Sightseeing/Touring Boat Along NY Harbor (Photo #24a of LSP Series) of Liberty State Park (Jersey City, NJ)
NOTE: The comments that follow will be added to all of the photos from this 12/26/2014 excursion to Liberty State Park, for everything you see is connected to the overall message in one way or another.
Having done a very early morning start at Liberty State Park on Christmas day of 2013, while thoroughly enjoying the awe inspiring experience along the waterfront walkway with one of the world’s greatest urban landscapes (and waterscape) in and around the New York Harbor, I decided to do the same again this year; however, given some prior obligations, it was the day after Christmas, instead. Like the previous year, nary a soul besides me was out before sunrise, and it was not until about an hour after the sun first appeared that a group of visitors emerged. So, I basically had the entire waterfront park to myself for a pretty good stretch of time.
If you have never been there, it really is a sight to behold when one can see the majesty of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island with its unique place in American history, and the recently completed Freedom Tower, standing above all as the new proud symbol of what every person aspires to possess . . . FREEDOM. It took my wife and me quite a few years after the infamous, heart wrenching event of the fallen Twin Towers, simply known as “9-11.” If you go to our FLICKR albums, you will see the mid to latter construction stage of the Freedom Tower in photos under New York Skylines or the Meadowlands landscapes and such.
Initially, we both felt that nothing could ever replace or exude the same powerful presence as the original Twin Towers, and felt disappointment in the design of the Freedom Tower as it began to evolve from ground up, but when it reached its latter stages and the way the natural light over the course of any given day would play a significant role in its image, an overwhelming sense of admiration for the concept began to grow, and when finally completed, it all seemed to be a perfect visual symbol to the new landscape of New York Harbor. As we used to feel driving to the City or passing by from the New Jersey side, a similar kind of pride is felt with this new, great landmark that has made such a significant impact on the psyche of our citizens.
Many of you have likely stopped reading this long narrative, but you can probably surmise that aforementioned pride in these comments. Having personally seen the falling of the Twin Towers from work three miles away on that horrific weekday morning with all the confused and maddening reports being broadcasted on the radio and television news, it becomes an experience that is, indelibly, forever etched in my mind . . . So, that day is always present whenever I look toward the southern anchor of the Manhattan skyline, and I absolutely love how the Freedom Tower has not replaced, but serves as a natural extension of the Twin Towers and honors those who have lost their lives, accordingly.
Looking farther north offers the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building, the two iconic skyscrapers that ruled the architectural world of construction beyond imagination in the early 1930’s. And the Goldman-Sachs Tower of Jersey City, on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, can hold its own amongst the giants of the NY Harbor landmarks. The captivating style of this particular modern design somehow compliments the glorious Manhattan skyline—practically blending in as part of a grand visual sweep from one side of the harbor to the other. And furthermore, the famous Brooklyn Bridge can be seen in the distance between the southern end of Manhattan and the borough of Brooklyn, and to the far south, the Verrazano Bridge dominates the entry way to the great harbor that saw thousands upon thousands of aspiring immigrants who traveled the vast Atlantic Ocean, ultimately arriving in America, while taking their first step on our soil at Ellis Island, under the protective presence of Lady Liberty.
One historic reminder after another permeates the air, causing just about everyone to feel something truly special. Even if visitors know little of the history here, it is nearly impossible not to be awe struck.
In closing, the two extreme ends of the waterfront park, the northern point and the South Lawn, offer monuments that are so powerful and captivating. I am always taken by the Liberation Monument, which honors all of those who served our nation in the fight for freedom. If any of you ever have the chance to visit LSP, please do take some time to genuinely appreciate this statue from all angles, for it almost comes to life. The northern end of the park has the “New Jersey EMPTY SKY 9-11 Memorial,” which must be seen. A surge of emotions will flood through your body as you stand at the site and gaze across to the East where the Twins once stood.
Anyhow, I hope that this passage would serve as a motivating factor to visit Liberty State Park, if possible. Regardless of the degree of personal meaning this may have, it is still a landscape that is well worth the trip . . . Nothing like it in the world.
Sightseeing/Touring Boat Along NY Harbor (Photo #24a of LSP Series) of Liberty State Park (Jersey City, NJ)
NOTE: The comments that follow will be added to all of the photos from this 12/26/2014 excursion to Liberty State Park, for everything you see is connected to the overall message in one way or another.
Having done a very early morning start at Liberty State Park on Christmas day of 2013, while thoroughly enjoying the awe inspiring experience along the waterfront walkway with one of the world’s greatest urban landscapes (and waterscape) in and around the New York Harbor, I decided to do the same again this year; however, given some prior obligations, it was the day after Christmas, instead. Like the previous year, nary a soul besides me was out before sunrise, and it was not until about an hour after the sun first appeared that a group of visitors emerged. So, I basically had the entire waterfront park to myself for a pretty good stretch of time.
If you have never been there, it really is a sight to behold when one can see the majesty of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island with its unique place in American history, and the recently completed Freedom Tower, standing above all as the new proud symbol of what every person aspires to possess . . . FREEDOM. It took my wife and me quite a few years after the infamous, heart wrenching event of the fallen Twin Towers, simply known as “9-11.” If you go to our FLICKR albums, you will see the mid to latter construction stage of the Freedom Tower in photos under New York Skylines or the Meadowlands landscapes and such.
Initially, we both felt that nothing could ever replace or exude the same powerful presence as the original Twin Towers, and felt disappointment in the design of the Freedom Tower as it began to evolve from ground up, but when it reached its latter stages and the way the natural light over the course of any given day would play a significant role in its image, an overwhelming sense of admiration for the concept began to grow, and when finally completed, it all seemed to be a perfect visual symbol to the new landscape of New York Harbor. As we used to feel driving to the City or passing by from the New Jersey side, a similar kind of pride is felt with this new, great landmark that has made such a significant impact on the psyche of our citizens.
Many of you have likely stopped reading this long narrative, but you can probably surmise that aforementioned pride in these comments. Having personally seen the falling of the Twin Towers from work three miles away on that horrific weekday morning with all the confused and maddening reports being broadcasted on the radio and television news, it becomes an experience that is, indelibly, forever etched in my mind . . . So, that day is always present whenever I look toward the southern anchor of the Manhattan skyline, and I absolutely love how the Freedom Tower has not replaced, but serves as a natural extension of the Twin Towers and honors those who have lost their lives, accordingly.
Looking farther north offers the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building, the two iconic skyscrapers that ruled the architectural world of construction beyond imagination in the early 1930’s. And the Goldman-Sachs Tower of Jersey City, on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River, can hold its own amongst the giants of the NY Harbor landmarks. The captivating style of this particular modern design somehow compliments the glorious Manhattan skyline—practically blending in as part of a grand visual sweep from one side of the harbor to the other. And furthermore, the famous Brooklyn Bridge can be seen in the distance between the southern end of Manhattan and the borough of Brooklyn, and to the far south, the Verrazano Bridge dominates the entry way to the great harbor that saw thousands upon thousands of aspiring immigrants who traveled the vast Atlantic Ocean, ultimately arriving in America, while taking their first step on our soil at Ellis Island, under the protective presence of Lady Liberty.
One historic reminder after another permeates the air, causing just about everyone to feel something truly special. Even if visitors know little of the history here, it is nearly impossible not to be awe struck.
In closing, the two extreme ends of the waterfront park, the northern point and the South Lawn, offer monuments that are so powerful and captivating. I am always taken by the Liberation Monument, which honors all of those who served our nation in the fight for freedom. If any of you ever have the chance to visit LSP, please do take some time to genuinely appreciate this statue from all angles, for it almost comes to life. The northern end of the park has the “New Jersey EMPTY SKY 9-11 Memorial,” which must be seen. A surge of emotions will flood through your body as you stand at the site and gaze across to the East where the Twins once stood.
Anyhow, I hope that this passage would serve as a motivating factor to visit Liberty State Park, if possible. Regardless of the degree of personal meaning this may have, it is still a landscape that is well worth the trip . . . Nothing like it in the world.