STATUE OF LIBERTY

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Loads of songs about Staten Island, apparently, but the Wu-Tang Clan miss out to XTC in today’s song title shoot off.  Not Andy Partridge’s greatest moment, but then neither was Tower of London.

Thanks for all those advising me to take the free ferry to Staten.  The chances of us missing out on a freebie were lower than the chance of Draught Bass.

On the subway it’s advisable not to take photos, I guess, but then it’s probably not advisable to carry a baseball bat, either.  Guns are fine.

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Off to the Yankees

Despite StubHub advertising Yankees tickets for $10, I never managed to get one, so I’ll never know whether baseball can manage to be as exciting as cricket, but I guess we all know the answer to that one now.

Staten

The views on the Staten ferry are well known, but that’s no reason not to show them again.

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Shiny
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Smaller than you imagined

The jostle for viewing positions as the boat passes the statue is quite something.  There must be a few hundred mobile phones in the harbour.

Mrs RM was disappointed to discover the Staten Island ferry takes you to Staten, rather than Liberty Island.

The disappointment eased after cold brew and cakes in Starbucks,

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Evil keg coffee

and the discovery of a sparkling new shopping centre in which to spend surplus bucks.

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Guess what those petals are

Most folk seemed to queue for a pretzel and then hop on the next boat back.  I took James for a cultural stroll round St. George, which was a good deal grittier than expected.

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Typical Staten art
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The ubiquitous Sabrett
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Giant courthouse

But overall it lived down to its reputation quite nicely.  And the brewery was closed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

23 thoughts on “STATUE OF LIBERTY”

      1. Had the single in the picture sleeve. Sold it for a fair few bob. Not my favourite XTC single though, that has to be “The Disappointed” from a good few years later.
        Enjoying the NYC posts, a place I’d love to visit but don’t suppose I ever will. Good to see a perspective on US craft bars from someone who shares at least some of my enthusiasms and prejudices. Having said this, give me a Welsh pub with bench seating and a quarry tile floor any day.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thanks Bill. I’m doing these posts from the photos so they’re not particularly thematic, but they probably cover all the main tourist sites.

        “Enthusiasms AND prejudices” is spot on. Welsh pubs for me too, as long as the beer is selling fast.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. I had to laugh, because I was about to comment something along the lines of “Martin, you are clearly more of an XTC expert than I am; never heard that song until now!”

        My years of fandom began mainly with English Settlement (though of course I know the early singles) and began to trail off around the time of Oranges and Lemons.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Happy memories of taking the ferry to Staten Island in 1994. Was surprised how quickly you can stroll to streets that feel much like the American heartland: freestanding houses with lawns and lots of trees, seemingly a world away from NYC.

    Your mention of the shopping center makes me wonder if it hasn’t grown quite a bit since then.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. American heartland is spot on.

      Staten feels very different to the other boroughs. Much less bustling though equally diverse.

      The very new shopping centre isn’t big, couple of dozen outlets and mainly fashion. It feels a bit out of character though it’s remarkably well done.

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      Reply

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