What you should know
- Installed more than 60 years ago as a symbol of hope and unity in the hemisphere, the previous medallions had deteriorated. The Department of Transportation (DOT) began the process of restoring 45 medallions from all nations and territories.
- DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez, along with Mayor’s Office of International Affairs Commissioner Edward Mermelstein and Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro, unveiled the first restored medallions installed along Manhattan’s Avenue of the Americas, with dozens more to be completed in the coming months.
- The new medallions, attached by DOT crews to utility poles along Sixth Avenue from the streets West 42nd until West 59th, represent the national emblems of each of the nations and territories of the Western Hemisphere. The first nine medallions installed Monday were the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Argentina, Saint Lucia and Uruguay.
NEW YORK — New York City unveiled the first batch of medallions representing each of the nations of the Western Hemisphere that will decorate Manhattan’s Avenue of the Americas, or Sixth Avenue as it is known by many.
The public gathered Monday at the 6th Avenue y 42nd Street and with applause and jubilant reactions they were there to witness how the first 9 medallions were unveiled with the coat of arms of the countries that our nations represent.
The first 9 countries represented in the medallions are Argentina, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia and Uruguay.
“Very proud, very happy, very happy, because the medallion of Mexico is finally unveiled on Avenida las Américas as a recognition of the great contribution made by the migrant force of Mexican men and women,” said Jorge Islas López, Consul General of Mexico. In New York
“We are brothers, we are allies and this effort by the mayor and the commissioner to keep our relations in good condition is very important,” added the Colombian consul general in New York, Andrés Mejía.
Installed more than 60 years ago as a symbol of hope and unity in the hemisphere, the previous medallions had deteriorated. The Department of Transportation (DOT) began the process of restoring 45 medallions from all nations and territories.
Unlike the old medallions, which did not resist the test of time, the new ones are expected to last a longer time thanks to technology and the commitment of the authorities that they are not forgotten.
“The creation of the Avenue of the Americas was a grand gesture to celebrate the cultures of our hemisphere, and these beautiful new medallions now once again appropriately celebrate the nationalities of many of the people who live, work, and visit New York City. , said New York City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez.
And it is that this important avenue in Manhattan has its name because in 1959 they were originally installed on porcelain plates, but over time they disappeared and at the time only 18 of the original medallions remained along the street.
The new medallions, representing the emblem of each of the Western Hemisphere nations, will once again grace Sixth Avenue between 42nd and 59th streets and this time they will be made of aluminum.
“New York City was built by immigrants, so it’s important that we recognize and preserve all of the symbolic icons that represent the incredible diversity of our communities,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez said when he made the announcement in 2022. “In addition to the people of the City, I want to thank the leaders of the proud nations of our hemisphere, some of whom would attend events at the United Nations, only to be greeted by crumbling banners of their countries along one of the main avenues of Manhattan. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we are giving the people of those countries, residents and visitors alike, the respect and honor they have earned.”
The new round medallions are three feet in diameter and constructed of lighter, weather-resistant aluminum. The new medallions will join DOT street lighting with stronger brackets, a design designed to be more durable and easier to maintain, while also being flexible enough to allow adjustments to be made for major events like the Day Parade. Thanksgiving.
WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND THE MEDALLIONS ON SIXTH AVENUE OR AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS?
Former New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia renamed Sixth Avenue “Avenue of the Americas” in 1945.
Originally installed during the Eisenhower presidency and the administration of Mayor Robert Wagner, nearly 300 medallions along the avenue celebrated the unification of the hemisphere after the divisions of World War II.
However, over the decades that followed, the medallions were largely ignored: made from materials that were not easily accessible or replaced, the medallions were never regularly maintained and deteriorated due to rust and corrosion, with many being retired for security reasons.
Under the administration of Mayor Eric Adams, committed to equitable representation throughout the city, New York City DOT Commissioner Rodriguez reviewed the permanent restoration of the medallions.
WHAT WILL THE NEW MEDALLIONS LOOK LIKE?
The medallions were fully designed, manufactured, and wind tested by internal engineers and other DOT personnel. Instead of the previous heavy porcelain enamel, the new circular medallions, three feet in diameter, are constructed of lighter, weather-resistant aluminum.
The new medallions will be attached to DOT street lighting with stronger brackets, a design intended to be more durable and easier to maintain, closer to highway signs in thickness than standard DOT street sign materials. .
To pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers along 6th Avenue, 30 feet below, the new medallions will look virtually the same as the ones they replace.
From the co-naming of streets and plazas to the translation of street signs in historically multilingual neighborhoods, the restoration of the Avenue of the Americas medallions provides an opportunity for the city to reflect the many origins and nationalities of those who call the city home. New York City.
“Our administration is very excited to honor Hispanic Heritage Month by doing something that the city’s immigrant communities have been asking for for so long: restoring the national medallions along the Avenue of the Americas,” said the mayor of the New York City, Eric Adams. “These medallions represent the best of the city: people who come from all over in search of a better life, helping to make this the greatest city in the world.”
WERE CAN I SEE THEM?
They will once again grace Sixth Avenue between 42nd and 59th streets.
