Seeing Ground Zero
New York City: Insider Tips
Since the horrifying events of Sept. 11, 2001, millions of New Yorkers and visitors alike have passed by the site in Lower Manhattan where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood. Reconstruction at the site, including a proper memorial to the victims of the attack, will take years to complete, but in the interim, a viewing wall along the Church Street and Liberty Street sides of the property serves as a temporary memorial. There's really not much to see in the gaping hole left after the rubble was cleared, but the wall displays the names of everyone who died that day, along with historical photos of the neighborhood and the towers.
To the dismay of many New Yorkers, some visitors have treated the site as a mere tourist attraction, mugging for snapshots next to the viewing wall and buying tasteless souvenirs from opportunistic street vendors. If you do choose to visit Ground Zero, do so in a spirit of reverence and respect for the families and friends of those who died.
While you're in the area, you might also wish to stop by St. Paul's Chapel (www.saintpaulschapel.org), a pre-Revolutionary Episcopal church that harbored volunteer relief efforts in the wake of the 9/11 disaster. An exhibit at the church, which stands adjacent to the World Trade Center site, chronicles the difficult months that followed the collapse of the towers.
Other exhibits related to the 9/11 attacks may be seen at the Skyscraper Museum in Battery Park (www.skyscraper.org) and at the New York City Police Museum near the South Street Seaport (www.nycpolicemuseum.org).
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