The Cows of New York#

A very special kind of parade#

by

Günther Jontes

The Dutch tried to get a foothold also in the Americas in 1626. At the time, they did not consider this very important compared to the spice islands of South - East Asia. However, they did found, in the middle of Indian territory, a city New Amsterdam. This city was taken over by the British in 1164 and renamed New York. USA, New York .

This was also the spot where probably the first cows were grazing, brought over from Europe, hoping that they would be as usefull here as in so many other places.

Cows are - we are sure you agree - impressively large but mild looking animals. If you make contact with their beautiful big eyes you find them immediately likeable.

Manhattan is certainly the most lively and diversified area of the "Big Apple", as New York is also called since it became a touristic hotspot.

Manhattan has everthing to please the eyes, the mouth and stomach, and the ears. It is also an architectural museum a such, but also houeses some of the most important and biggest museums of the world. Its Central park is the green lung of the city, that was - 80 years ago - the largest city in the world that still contains big, fairly closed different cultural communities. Chinatown is just one example!

The energetic city administration had the the interesting idea in 2000 to provide a "cow parade" in the streets of Manhattan. Replicas of life-sized cows made of plastic were provided to artists with the challenge to create monuments of art of them, in the streets and plazas in Battery park in the South up to Harlem in the North.

The idea worked and met with much positive response. From ornamentlly decorated cows to a Mozart converted into a cow in front of the Metropolitan opera there is much to be surprised and amused about. Have a look by following the link below!