New York –
Jeff Teedy hasn’t been a fan of Rudy Giuliani for a long time. Since the ex-mayor of New York has been obediently holding the stirrup to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump like no other, “Rudy has gambled away all credit,” said the 56-year-old computer scientist on a park bench at “Ground Zero” in Manhattan. “There is only one point where you have to pay your respects to Giuliani,” he says, and lets his gaze wander over the area filled with tourists shooting selfies, which 15 years ago was the scene of one of the greatest disasters in US history. “He was right after 9/11 when he said: New York will be stronger and more powerful than before.”
The attack on the World Trade Center.
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15 years after “9/11”, the day when two planes hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center and killed nearly 2,800 people, you’re inclined to be a regular visitor, Jeff Teedy to follow. The southern tip of Manhattan, a place of desperation for years, is celebrating its resurrection. The boom in numbers: Before the attacks, the area had six hotels – today there are almost 30. Before the catastrophe, 20,000 New Yorkers lived in street canyons that looked deserted in the evenings – today there are three times as many.
Quarter has flourished since the attack
Before “9/11”, the district was just a playground for financial acrobats who quickly sought diversion in the hip districts of Soho after 5 p.m. – today, according to the “Downtown New York” interest group, the area around Ground Zero has 14 million visitors, 60 million visitors a year come to New York and spend a lot of money with admission prices of $ 24 for the 9/11 Museum, which has had nearly seven million guests since opening in 2014, and $ 34 for a trip to the One World’s panorama platform Observatory “is generating huge revenues.” Nobody thought that we would come back so robustly, “says lobbyist Jessica Lappin.
The cornerstone of the demonstrative self-confidence is the 541 meter high “One World Trade Center”, which opened two years ago. The observatory on the roof, which is worth a visit in itself, has attracted three million visitors since it opened in May 2015. You have a 360-degree panoramic perspective with a range of up to 100 kilometers. The Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the UN headquarters look like figures from a Lego construction kit when viewed from a height of almost 400 meters. Likewise, the two huge pools, which are reminiscent of the layout of the original WTC towers and with the names of the victims carved in stone under running water, form the heart of the above-ground memorial.
50 meter high dome is reminiscent of steel framework
How far those responsible are taking security precautions at “Ground Zero” today is not only evident from the armies of heavily armed special police units. Anyone wishing to visit the “One World Trade Center” as a visitor has to register days in advance and be screened. Only then is there a pass with a photo and the exact time corridor. If you put it on, you will get a lecture on your return to the imposing entrance hall, dominated by white marble and abstract expressionists, that you won’t soon forget.
Such a safety standard also applies to a visit to the new main attraction, the “Oculus” (Latin for eye), which the star architect Santiago Calatrava had built like a phoenix from the ashes for two billion dollars. The imposing building with the 50 meter high dome is reminiscent of the steel framework that was left behind by the storms of 2001. Unearthly, the object is an eye-catcher, which, like an eyelid, opens the glass wings every September 11th and lets light into the interior. Underground, it functions as a central transit station, where a dozen subway lines meet. Including a state-of-the-art shopping center (“Westfield”), which customers can access through bright, Carrara marble walkways.
“New York is stronger than any terror”
Jeff Teedy was able to take a look at the cathedral-like main hall weeks ago, where 150 premium brands will have their shops. “Any visitor’s eyes will fail here. New York is stronger than any terror.”
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