9/11 MEMORIAL VISIT

yesterday a friend and i visited the 9/11 memorial in downtown manhattan, new york city

on the way there we passed reflections of the growing one world trade center

and previewed how the skyline is shaping up: hopeful and modern, but austere

after presenting our tickets (ticket info below) and passing through an amazing labyrinth of security measures, we arrived at the memorial. you see the landscaping first, and it is underwhelming. i suppose the purpose of the landscaping is to provide shelter from the sun, a flat walking surface, places to sit and no detraction from the dramatic pools or surrounding architecture. the design accomplishes all that and.... yawn. 

however, the memorial is as solemn, poignant and heartbreaking as it should be...

these photos are from the south pool...

this is the north side of the museum (not yet opened.) the multiple mirrored surfaces can be disorienting.

the north pool and foot of 1 wtc...

the unopened museum...

a sad tribute...

daylight was fading. this shot looks south across both pools.

the middle pit of the pools is so deep that you cannot see the bottom, evoking feelings of unfathomable loss.  

the fountains up close. they are not as noisy as you might expect, but you can get wet when the wind blows.

as it drew into evening, the lights came on and reflected in the pool corners.

as we left, construction lights glowed from the nascent buildings...

FREE TICKETS: you must reserve tickets to the 9/11 memorial which you can do here.  it was sad to see so many people turned away at the gates of the memorial.