A History Lover's Guide to New York City

New York has always had skyscrapers—the spires of its churches. Until 1890, the tallest structure in Manhattan was the 280-foothigh steeple of trinity Church. But in the late nineteenth century, the reach to the sky had a secular purpose: to provide commercial interests with office space. No one is quite sure when and where the term “skyscraper” originated, but its meaning is clear. In the late nineteenth century, buildings went higher and higher until they appeared to “scrape the sky.” Chicago is credited with having the very first skyscraper. This was the Home Insurance Building, designed by William le Baron Jenney and completed in 1885.

But it was New York that quickly seized on the skyscraper, building it taller and better. New York and the skyscraper became synonymous. The relatively small confines of Manhattan Island created a scarcity of real estate. The demand for land accelerated in the nineteenth century, driving prices up astronomically. The skyscraper, offering more space per site, was the solution. Manhattan’s geology helped. The geological foundation at the tip of the island and in Midtown is solid rock; this provides the necessary support for skyscrapers. When you look at New York today, you will note that the greatest concentration of tall building towers is downtown and in Midtown, reflecting the island’s geological base.

The skyscraper was a symbol of power and a statement of presence. Built as much for its visual impact as for its office space, the skyscraper climbed higher and higher. Technological advances during this time made this new skyscraper possible. The Bessemer process for steel, invented in 1855, allowed man to build strong structures whose walls did not have to be as thick as their height. Electricity and the elevator facilitated the ease of movement up and down tall buildings. The light bulb illuminated their interiors.

A precursor to the skyscraper was the cast-iron structure. For a building to rise more than two or three stories above its plot of land, structural materials had to be sufficiently strong to support it. In the mid-nineteenth century, builders developed cast-iron structures that were both strong and lighter than the traditional stone and brick. Cast iron was part of the nineteenth century search to produce cheaply and in mass quantities what once only the wealthy could afford. Wrought iron had long been admired, but it had to be hammered out by hand one piece at a time. Wrought iron required expert craftsmen, attention to detail and time, making it very expensive. Cast iron is molten metal cast in molds. Heavy ornamentation could, as a result of this process, be produced relatively quickly and economically. The strength of cast iron also permitted larger windows that were attractive and practical as they flooded building interiors with light.

One of the first buildings to use the cast-iron structure was the 1857 Haughwout Building on Broadway. It housed the store where Edver

V. Haughwout sold china, silverware and crystal to the wealthy of New York. The Haughwout Building was also the first building in New York to have a key 1853 invention that helped make the skyscraper possible: the elevator. Elisha otis, the inventor of the safety elevator, himself installed the elevator in the Haughwout Building.

The first building in New York City to rise above the 280 feet spires of trinity Church and, therefore, to be considered a true skyscraper was the 1890 New York World Building. At 309 feet, the New York World Building on newspaper row, designed by architect George Browne Post, was the world’s tallest building from 1890 to 1894. The New York World Building served as the headquarters of the newspaper of the same name, one of the most popular and respected in New York City at the end of the nineteenth century. Joseph Pulitzer purchased the New York World in 1883, intending to make a statement with this building, which housed his office. The New York World ceased to exist as an independent newspaper in 1931. The building was demolished in 1955.

At 386 feet, the Manhattan life Insurance Building, designed by architects Kimball & thompson, held the title of the world’s tallest skyscraper from 1894 to 1895. This building was demolished in 1930.

The singer Building, designed by architect Ernest Flagg as the headquarters for the singer sewing Machine Company, was completed in 1908. located at 149 Broadway, it stood 612 feet tall and held the title of tallest for one year only. The lovely Beaux-Arts-style building was demolished in 1967.

Metropolitan life, at seven hundred feet tall, took the tallest skyscraper in the world title from the singer Building in 1909 and held it until 1913. By 1909, the Metropolitan life Insurance Company was the largest insurance company in the world with a business base in New York’s immigrant community. Its commercial success was demonstrated through its fifty-story tower patterned after the Campanile of the Piazzo san Marco in Venice, Italy. Over time, the building has lost some of its charm, but the great clocks, twenty-six and a half feet in diameter, designed by architect napoleon leBrun & sons, remain. And they still tell accurate time.

In 1913, Metropolitan life would lose the title of world’s tallest skyscraper to a building that would remain forever one of the most distinctive and beautiful, even if not the tallest in perpetuity: the Woolworth Building. The Woolworth Building is an outstanding example of the power and symbolism of the skyscraper and of the importance attached to holding the title of “tallest.” During the official opening of the Woolworth Building on April 24, 1913, it was President Woodrow Wilson sitting in the White House in Washington, D.C., who pushed a button to signal that it was time to turn on the eighty thousand lights in the building. The Woolworth Building would remain the tallest skyscraper in the world from 1913 to 1930.

The Woolworth Building was the dream of Frank W. Woolworth. He had risen from the position of stock boy in a store in Watertown, New York, to become the head of a multimillion-dollar retail empire with over three hundred stores. It had been Woolworth’s genius to open a new type of store—one that sold items that cost a nickel or less. He broke tradition by running his first store on a cash-and-carry basis and by displaying all the goods on open counters so that customers could touch them. When Woolworth added to his inventory items that cost ten cents, his stores became known as “the five and dime.”

Like many others who had made their fortune elsewhere, Frank Woolworth opened a central office in Manhattan in 1886. He would fulfill his dream twenty-seven years later of owning the tallest building in the world. Woolworth chose Cass Gilbert as the architect and asked for a building reminiscent of the Gothic style. Rising 792 feet above the pavement, the skyscraper has spires, gargoyles and flying buttresses. These distinctive architectural features have caused some to liken the building to a cathedral—a “Cathedral of Commerce.” there are whimsical details in the lobby that include carved figures representing Cass Gilbert and others responsible for the creation of the building. Frank Woolworth is depicted counting his nickels and dimes. And, in fact, Woolworth paid in cash the $13.5 million it cost to build the skyscraper! It is ironic that the luxuriousness of the lobby with its marble, mosaics and rich ornamentation was for a company that made its fortune in selling cheap at high volume.

While the 1915 Equitable Building never held the title of tallest skyscraper, it had a great impact on New York architecture. This building, known for its sheer mass, occupied an entire city block and could accommodate office space for twelve thousand people. It sides went straight up forty stories and 515 feet, casting dark shadows on its surroundings and blocking the view of the sky. Before 1916, New Yorkers imposed no restrictions on skyscrapers. However, once they experienced the long, dark shadows of the Equitable Building, they took a stand. They passed the New York City Zoning legislation of 1916. New Yorkers wanted to preclude their city streets becoming dark canyons between tall buildings that blocked all sunlight. The new law required all buildings to have a setback: a tower of unlimited height would be permitted on one-quarter only of each site. There would be height restrictions on the remaining three-quarters of the lot. With this legislation, the pyramid style of skyscrapers became the norm in New York and elsewhere.

The Manhattan Company building, completed in 1930, very briefly held the title of tallest building. How the Manhattan Company lost the title is a fascinating story underscoring the significance attached to a skyscraper holding the title of “tallest.” the announced height of the Bank of Manhattan Company Building was 927 feet. After the Bank of Manhattan Company’s Building completion, the architect of the Chrysler Building—under construction at the same time—secretly arranged to have the Chrysler spire lifted in one piece to the top of the building. With that surreptitious sleight of hand, the Chrysler Building had a height of 1,048 feet, beating out the Manhattan building for “tallest” by more than 120 feet.

But there is much more to the Chrysler Building than height. This Art Deco building, designed by architect William Van Alen, is surely one of the world’s most beautiful. Often cited as a favorite by New York architects, residents and visitors, it is noteworthy for its dramatic use of geometric shapes and innovative display of rich woods and stainless steel. The famous Chrysler spire is a progression of sunbursts leading to the pinnacle. Much of the building ornamentation recalls the automobile: car wheels, fenders, hood ornaments and the sleek lines of a roadster.

The only skyscraper in New York City to rival the Chrysler Building as a sentimental favorite is the Empire state Building. The Empire state took the title of the world’s tallest building from the Chrysler Building in 1931 and held that title until 1971. Construction of the Empire state building began in 1929 at a time of great prosperity and high hopes. Within weeks, the stock market crashed, and the general outlook for the country had vastly diminished. Construction continued, however, and even moved ahead briskly. It took only one year and forty-five days, at a cost of $41 million, to complete the Empire state Building. Because of the desperate economic circumstances, much of the building’s office space remained unrented for years, earning it the nickname “Empty state.” What saved the building from being a complete financial disaster were the millions of visitors who thronged to the Empire state for views of New York from its observation decks. Giving the public the opportunity to experience the thrill of ascending to the top of the world’s tallest building reaffirmed the importance of the skyscraper and provided it with a more inclusive significance.

The top of the Empire state, whether at sunset, at night when the city lights twinkle or at any time of day, is a place of legend. It was here that King Kong met his tragic end as he attempted to show his love for the actress Faye Wray in the 1933 film classic while other lovers, both Hollywood and real, have chosen it as their special rendezvous point. These may be the best views of any in New York City.

The next and last in New York City to hold the title of world’s tallest were the twin towers in the World trade Center. standing at 1,350 feet, they enjoyed a reign as the world’s tallest skyscraper from 1971 to 1974. since 1974, the world’s tallest building has stood beyond the perimeter of New York City. From 1974 to 1997, the sears tower in Chicago owned the title of world’s tallest skyscraper. In 1997, the title passed overseas. since then, various countries around the globe seeking prestige and recognition have built the tallest skyscrapers.

The World trade Center began as an instrument of urban renewal in lower Manhattan. In a complex of sixteen acres and seven buildings, two identical towers, which would become known as the twin towers, formed the centerpiece. A single floor of each building covered one acre. Each tower was originally to be 88 stories tall. However, their height was deliberately increased to 110 stories to ensure that they would take the title of the world’s tallest skyscrapers from the Empire state Building. The popular observation deck on the 110^th floor of the south tower afforded a 360-degree view of New York City. On a clear day, it was possible to see the limb of the earth—the earth’s curvature.

The World trade Center was a deliberate name. Its office space housed some of the most important international business enterprises. The WtC made the statement that New York City was the financial and trade capital of the globe. Trade not only grew wealth, but it also encouraged communication and understanding. The architect, Minoru Yamasaki of troy, Michigan, described the World trade Center as a monument to peace and humanity. The twin towers became familiar landmarks on the New York horizon.

It is tragic that not all shared Minoru Yamasaki’s view of the World trade Center. Terrorists identified it as a primary target to destroy. The first attempt to bring down the twin towers occurred on February 26, 1993. Al-Qaeda-trained terrorists drove a truck with a concealed bomb into the parking garage of the north tower. They detonated the bomb, which was intended to bring the north tower down on top of the south tower, thereby destroying both and causing maximum loss of life. In this attack, 6 people died and 1,042 were injured. While the bomb caused extensive damage to the garage, shut off power in the World trade Center and sent smoke throughout both towers, the towers survived.

Eight years later, on september 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 and flew it into the north tower at 8:46 a.m. In a coordinated attack, terrorists flew hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 into the south tower at 9:03 a.m. Within 102 minutes, both towers had collapsed. Victims of these horrific acts included many who were in the twin towers and immediate area; the firefighters, police and other first responders who rushed in to help; and the crew and passengers of the two airliners. Damage to the other five buildings in the World trade Center complex was so extensive that they had to be demolished.

Osama bin laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, would claim responsibility for these attacks and two others on september 11: American Airlines Flight 77, which terrorists flew into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and United Flight 93, which targeted the United states Capitol but crashed in shanksville, Pennsylvania, when passengers fought and overcame the terrorists. In all, almost three thousand people died on september 11, 2001. More than ninety countries, in addition to the United states, lost citizens that terrible day.

The twin towers and the lives lost in 1993 and on september 11, 2001, remain forever inscribed on our collective memory.

YOUR GUIDE TO HISTORY

Images

The 9/11 Memorial. Courtesy of James Maher.

39 Battery Place at First Place • Lower Manhattan
212-968-1961 • www.skyscraper.org • Admission Fee

This museum offers a loving look at the skyscraper as a fixture of New York since the nineteenth century. To appreciate the desire to reach the sky and how the city climbed to its vertical destination, the museum offers an impressive collection of photographs, architectural drawings and historical commentary, as well as educational outreach, special events and private tours. Its online resources are extensive.

Completed in 2011 and originally known as Beekman tower, this is the tallest residential building in the United states at 870 feet and seventy-six floors. The stainless steel exterior undulates from ground to sky in the style of noted American architect Frank Gehry that is termed “Deconstructivism.” Well reviewed by most architectural critics, it is deemed a worthy neighbor to the famous Woolworth Building nearby.

This building, completed in 1930, very briefly held the title of tallest building in the world before losing the title to the Chrysler Building.

120 Broadway between Nassau, Cedar and Pine Streets • Lower Manhattan
Exterior Only

This 1915 building, a national Historic landmark, never held the title of tallest skyscraper. Its size rather than its height made it noteworthy. stand outside this building and feel its massive impact and you will understanding why it was instrumental in the development of laws that required building setbacks.

At 386 feet, this was the world’s tallest skyscraper from 1899 to 1908. The twin-towered Park row Building was designed by architect r.H. Robertson. It was no longer the world’s tallest skyscraper after the completion of the singer tower in 1908. Number 15 Park row now houses apartments.

233 Broadway between Park Place and Barclay Street • Lower Manhattan
203-966-9663 • www.woolworthtours.com • Admission Fee

The Woolworth Building is an office building with security that precludes walk-ins off the street. Visit the website above to reserve a place on one of several guided tours offered that feature the important architectural details and the cultural significance of the building. The Woolworth Building was the tallest skyscraper in the world from 1913 to 1930.

Frank Woolworth grew up poor in New York state. He experienced setbacks in the retail world before his business succeeded, and he owned more than three hundred Woolworth stores. standing in the lobby, it is easy to understand why this Gothic-style building was called “the Cathedral of Commerce.” the marble lobby is three stories high with Byzantine and Christian motifs, as well as strong Gothic overtones. Visitors’ eyes are drawn toward impressive marble stairs at the back of the lobby that lead up to a bank—almost like an altar in a church. In the lobby, sculpted heads in the likeness of Frank Woolworth, Cass Gilbert and others instrumental to the building’s creation add a whimsical touch. The mezzanine level has bizarre gargoyle heads similar to a Gothic church, as well as a painted triptych of Commerce that has the qualities of the adoration of the Madonna. In recognition of the significance of the Woolworth Building, President Woodrow Wilson participated in its dedication. The president sent a telegraph message from the White House to a worker in the Woolworth basement who flipped the switches to illuminate more than eighty thousand lights in the building. For many years, the Woolworth Building had an observatory deck popular with the public. It was closed during World War II for reasons of national security and never reopened.

In an indication of the real estate market in today’s New York City, the upper floors of the Woolworth Building are being converted to residential use. A penthouse with a separate entrance from the office lobby is purportedly to go on the market for over $100 million. It is a national Historic landmark.

soho, an area south of Houston street, has the largest concentration of cast-iron buildings in the United states. The soho Cast Iron Historic District is made up of twenty-six blocks between Canal street, 6^th Avenue, Houston street and Crosby street. This district has five hundred historic buildings, many of which are cast iron. It is important to look up above more recently adapted ground floor spaces to see the detailed repeat ornamental patterns that characterize the cast-iron building. The fashion was to paint the cast iron so that it looked like stone. Do not be fooled! the intersection of Greene and Prince streets is particularly appealing.

The 1857 Haughwout Building, designed by John P. Gaynor, was built to house Eder Haughwout’s store for fine merchandise. It is remarkable not only for its beautiful Venetian-style façade but also for the fact that it is the first building that used a structural metal frame rather than a brick frame. It is considered the most outstanding example of a cast-iron building in the United states. The five-story building is also notable in that it had the first passenger elevator. Elisha Graves otis, who founded otis Elevator, installed the elevator. The Haughwout Building is again a store.

The singer headquarters, which became known as the little singer Building, was never the tallest. Designed by New York architect Ernest Flagg, this 1903 building was for Isaac Merritt singer and his singer Manufacturing Company, which made and marketed the most popular sewing machine for home use. The pattern of glass and steel in the façade—it has row after row of windows interspersed with deep green, wrought-iron balconies—made this building a true precursor of the mid-twentieth-century skyscraper. The little singer Building is now a mixed-use building with residential and commercial components. In 1908, the singer Company moved to a new and larger headquarters at liberty street and Broadway, which stood forty-one stories and 612 feet tall. The older singer Building became known as the little singer Building while the new building was referred to as the singer tower. The singer tower held the title of the world’s tallest building for one year. It was demolished in 1967.

This is the most notable of a row of cast-iron buildings in the soho Cast Iron Historic District. Combined with the brick street, it transports visitors to the nineteenth century. Constructed between 1872 and 1896, it was designed by Isaac F. Duckworth. Today, the first floors of many of these cast-iron buildings are luxury stores. stroll down Greene street to experience the beauty of nineteenth-century New York City.

Though never holding the distinction of being the tallest skyscraper, this noted landmark of New York stands 312 feet tall. Originally known as the Fuller Building after its owner and builder in 1902, the Fuller Construction Company, this was one of the first skyscrapers to use a steel frame. It became known as the Flat Iron Building because of its distinctive shape, which adapted to its triangular-shaped lot at 23^rd street where 5^th and Broadway Avenues cross. The building bears a resemblance to the old flatirons in use before the days of electric irons. It is a national Historic landmark.

At seven hundred feet tall, Metropolitan life took the tallest skyscraper in the world title from the singer Building in 1909 and held it until 1913. Note the tower, which was patterned after the Campanile of the Piazzo san Marco in Venice, Italy, and the great clocks, designed by the architect napoleon leBrun & sons, that still tell time. It is located near Madison square Park and is a national Historic landmark.

This massive 1928 Gothic revival building by architect Cass Gilbert has a beautiful pyramid roof covered in gold-leaf tiles. The site itself has had a distinguished history in great part because of its proximity to Madison square across the street. Prior to 1928, tenants included circus impresario

stanford White of the prominent architectural firm McKim, Mead & White designed the second Madison square Garden, which stood here from 1890 to 1925. stanford White was as famous for his womanizing and outrageous behavior as he was for his beautiful buildings. In June 1906, in the rooftop garden of stanford White’s Madison square Building, the jealous husband of the beautiful actress Evelyn nesbit shot and killed the architect in a scandal that rocked the city. It is a national Historic landmark.

350 5^th Avenue at 34^th Street • Manhattan/Midtown
www.esbnyc.com • Admission Fee

Observation decks with protective barriers are on the open-air 86^th floor and also on the fully enclosed 102^nd floors of the building. Both decks offer 360-degree views of New York City. From the top floor, visitors can see eighty miles in good weather. Online ticketing is a timesaver. Employees in red jackets are in front of the building to answer any questions and to direct visitors. Enter the building through the lobby and note the eight wall panels of the seven Wonders of the World plus one—the eighth being the Empire state Building.

To reach the eighty-sixth floor takes one minute by elevator. For the past forty years, the Empire state Building management has sponsored a February charity run up the 1,576 stairs to reach the eighty-sixth floor. This highly competitive event invites the public to apply to participate. The form is on the website. However, only a very few will be selected to attempt the 1,050-foot vertical course. The men’s record is nine minutes and thirty-three seconds and the woman’s record is eleven minutes and twenty-three seconds.

If you are in New York at holiday time, look up to note the lights on the Empire state Building tower, which are green for st. Patrick’s Day; red, white and blue for the Fourth of July; blue and white for the first day of Hanukah; and red and green for Christmas. A lighting calendar to anticipate and explain the colors is on the website above. It is a national Historic landmark.

By subterfuge, the Chrysler Building won the title of world’s tallest skyscraper when completed in 1930. The spire—a progression of sunbursts leading to the pinnacle—is the feature that earned this building the title of tallest skyscraper in the world from 1930 to 1931. Architect William van Alen kept the spire and its height a secret until he erected it on top of the building at the very end of its construction. There is no observation deck. The Art Deco lobby is well worth a visit. While the Chrysler Building has not been the tallest in the world for many years, it remains a favorite of New York architects, residents and visitors. looking for that fabulous spire, whether from the streets of New York or from skyscraper observation towers, is extremely satisfying. It is a national Historic landmark.

Designed by famed architect Mies Van der rohe, this is the only one of his buildings in New York City. It is a landmark modern tower in the International style coupled with a low rectangular building in glass and bronze. Completed in 1958, this building served as the headquarters for the distiller seagram & sons. Two large pools of water with fountains in front of the building soften the street noise. A massive statue, Big Clay #4 by Urs Fischer, stands in front of the building.

While never holding the title of tallest skyscraper, this 1952 landmark building of low and tall intersecting glass and steel rectangles determined the way people and cities would look at skyscrapers for the next forty years. lever House, by skidmore, owings & Merrill architects; Gordon Bunshaft; and natalie de Blois created the International style of commercial architecture. It remains a beautiful building on the New York horizon today. To appreciate the building, walk into the outdoor open atrium to look up to see the tower.

Designed by celebrated American architect Philip Johnson for the At&t Corporation to serve as its headquarters, the south-facing roof has the distinctive silhouette of a rounded notch referred to as “Chippendale.” now the sony Plaza, there is a covered atrium with tables and seating open to the public.

The mission of the workshop is to provide vivid images of the horrific events of september 11, 2001, and of the heroism of that day. Many of the photographs in the collection are of the firefighters who bravely served and gave so much. Ground zero is the point on the earth’s surface closest to the detonation of a bomb or to a major cataclysmic event. Television news reporters first used the term “Ground Zero” to describe the devastation at the World trade Center on september 11, 2001.

120 Liberty Street • Lower Manhattan
866-737-1184 • www.tributewtc.org • Donation

The five galleries of the tribute Center focus on the stories of those who lived through the two attacks on the World trade Center in 1993 and 2001. The tribute Center also offers walking tours of the nearby 9/11 Memorial.

Liberty to Vesey Street and Church to West Street • Lower Manhattan
www.911memorial.org

Guided tours of the 9/11 Memorial are available through the national september 11 Memorial Museum. Visitors may choose to tour the memorial on their own. The open-air memorial has two pools of water, the north Pool and the south Pool, that trace the original footprints of the north and the south twin towers. In each, water flows down into the pools that represent a permanent void where the towers once stood.

The names of those who died are engraved on panels around the pools. The names of the six who died in the 1993 terrorist bombing of the World trade Center are included and inscribed on panel n-73 of the north Pool. Those lost on september 11 are listed together on the panels according to where they were and worked in the buildings. There is a place on the panels for the first responders who died that day. The 9/11 Memorial is a testimony to the value of the individual, to bravery and sacrifice and to the courage to continue. It acknowledges the life, as well as the passing, of each person by placing a birthday rose on the engraving of each name. The overwhelming impression to visitors is of a strong sense of caring. Michael Arad was the architect of the memorial, called Reflecting Absence, and Peter Walker was the landscape architect. The dedication of the memorial was on september 11, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the attack. Each year, on september 11, the memorial and museum project into the sky for twenty-four hours blue lights that represent the former outlines of the World trade Center twin towers. It is possible to see this remembrance from any point in New York City.

180 Greenwich Street • Lower Manhattan
212-312-8800 • www.911memorial.org/mus • Admission Fee

Tours of the museum are guided or self-guided. Audio tours are also available. The museum offers extensive public programs and talks. Visitors enter the Museum Pavilion, designed by the international architectural firm snØHEttA, and then descends a ramp into the museum that was designed by Davis Brody Bond, also known as DBB. The ramp takes visitors to the foundation level of the World trade Center. some of the most impressive exhibits include structural columns from the twin towers and the slurry wall that held, preventing the Hudson river from flooding lower Manhattan and causing an even greater tragedy. The Vesey street stairs that survived allowing hundreds to escape are on display. The damaged ladder Company 3 truck of the New York Fire Department that rushed to the scene to rescue survivors and fight fires is among the very moving exhibits. There is a room devoted to the memory of those who died with individual photographs and remembrances by family members and friends. The museum focuses on life in the twin towers prior to 9/11, to the events of 9/11 and loss of life and to the rebuilding of the site. It is a relief that nowhere in the museum is there any video of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 flying into the twin towers. The museum focuses not only on the events in New York but also on those at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and on Flight 93, which passengers flew into the ground in shanksville, Pennsylvania, resisting the terrorists’ intent to strike the United states Capitol. The dedication of the national september 11 Memorial Museum was on May 15, 2014. President Barack obama was present for the dedication.

New Yorkers are known for their toughness and their resilience. This they showed on september 11, 2001, and in the years that have followed. New Yorkers stood up, dug out and rebuilt. Yet what also impresses visitors to this museum is the tenderness on display in safeguarding the memory of those who were lost. In a city so large and seemingly impersonal, you will sense the will to recognize and honor the individual—the lives and spirit of those who died, the commitment of those who loved and remember them, the bravery and self-sacrifice of the first responders and the determination of a city to look back and reflect as it rebuilds and moves forward.

Images

30 rockefeller Plaza. Courtesy of James Maher.