Liberty, Freedom and the American Dream

I feel sad that visiting the Statue of Liberty did not evoke all the emotion, all the feels in me that the sight of it must have is so many people coming to New York, looking for the American Dream. Much like our experience at the Tenement museum yesterday, where we experienced the living space of families creating and nurturing their dreams, here on this ferry, sailing past the grand dame on the Hudson river, we are retracing the steps of so many immigrants, fleeing their homelands and often very hard circumstances, to come to America, in search of that dream. I have no doubt that, at the first sight of the welcoming lady, holding high her torch to light the way, that people's hearts were filled with hope, their eyes with wonder, their souls with happiness, that upon reaching this new place, they would find their new place in this world.  On the other hand, I saw a great feat of architecture and engineering, a mass of copper skin covering a skeleton of iron trusses - still beautiful, still inspiring, but not in the same emotional way. And I am sad that I did not get that rush of emotion, as I feel many do get here, reliving their ancestors' past. I felt more like a visitor, like a tourist seeing something from the outside, and not fully appreciating the experience, which, if you've read any other of my blogs, you know that this is what I try to achieve in my travels, as best I can. So here is my recounting of the day as an outsider:

I booked our ferry from Liberty State Park which, looking back, is the best decision for visiting Liberty and Ellis Islands. Since Mario and I are staying in New Jersey and busing our way into the city, taking the ferry from New York would have added time and money onto our trip for nothing. Instead, I chose the NJ ferry, so we drive the car to Liberty State Park, where we find plenty of parking next to the old rail terminal. Once processed, newcomers would make their way here, to the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal, to then travel on to their next destination, if that destination wasn't New York City. The rails and platforms are still here, though crumbling slowly into the ground, but the main building has been refurbished and is now the ticketing center for Statue Cruises, the only ferry service to Liberty and Ellis Islands. Further along, we pass through airport-like security before boarding the ferry. Curious observation: the family behind us stops halfway through to take pictures of their daughter, maybe age 5 or 6, passing through the metal detector. The security officer scolds them, explaining that there is absolutely no photography allowed in this high-level security area, to which the mother responds, "But officer, it's her first time." This whole interaction made me confused, amused, and sad all at the same time.

We sail all the way to Liberty Island first, taking advantage of our early ticket time to enjoy lesser crowds at the statue. We discover that, even on a 7-minute river crossing, people still rush to the snack bar on board, and that the speakers hidden in the rafters of the boat are deafening if you are standing directly beneath one. We also discover that the view from the boat is closer, and so significantly more impressive than the one we got from the Staten Island ferry 2 years ago. We disembark on Liberty Island.


Essentially, this island is all about the Statue. Sure, there is a cafeteria, a gift shop(or two), and a decent museum which just opened a few months ago, but the reason you come to this island is for the Statue of Liberty. A wide walkway curls its way around the base, inside which the pedestal rises, providing the elevated focal point where Lady Liberty stands tall, torch in hand, tablet(of stone, not Samsung) in the the other. If we had been more prepared, we could have secured tickets to climb up into the pedestal, or even the crown, for panoramic views of Manhattan across the water, but you have to purchase your tickets at least 3 months in advance for that privilege, and I procrastinated a little too much, unfortunately. In my opinion, the views from the ferry were just as impressive. We did take a walk around the museum before talking a walk around the island, learning about the design and engineering behind the  construction of the statue, the lengths taken to fund-raise for its completion, both in France and in the Unites States, and the less-than-stellar reception of such a financial undertaking when the population of the city was much more in need of money than a statue in the harbour.

Next, we head to Ellis Island, first stop for anyone immigrating through New York from 1892 to 1954. So many people have family ties here, histories that begin anew here, American dreams that began here. I have to say, if you are going start living your "American Dream" somewhere, this building is the place to do it. The registry room's soaring arched ceiling, vast central space, gorgeous tile work above and below - it's enough to inspire anyone! However, the adjacent dormitories and and nearby hospitals speak differently of the conditions some where forced to endure should they not pass preliminary inspection and interrogation. Here, people come to reconnect with their ancestors, their history. My history is back in Canada, partly at the Pier 21 immigration center in Halifax, partly on a boat from France long ago(I think), so my lack of connection to this place makes me simply a visitor of it all. But it is an impressive complex, a beautiful place with a certain serenity about it, which envelopes me when I sit in the shade to eat a picnic of leftover New York cheese pizza.

The sun beats down on us, and as the day wears on, the crowds only seem to intensify, so somewhere around mid-afternoon, Mario and I make our way to the return ferry to New Jersey, then to the sun-baked car in the parking lot, then to the interstate that will bring us back home. The ride is long, and the early morning wake-up makes us sleepy, so the drive is interrupted by stops at services areas, and cups of coffee to energize our trip home. It has been another wonderful weekend in New York City, learning and doing and just being, and I look forward to doing it all again next year.

Until next time.