It's an even more notable July 4th this year on Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is open for the first time since Hurricane Sandy pummeled the Mid-Atlantic region last fall.
As Eyder reported in March, the National Park Service had a lot of work to do on the island after Sandy. While the statue wasn't damaged, "docks, the energy infrastructure on Ellis Island and ... the security screening system" were crippled.
Thursday, the first ferry to the island left Manhattan at 8:30 a.m. ET. As you would expect, tickets and reservations are said to be sold out for today. If you're hoping to visit in coming days or weeks, the Park Service has all the details about how to do that posted here.
You don't have to be in New York City, though, to get a live view of Lady Liberty on the 4th. There's a trio of webcams here -- including one that gives a nice wide view from across the harbor.
Also, National Geographic has posted "Rare Views of Statue of Liberty in Time for Reopening," and our colleagues at WNYC have reposted their 2011 video report on the statue's 125th anniversary.
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