Here are the rest of my photos from my trip to New York. If you missed my first batch, you can find them HERE. I decided to post the pictures from the World Trade Center separately, because being there was a very different experience from the rest of the trip.
It was my first time to this location since 2006, so I hadn’t yet seen the completed memorial, Freedom Tower, or Oculus. I think they’ve done a brilliant job of rebuilding the WTC, with a beautiful and powerful memorial and an uplifting and hopeful transportation station.
The sun was so bright that I didn’t see the airplane flying by as I took the photo. It gives me chills to see it in this picture.
The 9/11 Memorial Plaza consists of two reflecting pools that sit in the footprints of the original Twin Towers. The pools have tall waterfalls along the edges that pour downward and create a feeling of two huge, disappearing voids. You can’t see the bottom of the second set of waterfalls when you stand on the side. The water seems to disappear forever.
The name of each person who died at the World Trade Center is on display along the edges of the pools.
The park staff leave white roses on the names of the victims on their birthdays. The pink flowers were probably left by this woman’s family members.
The World Trade Center Transportation Hub is the subway station and retail complex at the WTC. Its above-ground building, which opened in 2016, is called the Oculus. I’ve heard that its soaring spires are meant to resemble a bird flying out of a child’s hand, or perhaps the souls of the victims rising upward, or perhaps the claws of a trap protecting against enemies. Whatever it is, it’s striking.
The building is designed to line up with the sun rays of the autumnal equinox, and its skylight opens on September 11 each year.
The architecture of this building made me feel hopeful, optimistic, and grateful, which I hadn’t expected to feel at all at the World Trade Center. I’m so glad to see the city is moving forward while so gracefully memorializing the past.
Related posts:
Scenes from my whirlwind trip through New York City
Some of my favorite scenic photos of 2017
A whirlwind trip to majestic Montana, including Glacier National Park
My family’s picture-perfect summer vacation to England and Wales
