FLAT JOE'S NEW YORK ADVENTURES
By Emily Grant
5/12/08
My friend Flat Joe went to New York. He went to Ellis Island. He also went to the top of the Empire State Building. He even went to Times Square. Now I get to learn from his experience and learn about New York.
One of the places Flat Joe went was Ellis Island. Ellis Island was known to the Indians as Kioshk or Gull Island. The Indians named it after the islands only inhabitants, the gulls. The island was purchased by the governor of New Amsterdam, which was the soon to be New York. Ellis Island was made New Amsterdam on July 12, 1630. All the Dutch people called it Little Oyster Island because of the plentiful oysters that were there. The island changed ownership and was used for many different things over the years. In the 1800's, it became an immigrant station, where many people made their first contact with America.
Flat Joe went to the Empire State Building and rode almost to the top in the elevator. If Flat Joe would have gone all the way to the top, he probably would have experienced some odd weather, since the Empire State Building is so big. There are 102 stories in the Empire State Building. The building has two big gashes in the north and south wall from a 1945 B-25 bomber plane crashing through it. The gashes on the south wall are from the pieces that flew through the other side of the building. Many were injured and some killed.
Flat Joe even went to Times Square. Times Square is a very big place so it would be easy for Flat Joe to get lost with all the shopping and theaters. He was able to see a broadway theater show on his visit and even received a new tuxedo for this event! Disney and Warner Brothers have a section of stores in Times Square. If you ever go to Times Square on New Years Eve, it would be so crowded that you could barely move! Times Square has a lot of motto grams, which are screens that wrap around buildings that tell the latest news.
All in all, Flat Joe had a great time. Flat Joe and I both got to learn new things. Flat Joe can't wait to go somewhere else, so we can learn more.
