New York City Co

The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island, New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886 to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and as a gesture of friendship between the United States and France. At 350 feet, 1 inch tall from the ground to the flame, the Statue of Liberty is approximately the size of a 22 story building. In 1886, the statue was the tallest structure in New York City. Lady Liberty is made of pure copper (3/32 of an inch thick-about the thickness of two pennies put together) except for the flame on her torch, which is coated in gold leaf. Originally, the statue was copper in color, but has turned green from natural oxidation. The greenness is actually called a patina coating and protects the copper. The statue faces southeast, which is a prime position for greeting ships as they enter the harbor. It used to be possible to climb to the torch, but it has been closed since the “Black Tom” explosion of July 30, 1916. Visitors were able to ascend to the crown of the statue until the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Since then, the crown has been closed and the National Park Service has no immediate plans to reopen it. “Liberty Enlightening the World” is the Statue of Liberty’s proper title. She was sculpted by Frederic Aguste Bartholdi and the internal structure was engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame. Because the statue is so enormous, she had to be transported to the United States aboard the French warship Isère in 350 pieces. The statue arrived in New York on June 17, 1885, but stayed in crates for 11 months until the pedestal could be finished. Emma Lazarus’s famous “Statue of Liberty Poem”, “The New Colossus” was read at the dedication and later inscribed on a plaque. From the time of her dedication in 1886 until 1902, the Statue of Liberty was a functional lighthouse. The statue itself is symbolic of freedom, but certain aspects of Lady Liberty are specific symbols. The seven points on her crown represent the seven seas and the seven continents. She holds a flaming torch in her right hand, a symbol of enlightenment. The stone tablet she bears in her left hand is inscribed with the date, July IV, MDCCLXXVI, or July 4, 1776. Her face is said to be modeled after Bartholdi’s mother. In 1983, American Express made the Statue of Liberty a beneficiary of one of the earliest cause marketing campaigns. For every purchase made with American Express, the company donated one cent to for the restoration of the statue. All together, the drive raised over $1.7 million dollars. The following year, the statue was closed so that a $62 million restoration project could be completed ....read more

If you’ve never been to New York City, you can’t claim to have gone unless you trek on out to the infamous boardwalks of Coney Island. It is important to understand first of all that Coney Island is only open seasonally so you have to plan your journey accordingly. The second thing that is important to understand about Coney Island is that it isn’t one centrally owned operation. The vast majority of attractions at Coney Island close either immediately or very soon after Labor Day. The beach and the actual boardwalk are open to the public year round, some times are simply lonelier than others. Nathan’s Hot Dogs and the New York Aquarium remain open after the summer season has ended and operate most days throughout the year. The Coney Island Museum is Open on the weekend from 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM year-round. During the summer season when tourism is high along the boardwalk the two major theme parks: Astroland and Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park sponsor firework shows on Fridays at 9:30. The amusement parks of Coney Island are only part of the attraction but they work to bring many people to this very unique entertainment venue each and every year. Astroland Amusement Park is the largest amusement park in New York City. The Cyclone is the most famous ride in this particular park and this is a ride that is well known by roller coaster enthusiasts around the world. It is a wooden roller coaster that offers quite a thrilling ride. Other great rides at this park include the Astroflume, The Break Dancer, the Astroland Carousel, The Swings, Top Spin, Dante’s Inferno, Power Surge, and Astro Tower. For the little ones there is a very nice selection of kiddie rides that will keep them entertained while older children enjoy some of the more thrill-oriented rides. If you’re looking for a day of great food and great fun in the sun Astroland is a great place to be. Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park is most famous for its Wonder Wheel. The cars on this magnificent ride are red, white, and blue (rather patriotic of them wasn’t it?) with swinging red and blue cards and stationary white cars. The Spook-A-Rama is another popular if not frightening ride that is offered at Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park. If you need a shot of thrills and spills try the Super Shot but only if you’re 52″ or more or the Thunderbolt, which has a 48″ height requirement. And what day at Coney Island wouldn’t be complete without a taste of bumper cars? There are also plenty of rides for the little ones to choose from on their outing as well. For something a little more sedate than thrills and chills at the amusement parks, Coney Island is also home to the New York Aquarium at Coney Island. This is a great way to learn about marine life and enjoy watching your children watching fascinating sea creatures they would be unlikely to see in other ....read more