Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and the number of stops you make to behold the spectacular views
(there are benches along the way). The footpath will deposit you
right at City Hall Park.
Tasty tips:
The perfect complement to your stroll over the bridge
is a stop for pizza at
Grimaldi's
(see “Pizza, New York-Style,” on
p. 94), followed by homemade ice cream at the
Brooklyn Ice Cream
Factory
(
&
718/246-3963
), located at the Fulton Ferry Fire Boat
House on the river and in the shadow of the bridge. The pizza and
ice cream will fortify you for your stroll into Manhattan.
Subway: A, C to High St.; 4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall.
Ellis Island
One of New York's most moving sights, the
restored Ellis Island opened in 1990, slightly north of Liberty Island.
Roughly 40% of Americans (myself included) can trace their heritage
back to an ancestor who came through here. For the 62 years when it
was America's main entry point for immigrants (1892-1954), Ellis
Island processed some 12 million people. The greeting was often
brusque—especially in the early years of the century (until 1924),
when as many as 12,000 came through in a single day. The statistics
can be overwhelming, but the
Immigration Museum
skillfully
relates the story of Ellis Island and immigration in America by plac-
ing the emphasis on personal experience.
It's difficult to leave the museum unmoved. Today you enter the
Main Building's baggage room, just as the immigrants did, and then
climb the stairs to the
Registry Room,
with its dramatic vaulted
tiled ceiling, where millions waited anxiously for medical and legal
processing. A step-by-step account of the immigrants' voyage is
detailed in the exhibit, with haunting photos and touching oral his-
tories. What might be the most poignant exhibit is
Treasures from
Home,
1,000 objects and photos donated by descendants of immi-
grants, including family heirlooms, religious articles, and rare cloth-
ing and jewelry. Outside, the
American Immigrant Wall of Honor
commemorates the names of more than 500,000 immigrants and
their families. You can even research your own family's history at the
interactive
American Family Immigration History Center.
Yo u
might also make time to see the award-winning short film
Island of
Hope, Island of Tears,
which plays on a continuous loop in two thea-
ters. Short live theatrical performances depicting the immigrant
experience are also often part of the day's events.
Touring tip:
Ferries run daily to Ellis Island and Liberty Island
from Battery Park and Liberty State Park at frequent intervals; see
the Statue of Liberty listing (p. 131) for details.
