I was sent (SIX BLOCKS AWAY!) to the South St. Seaport to get my ticket for the viewing platform. I had two hours to kill before my 30 minute window, so I hung out at PIER 17. If you walk to the end of the pier, you can see the Brooklyn Bridge to your left.
People in line for the viewing platform. The flag and the temporary wall to the left have hundreds of signatures from people all around the world on them. St. Paul's Chapel is just to my right. Looking up, I could still see debris from 9/11 in the tree branches.
The view from the platform facing Church Street. I could barely see the top of the crevice. It is shocking to believe this is all that is left of the World Trade Center.
A close-up of the Winter Garden between Financial Centers 2 and 3. The NYPD gives each viewing group less than 10 minutes on the platform so it's very hard to absorb everything, snap pictures, and reflect at the same time.
The view looking left from the platform (toward Liberty Street). One Liberty Plaza sustained heavy damage and is undergoing repairs. You can also see the World Financial Center—the next tallest building—to its right.
Walking down the ramp from the platform, I saw this monument with workers of the past sitting on a construction beam and eating lunch—a reminder of more peaceful times.
