9/11 Memorial NYC

Hi, all.

If you're in the city soon, make sure to take some time to see the 9/11 memorial at the World Trade Center. Not only is the memorial beautiful, it's one of the most powerful things I've ever experienced.

The fountains are huge; they're the size of the footprint of the two towers. Around the perimeter of each fountain are the names of all 2,983 people who died on September 11th 2001 (at the WTC, the plane crash in Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon) as well as those who died in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The names are beautifully inscribed on a nice polished metal surface.


The fountains were designed so the sound of the water falling into the pools and down into the chasms drowns out the sound of the bustling city. It really creates an intense atmosphere. My mind went back that day and I couldn't help from getting emotional.

Around the fountains are hundreds of beautiful trees. I went when they were much smaller, but I assume that they'll grow to create a peaceful and relaxing area by blocking out the surrounding skyscrapers. Standing out is the Survivor Tree, which was found in the rubble and replanted in the Bronx in November of 2001. Miraculously, it started to grow again despite being badly burned. It is now protected in the memorial by a railing. Looking at it, you can see burnt bark from the bottom to about 7 or 8 feet up. Above that, where new branches have grown, the bark is healthy and beautiful. It truly is inspiring to see the tree thriving with its scars.

There's also an unfinished museum in the memorial that's still under construction. Inside will be artifacts collected from the rubble. I can only imagine how emotional going through that will be.

If you go to New York soon, please visit this site. It's such a worthy honor to the victims memory. It's free and won't take too much time. You have to make reservations (here) to get in, though. Reserve at least a day before to get in. Also, be prepared to go through three levels of security. It's annoying but definitely worth it.