World Trade Center Memorial & Brooklyn Bridge

     Wednesday. Our last FULL day in NYC. We left the apartment earlier than usual, grabbed a bagel, and took the subway downtown to the Brooklyn Bridge. We sat and ate outside NYC City Hall before beginning our walk across the bridge. The walk was shorter than I thought it would be, but beautiful! I've gotten GREAT views of the bridge from rooftops and the water, and now I finally got to see it going across. Thankfully, it wasn't too hot yet since it was earlier in the day. We got some more great photos of the bridge! It's been my favorite thing to capture so far ;) When we got to Brooklyn, we considered going to the famous Grimaldi's for a slice of pizza... we had read online and there were a couple of articles that suggested it might have closed or moved locations, so we weren't even sure if it'd be worth it. Plus, we had to be back by 1pm for our World Trade Center Memorial Tour. So instead, we went to get ice cream from the Old Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory right at the base of the bridge (thanks for the suggestion, Mrs. Gomez!). As it happened, to get to the ice cream place, we walked right past Grimaldi's! It wasn't open, but there were people outside in line, so I'm assuming it was just too early for pizza. Anyway, the ice cream was delicious! We ate it as we rushed to catch a subway back to Manhattan. We were running late for our tour, so we were seriously booking it! Our feet were killing us!

     Eventually, we picked up our tickets and made it the World Trade Center Memorial Site Entrance. Once inside the Memorial, we walked around the 2 reflection pools, saw the Survivor Tree, and just sat and watched as they worked on building WTC 1 & WTC 4. It was a very somber atmosphere. Words can't describe it... I just sat on one of their benches and teared up thinking about what the city went through on 9/11. Being there in the shadows of the towers and knowing how devastating it was, how it changed so many things in the US...I just can't begin to fathom how such a bustling, loud city could just shut down and be so disconnected from everything for the next few days... The Reflection Pools --the twin towers footsteps--were big and beautiful with the waterfalls and inscribed names. I wish the Trident Museum was already open, and that the rest of the new towers were finished so that I could get the complete view. It's going to be AMAZING!!!!! 7 buildings, 4 of them taller, with WTC1 being the tallest at 1776 feet-- the tallest building in NYC and the United States. Seeing the elaborate plans for it made me feel proud to be an American-- we are resilient people! It's like the lyrics in Lee Greenwood's song, "Proud to be an American." He sings, "I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free/And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me/And I gladly stand up, next to you, and defend her still today/'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land, God Bless the USA!"

     We left there, mostly because the trees they planted aren't full-grown and the sun was beating down on us! Jeff was feeling very dehydrated so we went in search of water. Then, we stopped by St. Paul's Church-- the subject of the book The Little Chapel that Stood (Remember it? I read it every year on 9/11!). Jeff rested as I walked around the chapel-- now a memorial site. The church opened in the 1700's and George Washington even came for service after his inauguration. It's stayed standing since then, and somehow survived the attack on the Twin Towers, even though it was right at their base. Immediately following 9/11, it was used as a gathering point/home base for volunteers, firemen, police. Police would work 12 hours, then come to the chapel to eat, change, and pass out on its pews before going back to work. Knowing the church's history and role from reading the book, and then seeing it in person, left me in awe. I had teared up at the Memorial, but I was full on CRYING as I walked around the chapel and read the letters that people had sent from around the world. It is inspiring and made me proud to know how people can truly come together in times of crisis. It was one of my favorite things I saw in NY!!!

     We both needed a physical and emotional break after the morning, so we decided to take a subway back uptown and catch another double-decker tour bus. We had been trying to eat at places that we didn't have in California, but I cheated and got a Jamba Juice! ;) I had to get my last fix before Spain!!! With Jamba Juices in hand, we got on another bus and did a tour of Uptown Manhattan-- starting at Central Park Southwest, seeing Yoko Ono & John Lennon's apartment, touring Columbia University, passing by Ulysses S. Grant's grave & the church Rockefeller Jr. dedicated to his parents, before reaching Harlem. In Harlem, we could see the difference in parks/playgrounds and apartment buildings. But it was daytime, and we were perfectly safe. We even got to pass by the Apollo Theater and Harlem Market that Malcolm X started. Finally, we reached Museum Mile on Central Park's Upper East Side, and we saw the Met & Guggenheim. It felt soooo good to just sit for almost 2 hours :) Except that it was still hot! 

Beautiful Brooklyn Bridge 

On our way to Brooklyn to get some ice cream!

WTC 1 from the Reflection Pools

The names were organized, and families of the victims could request that certain names be put together 

So sad to see all the names of people who died inscribed along the 2 large pools... this one even said, "...and her unborn child."

The Survivor Tree! It survived 9/11! 

The 2 Reflection Pools had 30 feet waterfalls on every side that cascaded down into a big black hole in the center of the pool...seemingly, into emptiness.

I would NOT want to be a worker having to go up/down that elevator to work on the building! They somehow even got a big crane to the top of it! Not my cup of tea.

St. Paul's Chapel!

One of the pews where the police or firemen came to rest/sleep after a 10-12 hour shift of trying to recover bodies. The scuff marks are from their boots that they were too tired to take off. 

I left a message on behalf of Randall, thanking everyone who helped after the 9/11 tragedy.

They replaced the pews with cots, and people from all over mailed teddy bears to provide the volunteers comfort at this horrible time; it worked.

People sent letters and mementos to the church; it became the unofficial memorial site for the rescuers. They saved over 250 boxes worth of stuff! 

343 symbolizes the number of firemen who died on 9/11

Police and firemen from all over the world bring their patch and leave it in this big collection to offer their support for NYPD and NYFD

I even found CHP! 

George Washington's Pew-- he sat here after his inauguration as the first President of the United States! The church was built in 1766!

Back on the double decker bus, this was the original subway station in NY

A Gothic Cathedral in NYC... there will be LOTS more in Europe!!!

Ulysses S. Grant's tomb-- he was the Northern General in the Civil War. President Abe Lincoln chose him to lead the troops, and he helped defeat the Confederate Army. General Robert E. Lee surrendered to him to end the war that ended slavery. 

The famous Apollo Theater in Harlem: one of the oldest (built in 1913) and most famous music halls in US history, especially known for its African American performers. Their famous amateur nights' motto is, "Where stars are born and legends are made!" People like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, and Jimi Hendrix have all launched their careers there. 

Duke Ellington statue in the Harlem side of Central Park-- Harlem is known for its Jazz! 

The MET Museum steps in the Upper East Side (a fancy neighborhood where Jackie Kennedy Onassis lived, and where the tv show Gossip Girl takes place)