New York 9/11 Memorial Tour

The World Trade Center was an idea born at the 1939 Worlds Fair, and brought to life by David and Nelson Rockefeller in the 1950s; but it is a very personal experience for me. My father's first office - in 1946 - was one block from where the Trade Center would be built 25 years later, and was my sales territory in the 1980s. Although I had been to every floor (except the basement) of each building (and there were 7 original buildings), and I knew many who worked there, I feel fortunate that no one I knew perished there. But when we visit the Memorial I can tell you very personal stories of many of those who were there that day; the old saying about six degrees of separation is very true here for me. We shall discuss the architecture and the design of the original Trade Center as well as the new one; and we shall cross over to the landfill, provided by the excavation for the original World Trade Center, that we know today as Brookfield Place in Battery Park City.

Our day and the time we start the tour is flexible and is meant to accommodate your schedule and interests. We will visit: • St. Paul's Chapel - where George Washington worshipped after his inauguration in 1789, and where First Responders rested and recuperated during the months following September 11, 2001 • Fulton Center - before we encounter the Memorial we will see some of the changes and improvements in downtown Manhattan • Wall Street - we will see the original Mercantile Exchange, which survived the great fire of 1836, when its statue of Alexander Hamilton was crushed by the collapse of its dome; and we'll see the reminder of the first terrorist attack on Wall Street in 1920 • The Oculus - this is connected, underground, to the Fulton Center, and together they satisfy the request for a "transit center" - but you'll see it's much more! • The 9/11 Memorial - as we exit the Oculus • The 11 Tears Memorial for the 11 AMEX employees lost on 9/11at the American Express Tower in Battery Park City