On an average day, 10,000 visitors tour the Statue of Liberty. If the vendors lining the sidewalk along nearby Battery Place and State Street are lucky, a slice of those tourists leave with a souvenir to remember their visit: a green foam Statue of Liberty crown, a pair of sunglasses or an “I Heart NY” T-shirt.
But since Oct. 1, when the federal government shutdown closed all national parks, including the Statue of Liberty, vendors in the area said they are seeing fewer sales. And in New York City, where many of non-food vendors are disabled veterans, the financial hit could be coming from two sides.
