THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, NEW YORK CITY - THE COLOSSUS OF MANHATTAN - 自由の女神像 , ニューヨーク

The Colossus of Manhattan indeed.

Nice thread. I have stickied it - Lady Liberty is worth it and we should also have a thread about Liberty Island here somwhere.

This early picture shows construction workers inside the head and crown of the Statue of Liberty during construction.

The statue itself is around 151 feet hight, but The Statue of Liberty monument is 305 feet 6 inches from its base to the torch, and the copper structure took only 25 years to turn green.

When I lived at the UN Plaza in New York City during the late Sixties and early Seventies my parents sent us to this youth center that took us to the Statue Of Liberty every year for about 6 years in a row. My first climb was at age 7, and I cried all the way up, I was afraid, and when you looked out all you saw was the inside of the Liberty woman with all this metal casing and erector type beams and it scared me like it was going to fall down. The following years were better, but they closed the torch, and all we could do was get to the crown. I got used to the climb by the 3 visit. I remember little metal seats each 20 or 30 steps, so some could rest if they got tired. Sometimes there were these daredevil Sixties kids that would start swinging around the chairs where you could actually climb over the velvet ropes and get to the steel beams and this kid David Cuomo would be like a monkey loose in a zoo. But he made us all laugh back then. So my memories of the Statue of Liberty is a happy fun filled adventure. I am proud I had a chance to be there and climb the steps six times in a row. I wish I had the photos I took at the Crown with my old Mickey Mouse Instamatic Camera. I love that place.

When I lived at the UN Plaza in New York City during the late Sixties and early Seventies my parents sent us to this youth center that took us to the Statue Of Liberty every year for about 6 years in a row. My first climb was at age 7, and I cried all the way up, I was afraid, and when you looked out all you saw was the inside of the Liberty woman with all this metal casing and erector type beams and it scared me like it was going to fall down. The following years were better, but they closed the torch, and all we could do was get to the crown. I got used to the climb by the 3 visit. I remember little metal seats each 20 or 30 steps, so some could rest if they got tired. Sometimes there were these daredevil Sixties kids that would start swinging around the chairs where you could actually climb over the velvet ropes and get to the steel beams and this kid David Cuomo would be like a monkey loose in a zoo. But he made us all laugh back then. So my memories of the Statue of Liberty is a happy fun filled adventure. I am proud I had a chance to be there and climb the steps six times in a row. I wish I had the photos I took at the Crown with my old Mickey Mouse Instamatic Camera. I love that place.

-leslie_siegel

I remember having to wait a long time on line that snaked around the park area. It was always the same kids every year we went. By the 6th time it was like we were taking 3 or 4 steps at a time. It was like a spiral staircase and we'd make fun of the light weights who were scared as I was 6 years prior. I felt a sense of power having conquered my fear of climbing the steps of Statue of Liberty. I remember looking at her big sandals and wanting a pair, so I got a pair in Times Square the next week. Leather Sandals like Lady Liberty. David Cuomo was finally banned from the youth center for setting fire to paper and peeing on it to put it out! He was a hand full. But my trips to the Statue of Liberty were fun filled. Sometimes we would even make a stop at this place called Randall's Island where the Navy stored stuff. it was a totally abandoned place and we loved to play Cowboys and Indians there. It was just little Island they probably have people living on it now. Anyone out there ever hear of Randall's Island???? We used to go there and have games and this youth center Bill/Dave it was called, used to give us prizes. Once I was on that Randall's Island and saw a little helicopter, and started jumping up and down ... All of a sudden it lands right there in the distance, but it wasn't because of me, it was just that it landed there, but the other kids would tease me and say I was in big trouble flagging down this helicopter for no reason so I hid in the bushes and pretended I was an Indian running from the soldiers as I lay there under this bush on Randall's Island waiting for this helicopter to fly off, which it did. Weird island, weird me!

I remember having to wait a long time on line that snaked around the park area. It was always the same kids every year we went. By the 6th time it was like we were taking 3 or 4 steps at a time. It was like a spiral staircase and we'd make fun of the light weights who were scared as I was 6 years prior. I felt a sense of power having conquered my fear of climbing the steps of Statue of Liberty. I remember looking at her big sandals and wanting a pair, so I got a pair in Times Square the next week. Leather Sandals like Lady Liberty. David Cuomo was finally banned from the youth center for setting fire to paper and peeing on it to put it out! He was a hand full. But my trips to the Statue of Liberty were fun filled. Sometimes we would even make a stop at this place called Randall's Island where the Navy stored stuff. it was a totally abandoned place and we loved to play Cowboys and Indians there. It was just little Island they probably have people living on it now. Anyone out there ever hear of Randall's Island???? We used to go there and have games and this youth center Bill/Dave it was called, used to give us prizes. Once I was on that Randall's Island and saw a little helicopter, and started jumping up and down ... All of a sudden it lands right there in the distance, but it wasn't because of me, it was just that it landed there, but the other kids would tease me and say I was in big trouble flagging down this helicopter for no reason so I hid in the bushes and pretended I was an Indian running from the soldiers as I lay there under this bush on Randall's Island waiting for this helicopter to fly off, which it did. Weird island, weird me!

-leslie_siegel

Another great story about New York from Ms Siegel.

OR should I say: "Ms Siegel the Helicopter Air Traffic Controller of  Randall's Island" :)!

Leslie, just as a thought: you can always start a new topic and call it "Randall's Island Adventures in the 60s" or whatever else you would like depending on your tale. You can choose the appropriate subforum to place it in when you start a new topic - but if you choose the wrong one or the wrong title its ok - the admins/moderators can fix it later.

Everyone loves Lady Liberty.

The memory of David Cuomo swinging on those steep erector looking things was enough to make us all laugh so hard you could hear that echo bouncing against Lady L! I recall trying to read and understand what was written on her tablet she held in her hand. Also, we took the Circle Line boat there and pretend to be pirates. Of course they made me be the prisoner who escapes and hides on the ship and they are running around looking for me. Once we got to Statue of Liberty we'd pretend it was a prison island and the kids that were roleplaying guards on the Circle Line would stand in front and in back of me and I was this lady going to jail. It was fun. Collected a bunch of Statue of Liberty statues which I had for many years. I even remember going home and writing Officer Joe Bolton of WPIX Channel 11 who used to run the Our Gang Little Rascals when we got home at 4PM. I remember telling him of my adventures and he'd actually read my letters on tv and send me back replies. My parents were so amazed with that. I would tell Officer Joe all about my adventures climbing the Statue of Liberty. It was so fun when he'd say my name on TV... "Leslie Siegel of Manhattan went to the Statue of Liberty Saturday and the boys were teasing her, and she felt woozy on the boat ride back while pretending to be a prisoner hiding." On the very last time we went, that 6th Spring, I remember pretending to be an immigrant coming off the boat for the first time. I had a keen imagination and it was contagious with the other kids. Some played guards on ship, others played women crying at the boat, and I was this immigrant pirate lady, totally uncontrollable, but it was so fun. Enough memories of Statue of Liberty. I will see other forums.

ANOTHER great tale! :D

THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT! I've got a million of'em KID!