Visit to Ground Zero on 02/02/02


an excerpt from Drunell's photo diary

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All photos © 2002 Drunell Levinson. All rights reserved.
I was curious about the clean-up progress in Lower Manhattan, so I took a trip to the area. The closest subway for me is the Lexington Avenue 4 and 5. This is a picture of the John Street stop where I get off. The streets in the area are rather narrow, but the police barricades make it more difficult to maneuver. Some streets are completely blocked off.

The Century 21 store is located on the left side of the street, right beyond the scaffold. The store has been closed since the September 11th tragedies and just re-opened on Thursday February 28, 2002. This symbolizes progress.

The open area at the end of the street is where World Trade Center One and Two once stood.


click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW

click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW
A viewing platform for the World Trade Center has been built to accommodate the large numbers of people who visit the area to see the disaster site. To gain access to the platform, a ticket is required. The tickets are available only at South Street Seaport, seen here on the left.
South Street Seaport is located approximately 8 blocks East of the former World Trade Center site. The ticket booth is situated at the Seaport to help create more pedestrian traffic in Lower Manhattan. Merchants in the area are hurting economically since September 11th because of a decrease in pedestrians. Viewing times are assigned to each ticket, and there is often a two hour waiting period. During this time visitors can shop in the area.
click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW

click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW
To reach the viewing platform, pedestrians must walk West again. The viewing area is surrounded by police barricades, and policemen and guards stand ready to collect the tickets. While waiting to gain entry to the platform, you can observe a collection of posters and t-shirts in memory of the September 11 events. People from all over the world have written personal messages and prayers, and have sent them to New Yorkers.
The viewing platform is "U" Shaped. After the ticket is collected, you can begin the journey up the plywood ramp.
click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW
On the left is a very large American flag that contains thousands of messages written by visitors.

On the right is an American Flag sent to New York from Salem, Oregon. It contains many messages of sympathy and political sentiment.


click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW

click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW

click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW
I will now try to give you a 270-degree view of the viewing platform area and its surroundings. Behind the fence where the Salem, Oregon flag hangs is St. Paul's Chapel, which was built in 1766 and is part of the Parish of Trinity Church. Although the Chapel is located right across the Street from the former World Trade Centers, miraculously no damage was sustained. St. Paul's, where George Washington once worshipped while President, is a twenty-four hour relief center for the World Trade Center rescue workers.
Looking left of the church from the viewing platform you can see that Church Street is now open to traffic.
click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW

click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW
This is a front row view of where the World Trade Center once stood, from the top of the viewing platform. There isn't really much to see because the viewing platform is not high enough to closely observe the clean-up crew and machinery . Still, there is something comforting about being on the platform and at the site.

click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW

click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW

click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW
Taking a closer look.              
This is as close a view as I can get from the platform.
This is as close an image as I can get with my camera.              
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click for large image in a SEPARATE WINDOW
As you can see, I am not the only person who is curious. There is a line of people waiting to get a front row view, so I move away and give them an opportunity.
As I exit the opposite side of the "U" shaped platform, I stop for a moment to observe this sculpture, "Lunchtime on Top of a Skyscraper" by Sergio Furnari, and to reflect on the September 11, 2001 tragedies.
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