Yes, it’s touristy. Yes, it’s crowded. Yes, it’s a long wait. But for those who arrive from the Atlantic the Statue of Liberty is one of their first glimpses of America and it stays with them for the rest of their lives. One of our greatest challenges is also one of our greatest strengths. We welcome this melting pot of languages, cultures, and people. It comes with all the frustrations and problems that you’d expect with such a diverse population, but the United States would not be what it is without it. Individual ills are a small price to pay for the infusion of energy that comes each generation with new immigrants seeking a better life. It’s that hunger, that ambition, that pursuit of happiness that keeps us moving, changing, and evolving.

That’s what brought us the incandescent light bulb, the telephone, the Internet, and toilet paper. Yes, toilet paper.

This diversity is also why I can enjoy bachata music, while eating pierogies and watching a subtitled Thai action flick with my buddy from Sudan.

Thank you, Lady Liberty.

Grand Central

Radio City Music Hall

There is so much to see and even though we’re here for a week, it just doesn’t seem like enough. We won’t even get a chance to catch a Yankee game or a Broadway show (I know, I know, for shame).

Look at those views. You know, the Empire State Building was a lot cooler than I thought it would be. I figured it was just another skyscraper. Not so. It still has that art deco charm about it, even with those crazy lines waiting for the elevator.