states and can only register

if they agree to abide by a strict four-point honor code:

not to lie, steal, cheat, or tolerate anyone who does.

george washington once considered it

fortunes was built on it. one of america』s wealthiest

frederick vanderbilt commissioned this estate

in hyde park in 1895 on 211 acres.

but the wealth he used to build it

came from a fortune first earned by his grandfather

on the waters of the hudson.

it was here off manhattan

cornelius vanderbilt, that america』s once-richest man,

got his start as a small time ferry operator.

his first ferry he』s said to have bought

general electric agreed to dredge

have been found to contain dangerous levels of toxins

that could cause cancer in people, too.

banned fishing it』s why the state

on huge stretches of the hudson for almost two decades.

environmentalists and fishermen

rallied to save the river』s ecosystem.

they formed riverkeeper, which grew

into one of the fastest growing and most successful

environmental organizations of all time.

in 2002 their work finally paid off.

was a 34-year-old convict named eddie mays in 1963.

800 olympic-sized swimming pools worth of pcbs from the river.

work has begun, but no one knows how long the cleanup will last,

and if the river will continue to be a potential threat

to offspring of eagles like these.

north of sing sing,

the "black knights of the hudson"

are preparing for battle

inside the oldest occupied military post in america.

west point sits high above the river,

overlooking a narrow bend.

with landfill from the construction

but forts have survived.

the oldest one is the star-shaped fort jay,

which lies on the site of earthwork fortifications

that were built to defend new york against the british

during the american revolution.

but those fortifications were a miserable defense,

and the british took control of the island

after the battle of brooklyn in 1776,

one of the largest battles of the war.

in the early 1900s,

governors island was enlarged by more than 100 acres

remains of the earliest settlements here are long gone,

subway system. of new york city』s

after mapping mannahatta and the surrounding shores,

henry hudson set out up this mighty waterway,

which would later bear his name.

just 10 miles north of the city,

he arrived here at one of the widest points on the river.

it』s called tappan zee.

"tappan" was the name of a nearby native american village.

"zee" is dutch for "sea."

when henry hudson saw that the river widened,

dutch traders quickly followed

and links the boroughs of staten island and brooklyn.

the bridge is named for italian explorer giovanni da verrazano,

the first known european to chart these waters.

in 1524, verrazano arrived at the mouth of the bay,

very far inside. but didn』t sail

85 years later, in 1609, it was an english explorer who did.

henry hudson was mapping new trade routes for the dutch

when he discovered the native american island

of mannahatta.

rich resources, hearing of the area』s

he was convinced that he had found a new passage to asia.

and called their new settlement new amsterdam.

but in 1664, the british conquered the area

and renamed new amsterdam new york.

when a group of dutch settlers arrived in 1624,

they landed on this island.

they were hoping to trade for beaver pelts

with the native american tribes that lived upriver.

the dutch called the place "island of nuts"

because of its plentiful chestnut trees.

but the british later renamed it "governors island."

have all done time here.

just six miles north of tarrytown

lies the notorious sing sing prison.

1,500 convicts. it』s home to more than

its name comes from "sinck sinck,"

a native american phrase that means "a place of small stones."

convict laborers built the prison』s original cellblock

in 1825.

since then serial killers, russian spies,

and charles "lucky" luciano,

who some called "the father of organized crime,"

but not everyone on the hudson is here by choice.

but sing sing itself has a checkered past, too.

early prisoners were forced to live and labor

in absolute silence.

and those who broke the rules were brutally punished.

it also used to be home

electric chair. to the state』s notorious

in the 1938 film angels with dirty faces,

rocky sullivan, james cagney』s character,

was executed at sing sing.

the last real criminal to be put to death here

the village of north tarrytown in honor of irving』s tale,

but then the waters narrowed again just a few miles north

and hudson』s search continued.

today, a 3.1-mile-long bridge

crosses tappan zee linking communities on the west bank

with tarrytown to the east.

of a headless horseman it』s the site of famous tales

and a man who slept for 100 years.

writer washington irving lived out the last years of his life

here in tarrytown after having created the famous characters

ichabod crane and rip van winkle.

new york:

renamed itself sleepy hollow in 1996.

the headless horseman bridge is gone,

but this one leads to the old dutch church

where ichabod crane was chased by the ghost in irving』s tale.

irving is buried in this cemetery.

it』s also the resting ground

of major american industrialists andrew carnegie,

walter p. chrysler and william rockefeller,

who all chose the banks of the hudson river

as their final resting place.