On September 26th, I went to visit the newly opened Septemeber 11th Memorial at the World Trade Center.
Recently I wrote about my personal experience that morning, living 5 blocks away as a sophomore at NYU.
In order to enter the memorial you need to have a reservation. These can be made for free online, however from what I hear they are currently booked several months in advance.
To enter you have to go through an “airport security” type pat-down.
Then, after walking around a giant section still under construction, you enter the landscaped yard where the two memorial pools are located.
Walking up to the first memorial pool is absolutely breath-taking. In my stomach I felt that same feeling as when I walked to the edge of the grand canyon for the first time – totally overwhelmed by it’s immensity. I had seen a few pics on TV, but seeing it in person is a completely different, and moving, experience.
The pools are in the exact footprints of the towers, and for me they feel like perfect symbols of what was lost. The water is beautiful, and the way it drops down in the middle into what seems a bottomless hole feels just right.
The names of everyone who died are inscribed into bronze parapets that surround the pools. Being able to touch and run your hands over all the names is satisfying in a way I can’t really describe. (You can read about the incredible way all the names were arranged here.)
I posted some of my pictures below. If you’re living in or visiting New York, I highly recommend stopping by. Just make sure you make a reservation first.
