NYC Remembers September 11's Third Anniversary

The victims of September 11 were remembered this morning at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. Parents and grandparents read the names of those lost, as families and friends were able to walk down a ramp and lay flowers at the lowest part the World Trade Center, which is now a construction site for the new World Trade Center development. Lydia Polgreen's article about the morning's ceremony rang true for us: Gothamist was near Ground Zero after the ceremony, we saw many police officers and fire fighters in dress uniform, as well as families wearing pins with photographs of their loved ones, walking amongst the people running their errands and families getting apple cider donuts at the TriBeCa greenmarket. It's definitely a day to remember and continue to heal (we were incredibly moved by the reading of the names and seeing people write messages to their loved ones on the sides of the temporary reflecting pools set up in the pit), but it's also a day for living as well.

The Daily News noted that there have been problems trying to find someone to lead the foundation that will be raising money for the World Trade Center Memorial. The person fulfilling the role would not only have to ask for money from corporations, but manage the expectations from a number of interest groups (the city, victims' families, developer Larry Silverstein). And the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation has unveiled new images of what the new WTC design would look like. Another interesting point brought up in the NY Times article is that this is probably the last time families will be able to descend to Ground Zero, because construction will begin for Freedom Tower. It's odd, because there's been so much talk about it, actual construction has never seemed imminent. But it is, and this is the vision of the new downtown.

DCist has coverage of what DC is doing today. And Kyle, from Gothamist Sports and DCist, was living near the World Trade Center in 2001 and took these photographs.

If you're interested in more information about the third anniversary, check our post from yesterday. Plus, Gothamist entries on the WTC redesign and September 11 Commission hearings (1, 2, 3)