We had a bit of an early morning today. We grabbed breakfast at a local cafe before heading down to the Battery to visit Liberty Island. I went to Ellis Island when I was in college, but we didn't get to the Statue. Sarah didn't either. And, we never went when we lived in NYC. So, we took the opportunity to go with an 8-year old! The morning was a little cold and drizzly, but we went through security and ferried out in the chilly wind. H loved taking photos from the outside decks.
So did I!
Once we got to Liberty Island, we looked at some of the small statues commemorating some of the visionaries behind her (everyone from Gustave Eiffel to Emma Lazarus). S bought tickets to go up the pedestal, so we put our bags in a locker and took the stairs/elevator to the top of the pedestal. There's a lovely walk around the perimeter, from which you can see all around the harbor, and also take an awkward ussie.
One of the reasons we decided to visit Lady Liberty was that H discovered the book 'Her Right Foot,' which recognizes that the statue's right foot is raised. The book uses that as a metaphor; the statue isn't standing still as a static beacon. Rather, she's moving. What we see is an instant of her, mid-stride, walking into the harbor to meet the ships full of immigrants. So, when we saw her in person, we made sure to look at her right foot.
There are two museums on the island. One is in the pedestal base, and one is in the National Parks Service area. They were both well-done, and while they understandably had a pro-statue agenda, they were also engaged with the criticisms of the statue. There were exhibits about how the statue has been adopted by different groups for critique and satire. There were areas that talked about how some women of the period took exception to her being a woman representing liberty when women in the US had so little freedom. There were areas that talked about the criticism from many Black Americans at the sheer cheek of celebrating liberty in a country that spent so little energy fighting for equality for its Black and Brown citizens.
By this point, H was overtired and hangry for lunch. She lodged her protest against museums:
One of the museums had a beautiful interactive video exhibit where you could take a selfie, add some imagery that represents what you think about what the statue represents, and then see your images combined with those of thousands of other guests. It was surprisingly moving, and I definitely found myself getting misty, thinking about what the statue meant to so many immigrants (including my own great-grandparents)
We grabbed a quick lunch (our obligatory NY hot dog), bought some gifts, and headed back to Manhattan. We had hoped to head to Brooklyn to visit the Transit Museum, but it was closed today. Instead, we headed a few blocks north to the new World Trade Center and the observation deck. It's a bit over-schlocked and glitzy, but it's a beautiful experience and a stunning view:
After that, we headed into Brooklyn to meet some friends for dinner. A and I have been friends since 1998, when we were first-year MFA students and had to tap a keg at a party because the third-year students didn't know how. We became fast friends and have stayed in touch ever since. We've both got spouses and kids now, and it was a magical evening for me to enjoy some good pizza, sit with A, K, and S, and watch our kids enjoy each other's company.
After dinner we headed back into Manhattan and back to our hotel. I finished off the chapter of the book I'm reading to H and everyone drifted off. Time for me to process photos (and the day) and sip on some bourbon. Tomorrow's our last day in the city.
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