By: Barnali Bose, Editor-ICN
NEW YORK: Liberty, one of the keywords in the Indian constitution was incorporated into it from the French Constitution.And what better way could there be to get a feel of it but at the Liberty State Park, the Ellis Island and the Liberty island located between New York City and Hudson County,New Jersey ?
A stroll along the sprawling waterfront on Liberty State Park:
The first morning that we reached Guttenberg in New Jersey, we decided to explore the places in the vicinity, as we were tired and sleep-deprived,( I being an insomniac was even more so) after the 18 hour flight.
My son-in-law drove us to the sparklingly green Liberty State Park located on Upper New York Bay in Jersey City,opposite both Liberty and Ellis island.
It is a 1,212 acre park with a network of trails, a bikers’, a walkers’ and without doubt,a photographer’s delight.It was opened to the public in 1976 to coincide with the bicentennial celebrations and falls under the purview of New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.
I was told that one could visit State Liberty Park every day of the year during daylight hours. Besides driving there, you could take the PATH- ‘Port Authority Trans -Hudson train to the Hoboken Train Terminal and then the Bergen-Hudson Light Rail to the Liberty State Park Station.For a more scenic trip, you could take the ferry to the Liberty Landing Marina.
As we strolled along the Liberty Walkway,a crescent shaped promenade on the banks of the Hudson, I was awestruck by the panoramic landscape and unmatched view of the Lower Manhattan skyline across the river.
The main part of the urban park is bordered by water on three sides.
The iconic Statue of Liberty seemed to beckon from the New York Bay. With a pair of binoculars, I magnified the view of the Ellis island,the stepping stone to the ‘land of the free‘ for immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries.
We then walked upto the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal. Significant damage caused by Hurricane Sandy had necessitated its closure.The inscription read that the Terminal built in 1889,was an important point of egress as an estimated 8 million immigrants used it to travel to their new homes.
The Liberty State Park is the only State Park in Essex, Hudson and Bergen counties. Another section of the park is called Liberty Industrial Park.
Being jet-lagged we decided to take a break and come back the next day for a cruise to the two islands.
About the Statue Cruises to the two islands:
Statue Cruises is the only authorized official provider by the National Park Service to take visitors to Liberty and Ellis Islands.One ticket takes visitors to both islands and includes the audio tour. The base price is approximately $ 18.50. Ferry schedules and prices change seasonally and during periods of high tourism. Up-to-date schedules are posted on the Statue Cruises website.
You should simply avoid street vendors specially if you are travelling from the New York side. They seem to be all over the place ready to dupe you with seemingly inexpensive offers and with the undoubtedly huge dollar-rupee mismatch, you could tend to fall into their trap.
You must reserve your tickets to guarantee access to the Statue of Liberty Crown and Pedestal. The only way to gain entry to the interior of the Statue of Liberty National Monument is to book in advance.
You should remember that you will be on your feet for most of your visit and that you will be travelling by ferry.Decks can sometimes be wet and you will have to walk along a gangplank to board and to disembark. Therefore,you should wear suitable footwear. Statue Cruises recommends against wearing open-toe footwear and flip flops for safety reasons.Pets are not allowed aboard Statue Cruises vessels or within the National Park.
We booked our tickets online and waited for the following day’s trip that was to take us on an exploration of Liberty and Immigration centuries back.
