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United Nations Headquarters in New York

The United Nations Headquarters—located on 1st Avenue in New York since 1951—is not part of the U.S. but is an international territory with its own critical services.		By Declan O'Kelly Click images to enlarge	iNeTours.com London UK Tour Las Vegas Tour Tour San Francisco Wine Tours CA Central Coast Tour Los Angeles Tour San Diego Tour New Orleans Tour Yosemite Park Pictures & Prints Discount Travel Sightseeing Tours Tour New York City Brooklyn Botanic Garden Steinhardt Conservatory Brooklyn Museum Brooklyn Heights Children's Museum Coney Island KeySpan Park New York Aquarium NY Transit Museum Prospect Park Manhattan Brooklyn Bridge Chelsea Central Park Central Park Map Performances Belvedere Castle The Gates Colleges & Universities The Cloisters Ellis Island Empire State Building Emerald Necklace Financial District Flatiron Building Fort Tryon Park Ground Zero Hell's Kitchen History of NYC Irish Hunger Memorial 42nd Street Library Lincoln Center Little Italy Meatpacking District Morningside Heights Museums in NYC Nightlife-Entertainment Restaurants in NYC Rockefeller Center Top of the Rock Shopping in New York Staten Island Ferry Statue of Liberty South Street Seaport Street Names Times Square Union Square United Nations Upper West Side NYC Beaches Fire Island Rental Search Tips NYC Apartments Roommate Finder NYC Hotels Map of Manhattan New York City Tours Double-Deck Bus Tour Minibus & Limo Tours NYC Helicopter Tours NYC Boat Cruises Walking, Shopping Tour Madame Tussauds Wax Day Trips/Coach Tours 5 Day Package Tour New York Pass New York CityPass Brooklyn Pass
The United Nations Head Quarters is located from 1st Avenue to FDR Drive, 405 East 42nd to East 48th. The US Senate and House of Representatives voted in 1945 to allow the UN to have its HQ in New York. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. donated 8.5 million dollars of his own money to pay for the 18 acre site and ensure the construction of the building in the city.
Construction of the 39 floor 544 ft tall building took place between 1949 and 1951 and it was officially opened on January 9, 1951. The UN building was designed by an international group of architects led by Wallace K. Harrison, Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier. The UN site is an international territory that has it's own fire dept, security force and postal service.
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One of the most popular tourist activities here is sending mail and postcards with UN stamps, which can only be mailed from the United Nations. Along First Avenue in front of the United Nations Headquarters is a display of flags representing each member state, beginning with Afghanistan at 48th street right up to Zimbabwe at 42nd Street. The flags are only raised when members are in congress in The General Assembly. As you enter the Plaza you will see one of the UN's signature pieces of art, a gun with a knot in the barrel. Donated by Luxembourg ten years ago, this piece was created by the Swede Fredrik Reuterswärd and is called 'Non-Violence'. Another donation of note is the Japanese Peace Bell, made by coins gathered by children from over 60 different countries. Also worth visiting is the park on the east side near the river that has numerous International exhibits. One of the most prominent is the Evgeniy Vuchetich sculpture, 'Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares', a gift from the Soviet Union in 1959. Tours of the United Nations building offer a wide range of information on both the history and day to day running of the UN. Visual highlights on the tour include the Chagall Stained Glass which is at the East side of the Public Lobby. The Foucault Pendulum can be found in the General Assembly Lobby and artifacts from the nuclear holocaust of Hiroshima and Nagasaki can be seen during the visit. For anyone who enjoys art, history and supports world peace then the UN building on the East River is definitely worth including on any itinerary.