Today, 09/11/03, it is two years since the world has changed for so many people due to acts of terrorism aimed at destroying the American way of life and all the freedoms we love.

REMEMBERING The TWIN TOWERS

Tonight I watched a show on public TV telling the story of the building of the Worlds Trade Center, its slow and even torturous beginnings trying to get office space rented, and how, in time, it became a NY icon. The television piece showed Philippe Pitit doing his illegal, yet, inspiring walk between the two towers. It told how the Windows of the World Restaurant became an overnight success taking #1 ratings as the best there was for many consecutive years. I learned how the opening of the observation decks brought instant celebrity to the buildings drawing tourist from around the world.

PERSONAL MEMORIES

At first I, personally, didn't care for the structures. As the years went on I found much of what the buildings offered. My wife and I spent many days in and around the Twin Sky Scrapers.

We would go to the TKTS booth that was set up in the lobby of one of the towers. We would purchase tickets for an evening Broadway show at half price and then go up to the restaurant for lunch. Afterward we would go down to the plaza where there was a fountain and a huge sculpture of a gold sphere that was representative of world peace. We enjoyed free live music shows in this open air venue.

SEARCH, RESCUE, and RECOVERY

Then September 11th, 2001 changed everything. The following days, weeks and months were spent in search, first for survivors, sadly there were so few, and then for the recovery of any remains. It was done with great respect and I praise all of those who worked so hard in that difficult task.

MAKESHIFT MEMORIALS

One week after the attack, I, along with my wife and daughter we went into the city from Long Island. I was drawn in and had to see the carnage with my own eyes. What we witnessed was heartbreaking.

In the first days and weeks there was still hope for finding victims. All across Manhattan people started putting up signs and pictures pleading for help in looking for and finding their loved ones. People were putting pictures and candles at every firehouse and police station in the city. Every one of them became memorials.

We went down to 14th street to Union Square Park. This, for the first few days, was the closest one could get to the ground zero site. This park became one huge memorial park. The candles, flowers, pictures, notes, stuffed animals and such were on every post, fence, and bench. We happened up to Central Park later in the day and the same candles, flowers and tributes for the lost people were placed in Strawberry Fields where John Lennon is remembered. Manhattan had memorials on most city blocks. The tears for the lost and outpouring of love was unbelievable.

TRIBUTE in LIGHTS

Almost immediately after the tragedy people, some were artists, needed to show their feelings and honor all the good people, our heroes, and our towers in other ways too. They also wanted to show the spirit of New York.

On March 11th, the six month anniversary two great beams of light plowed into the night sky. I did get to see them. It was inspiring. These lights remained on for about a month. They were majestic looking.

BATTERY PARK MEMORIAL

At the same time is was felt that some kind of temporary memorial was needed in lower Manhattan until a proper one was dedicated at ground zero. People were flocking and still do to ground zero. The same tributes and memorials were at the viewing areas of the site in the first months. I'm sure many of you saw some of these memorials. There were huge murals and flags with messages on them.

The area is now a construction site and though it was still a recovery site at the time it was known that something had to be set up somewhere.

The choice was Battery Park. This is on the very south end of Manhattan. About a ten minute walk from ground zero. It is the home of Castle Clinton where you get tickets for the boat trips to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

When the debris of the World Trade Center was being cleared, they found in the plaza area, the sphere dedicated to World Peace I talked about earlier. It was bent, battered, and scratched, but it was whole. After talking with the German sculptor Fritz Koeneg, it was decided that this icon to World Peace would be the center point of the temporary memorial. Today it still stands in Battery Park with an eternal flame flicking light and shadows upon it in the dark of the evening.

Many people come down there to pay their respects. Many also take pictures. I suggest taking pictures facing uptown yet slightly crosstown to where the towers once stood. In the next five or six years you can take the picture again, only the next time you will see the new World Trade Center Buildings in the picture behind the sphere.

EIGHT MONTHS AFTER, END OF RECOVERY

The recovery effort and the clearing of the debris was finished just two months after the half year anniversary. It was decided to have an end of recovery memorial.

My wife, an art teacher, decided to plan, as a project, a quilt honoring the 9/11 victims and heroes. Each student had to draw something honoring the lost. That was then made into a pattern and eventually all the pieces were put together to make the quilt.

I accompanied my wife and her students on the day of the Recovery Memorial to the ground zero area. The memorial was totally silent except for beating drums and drone of bagpipes. There were no speeches or words said. All the steel workers, laborers, and engineers walked out. The police, fire, EMTs and others silently marched out too. Near the end when the families went up the ramp an empty stretcher was carried out of ground zero up that long ramp you have all seen in the middle of the open pit. Finally a huge flatbed truck with the last piece of steel from the site, draped in black, made its way up the ramp. It was all so sad.

As the relatives of victims walked past my wife and her students they stopped to look at the quilt and many thanked the kids for their thoughts and work in the project.

THE FINAL TRIBUTE, A MEMORIAL PARK

Much work has been going on at ground zero. Most of it was to shore up the retaining wall and rebuild train and transport systems that will be in the underground of the new buildings.

After an initial six presentations every one was sent back to try again. As of now there is a winning design but more finishing touches are being put on it.

Part of the plans include a spire that will be taller than the Twin Towers were. In fact it will be the worlds tallest man made building. It will be 1,776 feet high. The 1776 remembering the year the USA claimed their freedom.

The South West part of the land that contains the foot print of the towers will be treated as hallowed grounds in that no building structures will be upon them. This will be a memorial park that will be 30 feet below the street level. Final plans are still be debated and planned. The retaining or "slurry" wall will be kept exposed. This part of the Trade Center holds back the Hudson River from flooding the area. It withstood the devastation and will be a sign of strength and the foundation of our democracy.

Also planned will be the "Wedge of Light". This will be a beam of natural sunlight that will shed light on the memorial square every 9/11 starting precisely the minute when the first plane hit and continuing until the second tower went down.

Also in the plans for now is a waterfall that may be the tallest man made falls ever built. This will have a natural look and will also help drown out street noises.

Further plans will be coming out later this month. It is expected to take five or six years for the New World Trade Center and the Memorial to be completed.

ST PAUL'S CHAPEL, A LIVING MEMORIAL

Just across the street from ground zero and next to the Millenium Hilton Hotel is St Pauls Chapel. The hotel had much damage and just reopened a few months ago.

Miraculously the chapel, that has been around over two hundred years sustained no major damage. It did, in fact, open its doors after a few days for those who were working ast ground zero. They ministered to the rescue and recovery workers for months. This chapel is now open as a memorial to the love and hard work all these good people did at the ground zero site.

Remember all the good people who were lost 9/11.

New and updated!!

A Visitors Guide to Ground Zero, the 9/11 Memorials, the Freedom Tower and more.
 
National September 11 Memorial with Reflecting Pools
9/11 Preview Site...Where you may get day-of passes for the National September Memorial with the Reflecting Pools
St Paul's Chapel and it's Place and Mission After 9/11
Tribute 9/11 Memorial Visitors Center: A Place a Tour that brings those who experienced 9/11 with those who want to know and better understand
FDNY Ten House
FDNY 9/11 Memorial Wall
11 Tears; American Express 9/11 Memorial
The Sphere: The First 9/11 Memorial
The Winter Garden, a must stop near Ground Zero
Zuccotti Park. From tranquil to "Occupy Wall Street!" Avoid it for now.
Robert F Wagner Park along the Hudson With the best views of the Statue of Liberty.
Millenium Hilton Across From the 9/11 Memorial Reflecting-Pools and #1 World Trade Center with an unbelievable birds eye view of all!!
Church and Dey: A Restaurant with a View of Ground Zero

Much More site Seeing in NYC by popsrocks

The Little Chapel That Stood: Helping Children Understand and "Never Forget" 9/11
 

Something is Missing : An Emotional Visit To Ground Zero One week Later


Lower Manhattan Destinations by popsrocks

The New WORLD TRADE CENTER Construction has begun on the Freedom Tower
Chinatown
Ellis Island
The Lower Manhattan Tenement Museum See how immigrants lived when they first arrived
Castle Clinton National Memorial
Battery Park Home of the temporary 9/11 memorial.
SOUTH STREET SEAPORT
NY WATERWAY Tour NYC by boat.
Federal Hall National Historic SiteDowntown across from Wall Street, our first Capitol Building was there.
Jewish Heritage Museum
St Paul's ChapelA living Memorial to 9/11
Greenwich VillageIt's Hip and Happening
Millenium Hilton., directly across from ground zero. They have reopened!A great location to all that is downtown
Fraunce's Tavern George Washington ate here. You can too! Downtown NYC

Robert F Wagner Park

NYC reviews

New York City The Greatest City in the World
The Empire State Building
Radio City Music Hall A Spectacular place to see a show!
The INTREPID Sea-Air-Space MUSEUM It's a good one!
Museum of Natural History
Times Square, the Heart of NY
Times Square Visitors Center
ESPN ZONEa Times Square Sports Restaurant
TKTS half price tickets to Broadway
Aida, the Broadway Play Great show at half price
Central Park
Stardust DinerA great place for before a show in Times Square. Aspiring actors are here.
Sylvia's, a southern soul restaurant in Harlem
Something is Missing A Tribute to the good people and the twin towers that were lost on 9/11 9/11 Tribute

Philippe Petit's Walk across the TWIN TOWERS

Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Students
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime