Statue of Liberty in New York reopens to the public
Visitors return to the landmark for the first time since Superstorm Sandy
Romance can be tumultuous, and no one knows that better than the Statue of Liberty. Over and over, Lady Liberty has been separated from her adoring public, most recently by an uninvited guest named Sandy who stormed through, leaving heartbreak and ruin in her wake.
For eights months, the statue stood alone in New York Harbour, but the painful break-up was pushed aside on Independence Day as visitors returned to the Statue of Liberty for the first time since Superstorm Sandy shut her down on October 29 last year. It was the third closure since the September 11, 2001, attacks.
"I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little bit tired of reopening and closing the Statue of Liberty," said David Luchsinger, the national monument's superintendent. "I think this time we'll just leave it alone."
As he spoke, hundreds of thousands of visitors swarmed Lady Liberty and her home, Liberty Island, a short ferry ride from lower Manhattan and uninhabited save for the 127-year-old woman who symbolises freedom, from her shimmering torch to the broken chain at her feet.
As the first tourist boat of the day circled the island and visitors got a close-up view of Liberty's strong jaw and steady-gazing eyes, they fell quiet. Many lowered their cellphones, stopped taking pictures, and just stared.
"She's beautiful," said Rebecca Hines. "This isn't something you can capture on an iPad."
