Representative Anthony D. Weiner long advocated re-opening the Statue of Liberty's crown, which has been closed since the 9/11 attacks. Partly due to terrorism fears, the National Parks Service also noted the narrow staircase "violates every fire code in the city of New York and the state of New York and the state of New Jersey." However, Weiner blamed the park service for "a failure of creativity" by not solving the issues through renovation and......

Plans to renovate Pier A, the last remaining pier on the lower west side, are staggering forward again. The Victorian-era three-story pier was built immediately after the Brooklyn Bridge, using much of the same equipment, and was once one of the city’s proudest points of entry, boasting visits from boldface names like Amelia Earhart and the Queen of England. Today it’s a dilapidated eyesore that clashes with the rest of the lavishly rehabilitated west......

Mayor Bloomberg visited the Shanksville, Pennsylvania site where Flight 93 crashed on September 11, 2001. The Mayor has headed the National September 11 Memorial & Museum foundation (formerly the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation) ever since last October, and had been traveling across the country to raise money for the memorial. And his effect on the foundation has been noticeable: The memorial is close to its $350 million goal, with $325 million raised so......

Yesterday we took a National Park Service tour of Governors Island. The tour was just of the sites controlled by the Parks Service known as the Governors Island National Historic District and not of the whole island which is under the control of various local, state and federal agencies, so all the good stuff on the southern end of the island like the abandoned PX, bowling alley and Burger King weren’t on the tour.......

Earlier this year the National Park Service ended Circle Line's contract to run their ferry service between lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (Hornblower will take over in October). Below you can check out some old footage of what their 3-hour boat tour had in store back in the day (with old-timey commercials played over the footage). Circle Line was introduced to New York on June 15th, 1945 when Frank Barry,......

After reviewing a number of bids, the National Park Service ended Circle Line's contract to provide ferry service between lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The new ferry service provider will be Hornblower Yachts of California, which offers service between San Francisco and Alcatraz. Hornblower: Taking you to Liberty and lock-up. The 10-year contract, worth $350 million, must be approved by Congress and one requirement is that Hornblower buy Circle......

For the second time in a year a patch of radioactive land has been found in the Great Kills Gateway National Recreation Area on Staten Island. The contaminated area is in a wetland area that was made accessible after a wildfire last week. The radiation levels are extremely low and pose no health risk according to National Park Service spokesman Brian Feeney. An expert from the US Department of Energy said the radiation was......

Sometimes we think deputy mayor Dan Doctoroff is a little nuts. Take for instance his newest brain-child: The New York Harbor District. Whereas most official districts in the city are defined by geographic proximity and commercial interests the Harbor district, which recently formed an advisory board and is seeking a director and consultants to help define it, will include Governors Island, the Statue of LIberty, Ellis Island, parts of the Brooklyn waterfront and Battery......

- Pride in the City organizers and the National Park Service have come to an agreement about this weekend's event in Jacob Riis Park: A concert will be allowed, but not near the beach; attendance must not exceed 1,500 - There are still power outages around the city - The Daily News' movie critic Jack Matthews give World Trade Center 3.5 stars, but non-movie critic Cindy Adams (of the NY Post) hates it -......

The House of Representatives voted to reopen the Statue of Liberty's crown, which had been closed due to security concerns. (Today visitors can go to the pedestal, but that's it.) Congressman Anthony Weiner spoke before the House, "We figured out a way to open the Capitol. We figured out a way to open the Washington Monument. We figured out a way to open Hoover Dam." Good point, but he also said, "We need to break......

If the hot, sticky weather of late has you yearning for one last hurrah before the reality of this post-vacation season sets in, head over to the Center for Architecture tonight for A-Frame Mania: The Rise of a Postwar Vacation Home Style. Chad Randl, architectural historian working for the National Park Service, discusses the historical and cultural significance of this distinctive, woodsy, modernist icon (that generally takes a back seat to the stainless steel sex......

Gothamist learned too late about Governors Island, a photography exhibit at the Municipal Art Society gallery, closing this Thursday, July 8. New York-based photographers Liza Kereszi and Andrew Moore documented a vast array of the island's indoor and outdoor spaces, from military structures to a Burger King to a bowling alley (pictured). If you can't make the exhibit, a slideshow of the majority of the 29 color photographs are on view online. Better yet, why......