Description: This was definitely on our 'to-do' list for our trip to NYC. Even being from the UK, 9/11 affected us all around the world and it was important that we learned more about it and paid our respects to those who died.
When we got there, what was the site of the destruction before, is now a building site. They have finished building one or two of the 5 buildings they're putting in the space where the twin towers were, so I couldn't really feel the eery-ness like I expected. There is a big long plaque under the scaffolding with all the names of the people who died printed on it. To the right of the site, there is a Tribute Center. You pay like $10 and you get a little tag to wear so you can go outside for fresh air or make a call, and they know you've already paid. There are pillars with information about the day's events and snippets from NYPD calls i.e. for help etc... and objects taken from the rubble... a burned slightly crumpled plane window, a woman's work shoe, a teddy bear, a name tag, firefighter's helmet, gas mask, jacket which had been ripped right down the back. Over at the back of the building, there are 3 walls completely covered with photos of the people who died and a New York woman giving a truly moving and genuine talk about the events that day. She speaks with feeling and later on, we discovered that her son died in the tragedy. He was the firefighter who had worn that same ripped jacket that now sits in a box for everyone to see. She picked out certain people and told a heartfelt story about each of them.
Downstairs, you could see scrapbooks full of messages of support and grief, accounts of what everyone was doing that day in 2001 and where they were and how it made them feel. I wrote a message and put it in the box.
Leaving the Tribute Center, I had accomplished something I'd wanted to do since it all happened. And I would go back again.
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