The World Trade Center Before and After
Start: July 4, 2001

 
 

I took this picture on the Fourth of July, from a handmade wooden boat in the East River. I liked the way the Twin Towers paralleled the arches in the Brooklyn Bridge tower. In retrospect, the flag makes the picture especially poignant.

Next: September 11, 2001: Upper East Side

This photo is from the roof of the building I work in, on East 89th Street in Manhattan, midday on September 11. I couldn't believe what a sunny, clear day it was in this part of Manhattan, just a few miles north of the terrible devastation.

Next: September 11, 2001: Upper West Side

A few hours later I rode my bike over to the new pier at approximately West 67th Street. The smoke 
reflected the setting sun, and an acrid smell filled the air.

Next: September 16, 2001: View from the Manhattan Bridge

I didn't try to look at the site directly until the following Sunday, September 16. On yet another amazingly clear day, the smoke and smell were overwhelming, as was the glaring absence in the downtown skyline (as seen from the Manhattan Bridge).

Next: September 16, 2001: View from Rockaway

Even from the Gil Hodges Bridge to Rockaway, you could see the gap in the skyline and the giant smoke cloud drifting off into oblivion.

Back to July 4

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