More Street Art--Lady Liberty Again

Wherever we travel in New York, a surprise awaits.  Not too long ago, we were were walking along East 104th Street near Park Avenue, headed to a museum.  We saw the mural photographed below.  Lady Liberty seems to be keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding neighborhood. 

The neighborhood, like many neighborhoods in Manhattan has been improving over time. In the 70's and 80's, it was a very dangerous place to live.  Our cousin told us about visiting the area in the early 80's and what he saw caused him to keep his visit brief.  We also met a long-time neighborhood resident who described a depressed neighborhood three decades ago, with no local businesses to speak of and with rampant violent crime.  Today, the neighborhood is on an upward swing, with safer streets and plenty of businesses.  The upward swing is a mixed blessing for residents.  One problem is rising rents in an area where a studio apartment in a five story walk up already costs over $1,000 per month.  Another problem will be the northward creep of the Upper East Side and the overall gentrification of Harlem, as developers of high priced condos and apartment buildings move into the area, forcing out the current residents.

Madison and 104th Street, NYC, "Freedom and Emancipation of the Natural World", by Mexican muralist Sego

In the meantime, Lady Liberty keeps a watchful eye on the neighborhood.

“Give me your tired, your poor, 
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: 
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

                                                                    --Emma Lazarus, as quoted on the Statue of Liberty