Remembering New York City Before and After 9/11/01

I remember September 11, 2001 being a beautiful morning, with an absolutely blue sky and no clouds.

Then the following events took place (I don't have the site citation from which I gathered this):

• At 8:50 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 with 81 passengers, nine flight attendants and two pilots aboard, headed from Boston to Los Angeles crashed into One World Trade Center, the northernmost of the twin towers.
• At 9:00 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767 headed from Boston to Los Angeles with 56 passengers, seven flight attendants and two pilots crashed into Two World Trade Center, the southernmost of the twin towers.
• At 9:25 a.m. The New York Stock Exchange, Mercantile Exchange and financial district were evacuated, and trading was suspended.
• At 9:38 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 carrying 58 passengers, four flight attendants and two pilots from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, crashed into the west side of the Pentagon, where about 20,000 people work, including most of the nation's highest-ranking military officials.
• One hour after the first crash the Federal Aviation Administration grounds all flights nationwide.
• At 10:09 a.m. Two World Trade Center collapses.
• At 10:16 a.m. A portion of the Pentagon collapses.
• At 10:20 a.m. All federal buildings nationwide were ordered evacuated and shortly thereafter most inbound international inbound flights were rerouted.
• At 10:30 a.m. One World Trade Center collapses.
• At 10:30 a.m. Gov. George Pataki declared a state of emergency in New York state and asked the president to declare New York City a federal disaster area.
• At 10:35 a.m. Washington and New York City area airports closed completely.
• At 10:42 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 with 45 people aboard headed from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco, crashed in Somerset County, Pa.
• At 10:44 a.m. The New York mayoral primary was canceled and shortly thereafter all museums and monuments in Washington, D.C., were closed.

Two hours passed, four acts of terrorism and tragedy, one nation and its people changed forever.

At that time and for a few months afterward, I thought about what happened and wrote about it - ten essays total. I didn't do anything with the writing except to read it and save it for my daughters so they can better understand it when they are older. Now in remembrance of that day, I'd like to condense one essay titled "Back in New York City". It describes what New York was like in the months immediately following the attacks compared to what it had been like beforehand.

I had wondered how I would feel when I approached the Lincoln Tunnel from the New Jersey Turnpike for the first time and did not see the World Trade Center rising above the cityscape like pillars marking the entrance to the greatest city in the world. It was that view, the majesty of those mighty columns meeting the water at their base and extending to the clouds at their highest point that excited my mind with anticipation and possibility each time I visited the city.

In our car at that moment, three months and three days after the attacks, my heart became heavy all over again as it was flooded by emotions: sorrow, compassion, empathy and then pride, gratitude and awe.

Approaching the area of the Lincoln Tunnel the police presence increased dramatically. This was one of the main entryways into the city, and it was also in the area of the Port Authority through which all manner of vehicles and persons passed each day. Officers and U.S. Army Reservists were working together opening the back of panel trucks and vehicles that were without windows before entering the tunnel. It reminded me of a border crossing where vehicles were checked both for reason and at random.

Entering the tunnel I could see reservists in camouflage holding their government issued guns and watching the endless stream of cars coming through the toll plaza and into the city. It was strange, in this country, to see our own military, armed and patrolling the very streets we drive for business and pleasure. It was a clear indication that things will never again be the same as they were a scant three and a half months ago.

Through the tunnel and into the city we began to make our way across mid-town. At a stop light a police officer signaled to me with one hand to stop. In a moment there were three other officers in the intersection holding both hands palms out toward the vehicles in each direction to stop all traffic.A short siren blast came from behind and I could see the red of a fire engine snaking its way through the six lanes of city traffic. Driving through the intersection, I saw the yellow NYFD, the sticker of the American Flag and the look on the young fireman’s face who sat in the back cab looking out for a glimpse of their destination.

That spot turned out to be a few hundred yards from where our car sat. The truck continued to work its way through the traffic and was followed by two more. The second truck had a full size American flag flying from the backside. All of the men whose faces we could see looked very young, but determined.

Turning to my wife I uttered, “that’s some sight isn’t it?”

Watching those firemen unload from their truck and rush into that building gave me a deeper sense of the attacks than I had previously understood. While a lesser people would have continued to dwell on the loss, these New Yorkers were more vigilant and determined than ever.

In all five fire trucks, were joined by ambulances, state and city police cruisers and NYPD tow trucks. I don’t know if this was normal for a fire call in the city, or not, but the impact of the scene was immediate in light of their loss on September 11.

We had come to New York on this occasion for an annual business event I had planned. This year’s event presented unusual challenges. There was great concern regarding the perception of celebrating in the city while so many had so recently suffered. Incorporated into the theme was the idea to “Support Bravery and Celebrate Life”. To do this we donated a portion of each ticket to the New York Times 9/11 Neediest Fund and we held a toy drive for the United Way of New York City (the toy donation has continued to this day with thousands being given to needy children).

Despite the challenges (many people were afraid to travel and some companies had banned all but essential travel) we were able to draw 1,230 people for the event. It was a magical night in New York City. Having walked through the city on Saturday, the day after the event was held, I am even more proud that we didn't cancel.

Planning this event, I became more aware of the severe difficulties that the tourism industry in New York faced. Hotel rates were slashed and multi-night stays at exclusive hotels, which were normally mandated in December, were lifted. A lack of tourists impacted the hotels, restaurants, shows, shops, touring companies, museums, and seemingly all business to some extent.

As my wife and I walked from St. Peter’s, to Rockefeller Plaza and down to 34th Street to visit Macy’s, the number of people on the streets was more similar to what I would have expected late at night, not late morning with a clear sky and sunshine in mid-December.

During the same weekend the year before, there were throngs of people everywhere and it was slightly colder with intermittent rain. At Rockefeller Plaza’s skating rink, we were struck by the children in Santa hats being screened with a hand held metal detector before getting to the ice. We were more surprised by our ability to walk right over to the rail and look down below. Last year we could barely walk on the sidewalk that adjoined to the Plaza that overlooked the rink. There were literally hundreds of people less in this little area that is as much a tourist magnet as any other site in mid-town.

This pattern continued. Across the street we could see the window displays, where the people had overflowed the walks and nearly poured into the street last year. In a sense, it was as if we were being given a private tour of the city on a Saturday during the holiday season. There were people, but not in the numbers there should have been. At Macy’s we posed for pictures in front of the window displays with ease. The only place that we saw all day with a long line was to enter the Empire State Building and go to the observation deck. There the line wrapped around the building and was several people wide.

We did not go downtown to ground zero. It was not out of indifference. It just didn’t feel right, yet.

As we left New York City on that day traveling on the ramps high above the tunnel entrance, I could see the cityscape in my rearview mirror. Where the twin towers once stood near the water and occasionally touched the clouds there was an empty space. The mighty city has been shaken, its people and those throughout the United States have been humbled and though maybe now we are less innocent, we are also more aware and experienced. Our perspective has been restored, our petty differences put aside and our resolve strengthened. A last glance in the mirror reveals the Empire State Building. In the distance the building appears as it did when it was first erected during the Depression in 1931, alone, vigilant towering over the whole of the City.

The nation as a whole, but New Yorkers in particular were humbled by these attacks. Not in a humiliating or derogatory way, but from the standpoint of being overwhelmed by the enormity of events. While thousands of people were in peril, thousands more rushed to their assistance in an effort that could not have been orchestrated. New Yorkers learned that despite everything that the city has to offer and that they are able to accomplish, there are those times when the biggest of the big cities needs the support of all of the small towns across this great land.

The most noticeable change to New York City was the heightened security and lack of tourists. From the police presence to state troopers and national guardsmen, there was a feeling that the city was taking all possible measures to protect the people. I noticed similar diligence at many buildings whose private security was increased as well. Again, it is not just government, but the private sector who has assisted in many unreported ways.



My second trip to the city found me returning to mid-town and privileged to be located high atop the Met-Life building adjoined to Grand Central Station in the middle of Park Avenue. When I entered the room where we were eating I looked out floor to ceiling windows facing south capturing the Empire State Building just to the right of downtown Manhattan. The sight was breathtaking and one I will never forget.

As I gazed south down Park Avenue, the absence of the Twin Towers gave me pause, but the radiance of the rising sun gave me hope. Taken together I knew to be personally thankful for all that I have in my life and vigilant to ensure a better tomorrow for my children.

Five years later I continue to temper hope with vigilance. I was fortunate not to have endured personal loss of friends, family, and colleagues on that day. As we remember the loss of life in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, we too can celebrate the American spirit that demonstrated such bravery and dedication in helping others on that day and those that followed.