Friday: Two New York City Icons

Friday started with the sad pilgrimage which essentially defines Manhattan for my generation - a visit to the former World Trade Center site.  Before the visit, I knew that parts of the memorial were still under construction - but I didn't realise how under construction they were.  For example, the Deutsche Bank Building, which stood across the road from the former WTC, was severely damaged when the twin towers came down - see the Wikipedia picture below.

Despite the huge damage, demolition incredibly was only completed in 2011 - yes, that's right, it took the best part of 10 years just to get rid of it.  In that time, the site was still horrendously contaminated, and another two firefighters were killed when the ruin caught fire as late as 2007.  As of today, that site is still a gaping whole in the ground.  Another example is the passageway that used to link the WTC to the World Finanancial Center across the road - the passageway mostly survived the attacks, but it's still hanging there, unused, and with mangled steel and concrete still hanging out on the WTC side.  The memorial itself, then, is a little bit like the oasis in the middle of a construction site.  Security is still extremely tight (essentially airport-style) to enter the Memorial Plaza itself.  But the memorial itself is beautiful, a very fitting tribute.  The names of all the deceased were placed using computer software designed to create 'meaningful adjacencies' - that is, people's names were placed with others in a way that made sense - they might have shared an office, been on the plane together, or come from the same fire brigade.  The South void is closest to the entrance, and therefore has more crowds, but apart from that, they are indistinguishable.  Both are in the exact footprints of the two towers, and cover an acre each.  This is the South void:

And this is the North:

The voids are designed in such a way that you can stick your hand in under the edge and touch the water before it flows down the first waterfall, and then down into the centre of the void, out of sight.  I went on a tour run by some of the 9/11 families, and each tour guide has a particular personal connection to 9/11.  Our lead tour guide was a off-duty firefighter, who came in from Brooklyn on the day, and worked for months afterwards on the cleanup.  Many of her friends and colleagues died.  The other had a stepson who worked on the 104th floor of the North tower; his name is on the memorial.  Needless to say, I think we all needed the tissues and a good hug afterwards.

Of course, things are slowly coming back, albeit much slower than I had expected.  It's hard to understand how deeply affected NYC must have been by September 11, and then the GFC, until you're actually there.  There's only one completed building on the site; WTC 7, which is this extremely reflective one, not far from where the original WTC 7 stood.

It's about half the height of the original twin towers.  And right next door is the new highlight of the Manhattan skyline, which I think is an incredibly beautiful building, WTC 1, or Freedom Tower as it is colloquially known.  It still isn't finished, but has reached maximum height and looks like it can't be too far away from completion.

The other buildings on the site are at various stages; some have been delayed by the GFC and difficulty finding tenants.  Others, like the new transport hub, to replace the network that used to run under the Twin Towers, are really just bare bones at the moment, and don't seem to have got very far at all.

Having just discussed additions to the Manhattan skyline, I can segue nicely into my next topic of conversation, which is that other New York icon, the Statue of Liberty.  I caught the ferry across from Battery Park to Liberty Island, and the ride gives some of the best views of downtown.

The new WTC 1 obviously stands out a mile, and for my money is the most beautiful thing Manhattan has going for it.  And then of course there's the Statue of Liberty herself, out in the harbour.  Alas, she too has become quite commercialised over the centuries, and there are hordes of rubberneckers who gather to look up at her (just as well she's not wearing a short skirt).  Here are a couple of photos, including a particular handsome specimen of those aforementioned rubberneckers.

The island is actually reasonably large; there are two ferry landing sites (one for Manhattan, the other for New Jersey), good open space with shady trees, a large cafeteria, souvenir shop, restrooms, and offices for the Parks & Recreation Department.  And here I was thinking Lady Liberty was standing all on her own, a beacon of freedom out in the ocean on a tiny little plinth, copping the brunt of Hurricane Sandy like a trooper.  Not so much.  She'll always have all her adoring fans to keep her company :)