Madison Square Park

This guide to Madison Square Park in New York City opens with an odd fact: for six years starting in 1876, the right arm of the Statue of Liberty stood here alone, torch and all, while sculptor Bartholdi tried to shame the city into funding a pedestal for the rest of her. It follows the New York Times' mocking coverage of the stunt and the slow, reluctant trickle of donations that followed. Best heard standing near the park's center, imagining a giant golden forearm rising over the treetops.