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There's a particular kind of beauty that comes with dawn in New York City. Whether the sunrise reflects off the river, millions of windowpanes, or iconic skyscrapers, it feels like you're bathed in light no matter where you go. The beautiful weather and sunny, clear sky is one thing people remember most about the early morning of September 11, 2001.
If you've visited Manhattan during the work week, then you've experienced the chaos of rush hour firsthand, but the urgency on that particular Tuesday took a horrifying turn when two planes flew into the World Trade Centers at 8:46 and 9:03 AM respectively. (In addition to another pair of planes that crashed into the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field after the passengers interrupted its original path). Now, instead of the World Trade Centers, we have a memorial, a museum, and a train station & shopping center called the Oculus.
Keep reading for thoughts on 9/11 and New York City, 25 years later.
9/11 changed everything for New York City.
It took one day for 21st Century New York to be associated with both tragedy and resilience, and for all of us to start questioning fundamental aspects of life we might not have examined before. What does it mean to be patriotic? What does it mean to love your neighbor? What do we do next?
As someone who's always dreamed of living in Manhattan, New York City is synonymous with an idealized version of life. You can have a romantic date in the rain, run into your favorite movie star, and see pieces of iconic U.S. history all in one day (quite literally my version of a fairytale). NYC is perfect for magpies like me who are constantly drawn to excitement and shiny objects, but if there's one thing I've learned from living in a post-9/11 New York, there's an unexpected and determined rootedness.
But I think it just made Manhattan more special.
Chloe Williams/Brit + Co
New Yorkers are known for their direct focus, drive, and intensity, but even if there's usually a negative connotation to those characteristics, they come through just as strongly in times of need. There's a strength and a love for the city, especially when you just know you're supposed to be here.
I have never been surrounded by people who work as hard and consistently as New Yorkers who often come to the city to achieve their dreams, and end up falling in love or meeting their best friends along the way. If I'm honest, achieving my own dreams has paled in comparison to the community I've found; it makes me think of all the times I've seen roots split concrete in half, and I think that's a really beautiful analogy for cultivating a life somewhere that seems "too hard" to do so. Your roots can thrive in places you never expected. It might be cheesy, but I'm being sincere!
And 25 years after September 11, 2001, light continues to shine through the darkness.
Today, on the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, the connection to the city feels stronger than ever. And this sunny Friday began with one of the most beautiful and unexpected traditions in a post-2001 NYC. When Santiago Calatrava designed the Oculus, he designed its skeleton to line up with the sun's path. Each year on September 11, a "Wedge of Light" shines through the skylight, illuminating the floor with two columns of sunshine from 8:46 AM, when the first plane attacked, through 10:28 AM, when the second tower collapsed, plunging the city into both literal and metaphorical darkness.
I don't know about other 20-something women who live in New York City, but when I decided to move, the most frequent response was worry or disapproval. But after four years in Manhattan, fear has never replaced the joy of living here. Even though we're all aware of how much darkness can exist — especially in the midst of tragedy — I truly believe there's an even stronger, distilled light. And life after 9/11 (and the Oculus) is just a reminder that light is aimed where it's supposed to go.
What's your favorite New York City memory? We're sending love to everyone affected by 9/11.
