The headquarters of the United Nations is located in New York City in the Turtle Bay neighborhood, which is located in the borough of Manhattan. The huge buildings have a great view of the East River, and sit on prime real estate in the New York area.
Although the site in New York serves as the headquarters for the United Nations, there are a number of other locations that serve as headquarter districts including Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi. The other headquarters were constructed to reflect the interests of the UN, which strives to keep the peace around the world.
Even though the buildings are located in the heart of New York City, the land that they sit on is actually considered to be international territory. When the decision was made to make the land international territory, the bill included a clause that stated that the United States retains jurisdiction over the land should there be any sort of crime committed there, ensuring that everyone must adhere to the laws of the state.
It was originally built in 1949, and occupies more than 17 acres of land. The land was original owned by William Zeckendorf, and Nelson Rockefeller helped facilitate the purchase of the land from a reluctant Zeckendorf. It was believed that the land was too far from the main attractions in Manhattan, and the purchase of $8.5 million was funded by John D. Rockefeller Jr., who ended up donating the land to the city so that it could build the headquarters of the United Nations.
A number of other sites were proposed as alternatives if the city could not find a way to make the location work. These areas included San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia and even the Black Hills of South Dakota. Manhattan was finally agreed upon, as New York served as the largest city in the country. It was not until after the decision was made that it was learned that 3 countries; France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, voted against placing the headquarters for the United Nations in the United States of America.
The buildings located on the land include the Secretariat building, which is the building that is most commonly used to depict the headquarters, the General Assembly building and the Dag Hammarskjold Library. There is also a visitor’s center where tourists are allowed to go in order to learn about the location. In front of the buildings are flags from all of the member nations of the United Nations, which are arranged in alphabetical order.
In 2000, a renovation plan for the buildings was announced that would fix many leaks, install sprinklers and remove asbestos from the walls. However, because the New York State government refused to fund the renovation, very little actual renovating has been done.
The location has a well-known past in New York City, and has been a dominant force in popular culture. Because the headquarters is a symbol of international politics, it has been featured in many different movies. Today, the location stands for the peace between nations that we as a world have been striving for.
