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Out
& About . What
Surrounds Us: The World Trade Center
For those of you who've visited DownStreet's Out & About before, you know that we usually run a photo-journal of things right here in our own backyard. But after the attacks on September 11th, we went down to New York City. And, with not a little uneasiness, we felt a little like voyeurs. But we had to see for ourselves the devastation we'd seen on TV and in print elsewhere. ... For those who've never seen the World
Trade Center in person, the photos won't mean much in terms of before and after.
But even if you've never seen anything but pictures before, the devastation is
evident. ... When I worked in an ER down in New Jersey more than 25
years ago, I had a small 3rd floor apartment in an old home in East
Orange. Each morning, when I went to the bathroom to shave, I looked out
the small window at the WTC, which was all I could see of the New York
skyline. The buildings were still being worked on back then. But the
towers were up and capped. And so, every morning, for a year, they were
the first thing I saw of the outside world. ... I'd also been to the
City plenty of times, and saw them up close, too. The plaza alone covered
some 5 acres, with the fountain in the middle. But whether up close or
from a distance, it was a spectacular sight. It was a Saturday afternoon when we walked down Broadway from Union Square. By the time we got to Canal Street, still thirteen blocks away, we could see the gray dust on the sidewalks and cars. And by the time we got to Thomas, within eight blocks, our eyes began to tear and our throats began to burn a little. ... And when we finally got down to Vesey Street, we could see why. There was still an awful lot of smoke billowing up out of the debris. Some of the NYPD who were guarding the cordoned-off Red Zone were wearing respirators. A local NYPD patrolman we spoke with told us that it wasn't just smoke, either. There were still fires beneath the rubble, and every once in a while, when a crane pulled a section of the debris up, the air rushed in and flames leapt out. He also said that one of the buildings across the street, some three blocks from the Twin Towers, had shifted almost a half-foot on their foundations. ... And there were people, hundreds, maybe more, slowly making their way down Broadway, the edge of the red Zone, and back. There were street vendors, too, selling hats, selling photos, souvenirs, all along the way. And street altars. People plastered every inch of available space with signs expressing support, with flowers, or candles, or flags. {The firehouses we passed on the way down were similarly decorated.} Here's some of what we saw. ... We've tried to identify the various buildings and scenes as best we could. If you're not familiar with the area, you can click on either of the following maps.
. ******* ******* If you would like to submit photos to DownStreet for our Out & About section, or if you know anyone whose photos you'd like to see here, please let us know. We'd be happy to take a look. If your photo is accepted for publication, we'll pay you a small honorarium for the privilege. ******* ******* If you would like to submit something for our Out & About section, don't hesitate to let us know. Simply e-mail us at outabout@downstreetmagazine.com. The e-mail should contain your name, address, and a phone number where we can reach you. You may also send a copy of your proposed article. The text can either be included in the body of the e-mail, or you can send it as an attachment in just about any word processing format. If your piece is accepted, we will pay a small honorarium for your interest & your time. [See Freelancers Wanted for more details.] ******* ******* If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* |
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