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Statue Of Liberty's Crown: "Awesome" AND "Uncomfortable"
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 5, 2009
Modified Jul 5, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 5, 2009
Modified Jul 5, 2009
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Yesterday, the Statue of Liberty's crown reopened to excited crowds. But the visits were tempered with the reality of climbing 354 steps during a beautiful (and warm!) day: The NY Times reports, "No wonder by the time these huddled masses reached the top of the hot, sticky and narrow staircase, they were indeed yearning to breathe free." One visitor said it was "absolutely awesome!" and "intensely uncomfortable." Anyway, one couple made the most of the heady views—Aaron Weisinger of Walnut Creek, California proposed to girlfriend Erica Breder. Breder said yes, "I had no idea. Even when he got down on one knee, I still didn't know what was going on." Weisinger explained why the holiday was important to the couple—their families immigrated from Eastern Europe, his great-grandparents through Ellis Island and Breder's father came to New York and drove a cab when he arrived from Czechoslovakia. Weisinger said, "The Statue of Liberty symbolizes independence and freedom. It's a pretty unique spot."
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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