Sometimes seeing something from a distance is better than up close. This is not due to its imperfections or anything like that (if anything investigating something up close reveals a whole new world), but rather that the scale of things can be lost.
It was when I was in Japan that I decided I wouldn’t walk up Mt Fuji but would rather be much farther away in Shizuoka to take the whole of Fuji in my field of view. The view from Fuji outwards is decidedly naff, and Fuji itself isn't so interesting at the top. I had no desire to go to the top of Fuji “just because”. I get why people do, and there’s nothing wrong with that. What I am getting at, is that I decided, at least on this very quick visit to NYC, not to visit the Statue of Liberty directly, but to see it from a distance.
I would have liked to have been a little closer, or had a bit more zoom at my disposal… but… I’m pleased with the picture above, even though it’s not groundbreaking or particularly interesting.
In fact, I actually think the above picture of the Staten Island Ferry is objectively better…
The Staten Island Ferry is a free ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island. I was extremely fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, and simply walked onto the ferry just a minute before departure without queuing or waiting or even really knowing what was happening (I was on the phone at the time).
The ferry made its way across Upper Bay, and I stepped onto the upper deck to grab a photo of Manhattan shrinking in the distance. As you can see, the weather had improved markedly and although it was still morning, there was something of a permanent sunset providing the backdrop.
When the ferry docked on Staten Island, I was actually equally fortunate and simply walked through the port and straight onto the awaiting ferry, which departed only a minute or two later. Perfect! No time wasted sitting in the waiting area, looking at Trump dolls and doughnut stands.
Destination: Manhattan—to continue my “day in NYC”…