The 9/11 Memorial, evidence that nuclear fission was not involved on "9/11," the new WTC buildings (or lack of them), Oculus, the Winter Garden, "The Sphere," toasted cars, WTC-Cortland, and more!
Thank you, David, you've done an amazing analysis of the 911 site. Over the last decade, I've noted some symbolism. One thing I've seen is a night time picture showing light beams aimed at the sky from the both of the sunken memorial cubes. Perhaps they were sending a message to a distant planet which has a black cube as its symbol (?)
It speculative to suggest that in the same way that we've observed the inversion of right/wrong, good/bad, male/female, etc., flipping the values of our culture seems to be reflected symbolically and architecturally in the use of negative space, inside/outside, upside/downside. The cube memorial ponds being such an example, dedicated to the survivors (!), or the Oculus building, the graffiti beer garden, and the Declaration of Independence entombed underground - shades of the Patriot Act.
There is a striking similarity in architectural style to the large Israeli multi-acre-multi-structure holocaust monument site Yad Vashem. It seems that the structures there are not merely symbolic, but designed to channel the soul-energy of those who perished - but not only from the holocaust. At Yad Vashem, one the the structures is pointed directly at a former Palestinian town which was destroyed and many of the inhabitants massacred, although I don't think tourists are told that.
Will archeologists puzzle over this site as they do over the pyramids of Giza three thousand years from now? doubtful
Heinz Pommer speculated that the light beams you mention (https://abc7ny.com/tribute-in-light-nyc-skyline-lights-world-trade-center-twin-towers/293062/), which are now an annual tradition, are of a frequency that has a special nuclear significance. As I say, I don't buy his nuclear fission theory of the Twin Towers' destruction, but we certainly need to think carefully about why the event is memorialized in the way that it is.
I like your point about the Declaration of Independence being entombed underground. I hadn't thought about that aspect. Originally, the above ground section of the 9/11 museum was intended to be ten times larger than it ended up and to contain a human rights section. I guess the final museum and the WTC-Cortland show where human rights rank in relation to 9/11.
The master plan for the WTC site was designed by Daniel Libeskind, whose most famous work, arguably, is the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Michael Arad, who designed the 9/11 Memorial, is Israeli-American, and his father was an Israeli diplomat to the United States. So there are certainly links to Israel involved. Whether that means anything, I do not know.
Very interesting! A look at the architectural designs of Daniel Libeskind is a dystopian trip into 20th century cubists (Picasso, Georges Braque.) In an interview with Michael Arad on the 911 memorial, he talks of space, emptiness and time. An interesting juxtaposition between Libeskind and Arad. Considering the size and scope of both the 911 site and Yad Vashem has given me an appreciation for, and perhaps insight, into the grand design of master architects. It would take more than a passing knowledge of Masonry to see any any link between these two projects and Masonry. And yet, a quick search of "Washington DC occult layout" is a rabbit hole one could make repeated visits to.
David, you have done a remarkable job showing in stark detail before and after. Again, but this time what it looks like today. I will never go to NYC again. Dr. Judy Wood must be very grateful for your help in laying this out for the general public in easy to see graphic images and explanations. I know I am. It's solid. The unanswered questions are only unanswered by the people who perpetrated these evil acts will never tell. It's hard to know how many Americans are really interested in knowing these facts. As history goes, the way it is sold, memories are short, maybe because the story is short on details.
Another excellent article, David, with oodles of detailing, technical plans and photographs. Deeply fascinating and, as you say, eerie and troubling. Very thought-provoking. Many questions that still need answering all these years later.
What's still pressing on my mind since reading the post earlier is to ask you more about your own instinctive gut feelings and reactions whilst visiting the site and general area - and on reflection later? I'm fascinated to get more of an insight into what your honest blunt thoughts are on this (without having to quantify or evidence everything you might want to freely say).
I mean, about your sense of the evil and malevolent design and symbology that's seemingly baked into the rebuild, that perhaps seamlessly marries into the architectural patterns of the whole thing from the 1960s to the present unfolding story. Is there a deep dark thread of long-term planned coded malevolent intent? Is there a veiled staged message to the world in plain sight?
Are "They" telling us straight to our faces (as they always seem to like to do), flaunting the insignificance of humanity, taunting our apparent powerlessness and so on? Human rights in the basement, in the underground, in the ruins, as you pointed out, for example.
There are a lot of threaded gut-reaction thoughts of my own bouncing around in my head on this, thanks to your detailed coverage of the scene - I'm just trying to openly convey that out loud to you as a broad ranged question. Visceral thoughts, gut reactions?
One of the reasons for writing this article (and the next one, on the 9/11 Museum) is that I don't think enough critical attention has been paid to the ways in which "9/11" has been memorialized. There is so much to observe and contemplate, and memorialization of course is an unavoidably political act.
I wanted to get readers thinking about what the rebuilding of the WTC site really signifies. Immediately that has borne fruit with one reader's observation that human rights were relegated to the underground. This is not an accident. A political decision was taken to ensure that the human rights section of the above-ground museum (which was planned to be ten times larger than it is) was scrapped.
There are some who think that the Twin Towers were designed in a way that would facilitate their later destruction. I am also familiar with the US dollar Twin Towers symbolism and claims that there may be some masonic significance. However, I have no evidence that any of those things are true or meaningful. Evidence regarding the redesign, in contrast, is abundant and amenable to analysis.
I am not an expert in symbology, so it is hard for me to comment on that. For example, at one stage I wondered whether there is any significance to the apparent symbol formed on the roof of One World Trade Centre. It looks like the beginnings of a cross within a circle, but it is not that. So I chose not to comment on it.
Oculus is outright creepy. The (all-seeing?) eye symbolism is undeniable, and the idea of reliving a sense of vulnerability every September 11 seems textbook mind control.
I will have more to say on hidden (or not so hidden) messaging in my next piece. I think that, in the case of the 9/11 Memorial Museum, malevolent intent is easier to decode.
Thanks, David. Very interesting. I thought the Oculus was creepy, too. As you suggested, psychological mind-inducing trauma twiddling.
My gut is telling me that there must be layers of malevolent pyschological symbolism interwoven into the memorial designs, especially after all the Big Lies they've buried and suppressed.
It's surely loaded with political messaging. Just as history is always written by the victors (and plotters). It's too important as a global focal point (for 'educational' indoctrination purposes). What a warped world we live in!
Was the symbolic destruction of the Twin Towers intended to signify the fall of Western patriarchy and are there Phoenix-like transhumanist designs encoded in the reconstructed ruins and memorial structures such as the Oculus?
It would not surprise me at all if there's such symbology surrounding the whole story, from original architecture and construction to later redesigns of the site. It's all in their Script.Dictatorial AI and technocratic transhumanism.
It's as if they've built two giant Twin Towers for the world to see (and get used to for long enough) just so that "They" could later traumatically tear it down (on the world stage) and then rebuild (or 'rebirth') the whole thing into ceremonial transhumanist symbolic messaging - for all to see.
A trauma-abuse programming template, as a primer for the contrived 'Covid-Climate-Control' dystopian era.
Dear David: Thank you very much for this instructive and very heartfelt report; it’s wonderful!
In addition to being informative for me, your account has helped me understand my own reluctance to visit the WTC site — the reasons for which, admittedly, I have not pondered very much. And this is in spite of the fact that I live in New York and was here on 9/11. (I was 46 years old at the time.)
You’ve also provided me with a feeling of relief. For example, even before the Oculus was built, I was repelled by pictures I saw of the proposed structure. I thought it was awful; but I didn’t give much thought as to why. I figured that this was just one more instance of my “not fitting in” with most postmodern architectural sensibilities. But I’m not a such a silly oddball after all! You’re right, David: the Oculus is indeed “hideous”! And now, thanks to you, I have a better grasp on the multiple facets that make the Oculus as dreadful as it truly is.
But in addition to feeling awed by the cogent analysis and depth of feeling that come through in your report, I feel a little amused. You write: “[D]uring the taxi ride to our nearby hotel in lower Manhattan, I was struck by the fact that One World Trade Center appeared (or perhaps disappeared) as just one high-rise building among many.”
Well, of course it would do that — and any New Yorker could have told you so!
Indeed, the various possible visual perspectives of our city, in and of themselves, are amazing (as you discovered on your excursion to Staten Island). Additionally, I think it bears mentioning that some people might not even notice the very existence of some Manhattan skyscrapers — especially some buildings in Midtown that rank among the tallest in the U.S.A. These Midtown towers, surrounded by other tall buildings, are visible from only a few blocks away. They don’t even figure into the city’s skyline.
So — congratulations on acquiring these new perspectives on Manhattan buildings.
Therefore, in my authorized capacity (authorized by who? well, no one, really!), I hereby officially designate you as an “Honorary New Yorker”!
A few personal observations on the WTC site and its immediate surroundings . . . .
New York has been my home since I graduated from college in 1977, and for many years (on and off during 1979 – 1989) I worked in the Financial District. In those years, I walked by, or through, the WTC complex many times — typically, taking it pretty much for granted. Indeed, by the time I first arrived in this city, the novelty of the Twin Towers — at least among New Yorkers — was starting to diminish. Yes, they were amazing and they were iconic. Nevertheless, when the symmetry of their “look” got spoiled in 1979, via the installation of a huge antenna atop the North Tower, nobody (that I know of) minded the change. The prevailing attitude seemed to be: “Oh, so what?”
Here is a bit of fun trivia.
The 1933 classic movie “King Kong” was re-made in a modernized version in 1976 — with the WTC substituting for the Empire State Building. The re-make features Kong leaping from the top of the South Tower to the North Tower — with lovely Jessica Lange in hand. Portions of the movie were filmed on site. (Moreover, Jessica Lange, in her first movie role, adds a depth of humanness to her “pretty blonde” character that is amazing. The script is not very good, but when she speaks her lines, she makes them interesting anyway — strongly hinting at the marvels of her screen portrayals yet to come.)
Woody Allen incorporated the Twin Towers into the logo for his 1979 movie, “Manhattan” (see: https://bit.ly/3HxnsDi). Countless local business subsequently adopted the lettering for their own advertising, thereby making the logo a regular sight in signage all over Manhattan — for years!
Near the beginning of the hit 1989 movie, “When Harry Met Sally...” there is a scene in which its two stars (Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan) arrive in Manhattan on a road trip. The Twin Towers are visible, and the year is supposed to be 1977. So what’s that antenna doing, atop the North Tower?!
But I shall end this comment with some more serious notes.
The *human* aspects of the WTC and its vicinity were, for many years, a regular part of my life. For example, two of my friends worked in the Deutsche Bank Building. I visited one of them, in his office, at least once — and I’ll never forget his hilarious account of the women in the Word Processing Department. On their lunch break, they’d walk over to Century 21 — the bargain clothing store, which had no fitting rooms. Then they’d return to work and have “fashion shows in the ladies’ room.”
One weekend, my supervisor at a law firm where I did freelance work — in the Word Processing Department on the 57th floor at One Chase Plaza (now known as “28 Liberty Street”) — was particularly impressed with the hard work of the staff. She wanted to reward us. So she sent a messenger out, to the Burger King at 106 Liberty Street, to bring back complimentary dinners for all of us. (It was *this* Burger King that served as temporary NYPD headquarters for the immediate 9/11 aftermath.)
As for the Twin Towers themselves, well, I had occasion to go inside them on only a handful of occasions. And I ascended to the rooftop observation deck of the South Tower only two or three times. But the last time — in October 1998 — was particularly memorable: I was accompanied by a good friend from out-of-town who, less than two years later, sadly passed on at only 33 years in age. (Beloved, kind-hearted Thom — gone now, but not forgotten!)
Notwithstanding poignant memories like these and the fact that, for many years, I have been going for monthly osteopathy treatments at locations within a few blocks of the WTC, I have never felt drawn to go out of my way and explore the newly-developed site.
Twice, when the new WTC7 tower was almost ready to open, I had the privilege of being given tours of the building by one of its engineers (who is a neighbor of mine). Its functional inner fittings (the focus of my neighbor’s responsibilities) were interesting — but, yes, I thought the “look” of the building itself was (as you put it) “boring” and “unimaginative.”
Pictures I’ve seen of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum have all repelled me. Often, when I exit the subway to go to my regular osteopathy appointment, I see tourists heading over to the WTC site. It saddens me. What’s the likelihood that any of them have any inkling of the Big Lie? A very slim chance, I guess.
In recent years, I have heard about the curious aspects of the original WTC that date to its earliest planning days (and — who knows? — maybe even earlier). Especially in light of my new, post-2020 understanding of the darker aspects of The Powers That Shouldn’t Be, the possibility of “occult” factors playing a role seems credible to me.
But I take heart in knowing that despite whatever forces of malevolence may have been present during my days of working in the Financial District (and maybe even having a deleterious impact upon me), there was much about which to feel glad too! Life can be beautiful and joyful — or, at least, be imbued with moments that are beautiful and joyful — regardless of the circumstances. For me, that’s important to remember in the present. Best wishes, P.A.
Thank you for bringing a humane and lighter touch to some of this dark subject matter.
I am humbled to have been named an "honorary New Yorker."
Then again, I did receive an excellent education on NYC architecture while I was there, which I can use to wow people with anecdotes about, say, the Trump International Hotel. Therefore, I think I deserve my new title! ;)
You have taught me two new 9/11-related facts. For some reason, I never knew that the antenna was not attached until 1979 (or that When Harry Met Sally contains a mistake in that respect). I also did not know that the Burger King on Liberty Street (whose precise address at *106* Liberty Street I am amazed you know) served as a temporary NYPD HQ after the attacks.
By strange coincidence, I actually ate at that very Burger King. My family was determined to try McDonald's in the US, so, against my loud protests, I was dragged to the one on Broadway. There was indeed a difference between US McDonald's and UK McDonald's. The US McDonald's was full - no tables, and takeout service only. This has never happened to me in the UK. So, we went to Burger King instead, which was mostly empty. I did not realize at the time that my tour of all things 9/11-related was thereby continuing!
Re: King Kong, I heard a tour guide say that they had difficulty finding enough tenants for the new skyscrapers during the Great Depression and would hire people to turn lights on and off at night, to create the impression of them being used. But apparently, after King Kong came out in 1933, they had no trouble finding tenants for the Empire State building.
I also heard a tour guide talking about what is now a Trump building on Wall Street, which was once the tallest building in the world for about 48 hours. It was in competition with the Chrysler Building, and apparently while they were celebrating on the rooftop, the Chrysler people chose that very moment to raise the spire, which they had cunningly concealed inside the building until then.
I don't know how true those tour guide anecdotes are, but they greatly amused me!
I also learned that NYC was the capital of the United States in the late 1780s, and I saw the Federal Hall building where George Washington was inaugurated and the Bill of Rights was signed.
Dear Honorary (Fellow) New Yorker: I think the tour guides anecdotes you relate are probably true. I am familiar with them, though I have never performed follow-up research to try to ascertain their accuracy.
P.S. I feel amused by your claim to have engaged in “loud protests” against going to McDonald’s — an assertion, I strongly suspect, that constitutes a euphemism being deployed for dramatic literary effect. I just can’t picture it!
Instead, I can picture our good Dr. Hughes engaging in much more gentlemanly behavior — say, pursing his lips, rolling his eyes and calmly explaining cogent reasons why visiting McDonald’s would be a bad idea.
But, of course, when up against McDonald’s fans, our wise Englishman from Lincolnshire probably was savvy enough to recognize that — ultimately — resistance would prove futile. The exemplary scholar might even have tried to describe the ways in which McDonald’s is a tool of the globalist oligarchy and how patronizing one of its outlets would constitute contributing to the possible future enslavement of humanity.
But — never mind. In truth, there was no choice but to capitulate and allow yourself to be “dragged” over to the McDonald’s closest to your hotel. And so, on account of the lack of seating therein, you wound up at Burger King instead.
Although the bill of fare at Burger King may not have been to your liking either, at least there was the compensating fact (albeit unknown at the time) that you were visiting a historically significant site!
At any rate, yes, there exist outlets of McDonald’s in New York with ample seating areas. So please come back sometime and check one out!
SUCH AN EXCELLENT POST…WORDS AND PICTURES. WITH MY LIMITED EYESIGHT IT WOULD BE YOUR VERY DESCRIPTIVE WORDS THAT TOOK ME BACK INTO TIME AND MY MEMORY OF THAT DREADFUL EVENT. THIS WAS AMERICA?
AND NOW TO 2025 AND LAST NIGHTS HADLINE. LOS ANGELES PROTESTS…MSNBC: Roughly 500 Marines are prepared to deploy if needed to help authorities in Los Angeles amid protests. NBC News' Courtney Kube discusses.
3,000 …not to be without empathy. A small number in view of all that would follow. I mean a drop in an ocean. The power that was purchased for that price. Wow. A bargain
I think covid and jabs being thought of that way too. Not being pulled because it is connected to a platform and that platform is connected to synthetic biology connected many grand and ghoulish goals. In many or most institutions creating artificial life, “regencies” and many many more genetic products being developed. Eugenics
Thank you, David, you've done an amazing analysis of the 911 site. Over the last decade, I've noted some symbolism. One thing I've seen is a night time picture showing light beams aimed at the sky from the both of the sunken memorial cubes. Perhaps they were sending a message to a distant planet which has a black cube as its symbol (?)
It speculative to suggest that in the same way that we've observed the inversion of right/wrong, good/bad, male/female, etc., flipping the values of our culture seems to be reflected symbolically and architecturally in the use of negative space, inside/outside, upside/downside. The cube memorial ponds being such an example, dedicated to the survivors (!), or the Oculus building, the graffiti beer garden, and the Declaration of Independence entombed underground - shades of the Patriot Act.
There is a striking similarity in architectural style to the large Israeli multi-acre-multi-structure holocaust monument site Yad Vashem. It seems that the structures there are not merely symbolic, but designed to channel the soul-energy of those who perished - but not only from the holocaust. At Yad Vashem, one the the structures is pointed directly at a former Palestinian town which was destroyed and many of the inhabitants massacred, although I don't think tourists are told that.
Will archeologists puzzle over this site as they do over the pyramids of Giza three thousand years from now? doubtful
Heinz Pommer speculated that the light beams you mention (https://abc7ny.com/tribute-in-light-nyc-skyline-lights-world-trade-center-twin-towers/293062/), which are now an annual tradition, are of a frequency that has a special nuclear significance. As I say, I don't buy his nuclear fission theory of the Twin Towers' destruction, but we certainly need to think carefully about why the event is memorialized in the way that it is.
I like your point about the Declaration of Independence being entombed underground. I hadn't thought about that aspect. Originally, the above ground section of the 9/11 museum was intended to be ten times larger than it ended up and to contain a human rights section. I guess the final museum and the WTC-Cortland show where human rights rank in relation to 9/11.
The master plan for the WTC site was designed by Daniel Libeskind, whose most famous work, arguably, is the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Michael Arad, who designed the 9/11 Memorial, is Israeli-American, and his father was an Israeli diplomat to the United States. So there are certainly links to Israel involved. Whether that means anything, I do not know.
Very interesting! A look at the architectural designs of Daniel Libeskind is a dystopian trip into 20th century cubists (Picasso, Georges Braque.) In an interview with Michael Arad on the 911 memorial, he talks of space, emptiness and time. An interesting juxtaposition between Libeskind and Arad. Considering the size and scope of both the 911 site and Yad Vashem has given me an appreciation for, and perhaps insight, into the grand design of master architects. It would take more than a passing knowledge of Masonry to see any any link between these two projects and Masonry. And yet, a quick search of "Washington DC occult layout" is a rabbit hole one could make repeated visits to.
Too many links for my likes!
David, you have done a remarkable job showing in stark detail before and after. Again, but this time what it looks like today. I will never go to NYC again. Dr. Judy Wood must be very grateful for your help in laying this out for the general public in easy to see graphic images and explanations. I know I am. It's solid. The unanswered questions are only unanswered by the people who perpetrated these evil acts will never tell. It's hard to know how many Americans are really interested in knowing these facts. As history goes, the way it is sold, memories are short, maybe because the story is short on details.
Thanks, Alison.
Appreciate this piece, but all those pesky questions…don’t we love Big Brother’s TSA and 24/7 mass surveillance?
Another excellent article, David, with oodles of detailing, technical plans and photographs. Deeply fascinating and, as you say, eerie and troubling. Very thought-provoking. Many questions that still need answering all these years later.
What's still pressing on my mind since reading the post earlier is to ask you more about your own instinctive gut feelings and reactions whilst visiting the site and general area - and on reflection later? I'm fascinated to get more of an insight into what your honest blunt thoughts are on this (without having to quantify or evidence everything you might want to freely say).
I mean, about your sense of the evil and malevolent design and symbology that's seemingly baked into the rebuild, that perhaps seamlessly marries into the architectural patterns of the whole thing from the 1960s to the present unfolding story. Is there a deep dark thread of long-term planned coded malevolent intent? Is there a veiled staged message to the world in plain sight?
Are "They" telling us straight to our faces (as they always seem to like to do), flaunting the insignificance of humanity, taunting our apparent powerlessness and so on? Human rights in the basement, in the underground, in the ruins, as you pointed out, for example.
There are a lot of threaded gut-reaction thoughts of my own bouncing around in my head on this, thanks to your detailed coverage of the scene - I'm just trying to openly convey that out loud to you as a broad ranged question. Visceral thoughts, gut reactions?
Great questions, Nigel!
One of the reasons for writing this article (and the next one, on the 9/11 Museum) is that I don't think enough critical attention has been paid to the ways in which "9/11" has been memorialized. There is so much to observe and contemplate, and memorialization of course is an unavoidably political act.
I wanted to get readers thinking about what the rebuilding of the WTC site really signifies. Immediately that has borne fruit with one reader's observation that human rights were relegated to the underground. This is not an accident. A political decision was taken to ensure that the human rights section of the above-ground museum (which was planned to be ten times larger than it is) was scrapped.
There are some who think that the Twin Towers were designed in a way that would facilitate their later destruction. I am also familiar with the US dollar Twin Towers symbolism and claims that there may be some masonic significance. However, I have no evidence that any of those things are true or meaningful. Evidence regarding the redesign, in contrast, is abundant and amenable to analysis.
I am not an expert in symbology, so it is hard for me to comment on that. For example, at one stage I wondered whether there is any significance to the apparent symbol formed on the roof of One World Trade Centre. It looks like the beginnings of a cross within a circle, but it is not that. So I chose not to comment on it.
Oculus is outright creepy. The (all-seeing?) eye symbolism is undeniable, and the idea of reliving a sense of vulnerability every September 11 seems textbook mind control.
I will have more to say on hidden (or not so hidden) messaging in my next piece. I think that, in the case of the 9/11 Memorial Museum, malevolent intent is easier to decode.
Thanks, David. Very interesting. I thought the Oculus was creepy, too. As you suggested, psychological mind-inducing trauma twiddling.
My gut is telling me that there must be layers of malevolent pyschological symbolism interwoven into the memorial designs, especially after all the Big Lies they've buried and suppressed.
It's surely loaded with political messaging. Just as history is always written by the victors (and plotters). It's too important as a global focal point (for 'educational' indoctrination purposes). What a warped world we live in!
I think that is why we need experts in symbology to be taking a look at this.
Not being one of those, I didn't spot much, but I did clock multiple reasons for asking critical questions about the redesign of the WTC site.
Was the symbolic destruction of the Twin Towers intended to signify the fall of Western patriarchy and are there Phoenix-like transhumanist designs encoded in the reconstructed ruins and memorial structures such as the Oculus?
It would not surprise me at all if there's such symbology surrounding the whole story, from original architecture and construction to later redesigns of the site. It's all in their Script.Dictatorial AI and technocratic transhumanism.
It's as if they've built two giant Twin Towers for the world to see (and get used to for long enough) just so that "They" could later traumatically tear it down (on the world stage) and then rebuild (or 'rebirth') the whole thing into ceremonial transhumanist symbolic messaging - for all to see.
A trauma-abuse programming template, as a primer for the contrived 'Covid-Climate-Control' dystopian era.
There's certainly the element of rebirth involved.
Personally, I doubt that the technology used to destroy the towers was available when they were first built, but who knows?
Dear David: Thank you very much for this instructive and very heartfelt report; it’s wonderful!
In addition to being informative for me, your account has helped me understand my own reluctance to visit the WTC site — the reasons for which, admittedly, I have not pondered very much. And this is in spite of the fact that I live in New York and was here on 9/11. (I was 46 years old at the time.)
You’ve also provided me with a feeling of relief. For example, even before the Oculus was built, I was repelled by pictures I saw of the proposed structure. I thought it was awful; but I didn’t give much thought as to why. I figured that this was just one more instance of my “not fitting in” with most postmodern architectural sensibilities. But I’m not a such a silly oddball after all! You’re right, David: the Oculus is indeed “hideous”! And now, thanks to you, I have a better grasp on the multiple facets that make the Oculus as dreadful as it truly is.
But in addition to feeling awed by the cogent analysis and depth of feeling that come through in your report, I feel a little amused. You write: “[D]uring the taxi ride to our nearby hotel in lower Manhattan, I was struck by the fact that One World Trade Center appeared (or perhaps disappeared) as just one high-rise building among many.”
Well, of course it would do that — and any New Yorker could have told you so!
Indeed, the various possible visual perspectives of our city, in and of themselves, are amazing (as you discovered on your excursion to Staten Island). Additionally, I think it bears mentioning that some people might not even notice the very existence of some Manhattan skyscrapers — especially some buildings in Midtown that rank among the tallest in the U.S.A. These Midtown towers, surrounded by other tall buildings, are visible from only a few blocks away. They don’t even figure into the city’s skyline.
So — congratulations on acquiring these new perspectives on Manhattan buildings.
Therefore, in my authorized capacity (authorized by who? well, no one, really!), I hereby officially designate you as an “Honorary New Yorker”!
A few personal observations on the WTC site and its immediate surroundings . . . .
New York has been my home since I graduated from college in 1977, and for many years (on and off during 1979 – 1989) I worked in the Financial District. In those years, I walked by, or through, the WTC complex many times — typically, taking it pretty much for granted. Indeed, by the time I first arrived in this city, the novelty of the Twin Towers — at least among New Yorkers — was starting to diminish. Yes, they were amazing and they were iconic. Nevertheless, when the symmetry of their “look” got spoiled in 1979, via the installation of a huge antenna atop the North Tower, nobody (that I know of) minded the change. The prevailing attitude seemed to be: “Oh, so what?”
Here is a bit of fun trivia.
The 1933 classic movie “King Kong” was re-made in a modernized version in 1976 — with the WTC substituting for the Empire State Building. The re-make features Kong leaping from the top of the South Tower to the North Tower — with lovely Jessica Lange in hand. Portions of the movie were filmed on site. (Moreover, Jessica Lange, in her first movie role, adds a depth of humanness to her “pretty blonde” character that is amazing. The script is not very good, but when she speaks her lines, she makes them interesting anyway — strongly hinting at the marvels of her screen portrayals yet to come.)
Woody Allen incorporated the Twin Towers into the logo for his 1979 movie, “Manhattan” (see: https://bit.ly/3HxnsDi). Countless local business subsequently adopted the lettering for their own advertising, thereby making the logo a regular sight in signage all over Manhattan — for years!
Near the beginning of the hit 1989 movie, “When Harry Met Sally...” there is a scene in which its two stars (Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan) arrive in Manhattan on a road trip. The Twin Towers are visible, and the year is supposed to be 1977. So what’s that antenna doing, atop the North Tower?!
But I shall end this comment with some more serious notes.
The *human* aspects of the WTC and its vicinity were, for many years, a regular part of my life. For example, two of my friends worked in the Deutsche Bank Building. I visited one of them, in his office, at least once — and I’ll never forget his hilarious account of the women in the Word Processing Department. On their lunch break, they’d walk over to Century 21 — the bargain clothing store, which had no fitting rooms. Then they’d return to work and have “fashion shows in the ladies’ room.”
One weekend, my supervisor at a law firm where I did freelance work — in the Word Processing Department on the 57th floor at One Chase Plaza (now known as “28 Liberty Street”) — was particularly impressed with the hard work of the staff. She wanted to reward us. So she sent a messenger out, to the Burger King at 106 Liberty Street, to bring back complimentary dinners for all of us. (It was *this* Burger King that served as temporary NYPD headquarters for the immediate 9/11 aftermath.)
As for the Twin Towers themselves, well, I had occasion to go inside them on only a handful of occasions. And I ascended to the rooftop observation deck of the South Tower only two or three times. But the last time — in October 1998 — was particularly memorable: I was accompanied by a good friend from out-of-town who, less than two years later, sadly passed on at only 33 years in age. (Beloved, kind-hearted Thom — gone now, but not forgotten!)
Notwithstanding poignant memories like these and the fact that, for many years, I have been going for monthly osteopathy treatments at locations within a few blocks of the WTC, I have never felt drawn to go out of my way and explore the newly-developed site.
Twice, when the new WTC7 tower was almost ready to open, I had the privilege of being given tours of the building by one of its engineers (who is a neighbor of mine). Its functional inner fittings (the focus of my neighbor’s responsibilities) were interesting — but, yes, I thought the “look” of the building itself was (as you put it) “boring” and “unimaginative.”
Pictures I’ve seen of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum have all repelled me. Often, when I exit the subway to go to my regular osteopathy appointment, I see tourists heading over to the WTC site. It saddens me. What’s the likelihood that any of them have any inkling of the Big Lie? A very slim chance, I guess.
In recent years, I have heard about the curious aspects of the original WTC that date to its earliest planning days (and — who knows? — maybe even earlier). Especially in light of my new, post-2020 understanding of the darker aspects of The Powers That Shouldn’t Be, the possibility of “occult” factors playing a role seems credible to me.
But I take heart in knowing that despite whatever forces of malevolence may have been present during my days of working in the Financial District (and maybe even having a deleterious impact upon me), there was much about which to feel glad too! Life can be beautiful and joyful — or, at least, be imbued with moments that are beautiful and joyful — regardless of the circumstances. For me, that’s important to remember in the present. Best wishes, P.A.
What wonderful anecdotes, Peter!
Thank you for bringing a humane and lighter touch to some of this dark subject matter.
I am humbled to have been named an "honorary New Yorker."
Then again, I did receive an excellent education on NYC architecture while I was there, which I can use to wow people with anecdotes about, say, the Trump International Hotel. Therefore, I think I deserve my new title! ;)
You have taught me two new 9/11-related facts. For some reason, I never knew that the antenna was not attached until 1979 (or that When Harry Met Sally contains a mistake in that respect). I also did not know that the Burger King on Liberty Street (whose precise address at *106* Liberty Street I am amazed you know) served as a temporary NYPD HQ after the attacks.
By strange coincidence, I actually ate at that very Burger King. My family was determined to try McDonald's in the US, so, against my loud protests, I was dragged to the one on Broadway. There was indeed a difference between US McDonald's and UK McDonald's. The US McDonald's was full - no tables, and takeout service only. This has never happened to me in the UK. So, we went to Burger King instead, which was mostly empty. I did not realize at the time that my tour of all things 9/11-related was thereby continuing!
Re: King Kong, I heard a tour guide say that they had difficulty finding enough tenants for the new skyscrapers during the Great Depression and would hire people to turn lights on and off at night, to create the impression of them being used. But apparently, after King Kong came out in 1933, they had no trouble finding tenants for the Empire State building.
I also heard a tour guide talking about what is now a Trump building on Wall Street, which was once the tallest building in the world for about 48 hours. It was in competition with the Chrysler Building, and apparently while they were celebrating on the rooftop, the Chrysler people chose that very moment to raise the spire, which they had cunningly concealed inside the building until then.
I don't know how true those tour guide anecdotes are, but they greatly amused me!
I also learned that NYC was the capital of the United States in the late 1780s, and I saw the Federal Hall building where George Washington was inaugurated and the Bill of Rights was signed.
All in all, a very educational trip!
Dear Honorary (Fellow) New Yorker: I think the tour guides anecdotes you relate are probably true. I am familiar with them, though I have never performed follow-up research to try to ascertain their accuracy.
For an article about the Burger King restaurant and its place in 9/11 history, see: https://bit.ly/4mWsEAN. For additional photos, see: https://bit.ly/45N7sHc.
Best wishes, P.A.
P.S. I feel amused by your claim to have engaged in “loud protests” against going to McDonald’s — an assertion, I strongly suspect, that constitutes a euphemism being deployed for dramatic literary effect. I just can’t picture it!
Instead, I can picture our good Dr. Hughes engaging in much more gentlemanly behavior — say, pursing his lips, rolling his eyes and calmly explaining cogent reasons why visiting McDonald’s would be a bad idea.
But, of course, when up against McDonald’s fans, our wise Englishman from Lincolnshire probably was savvy enough to recognize that — ultimately — resistance would prove futile. The exemplary scholar might even have tried to describe the ways in which McDonald’s is a tool of the globalist oligarchy and how patronizing one of its outlets would constitute contributing to the possible future enslavement of humanity.
But — never mind. In truth, there was no choice but to capitulate and allow yourself to be “dragged” over to the McDonald’s closest to your hotel. And so, on account of the lack of seating therein, you wound up at Burger King instead.
Although the bill of fare at Burger King may not have been to your liking either, at least there was the compensating fact (albeit unknown at the time) that you were visiting a historically significant site!
At any rate, yes, there exist outlets of McDonald’s in New York with ample seating areas. So please come back sometime and check one out!
If I am lucky enough to get tickets for a World Cup match in New Jersey next year, I'll be coming back!
I cannot envisage going to McDonald's or Burger King, however....
Oh, boy! Here's hoping you get what you want, David! Cheers, P.
LEGALLY BLIND, THUS CAPS
SUCH AN EXCELLENT POST…WORDS AND PICTURES. WITH MY LIMITED EYESIGHT IT WOULD BE YOUR VERY DESCRIPTIVE WORDS THAT TOOK ME BACK INTO TIME AND MY MEMORY OF THAT DREADFUL EVENT. THIS WAS AMERICA?
AND NOW TO 2025 AND LAST NIGHTS HADLINE. LOS ANGELES PROTESTS…MSNBC: Roughly 500 Marines are prepared to deploy if needed to help authorities in Los Angeles amid protests. NBC News' Courtney Kube discusses.
June 9, 2025
THIS IS AMERICA?
I wonder if the 56 metre high base of the One World Trade Centre is designed to withstand a tsunami during a geophysical event.
Who knows? ;)
3,000 …not to be without empathy. A small number in view of all that would follow. I mean a drop in an ocean. The power that was purchased for that price. Wow. A bargain
Chomsky made the same point. He added that the "original 9/11" (the 1973 Chile coup) killed a much higher proportion of the population.
I think covid and jabs being thought of that way too. Not being pulled because it is connected to a platform and that platform is connected to synthetic biology connected many grand and ghoulish goals. In many or most institutions creating artificial life, “regencies” and many many more genetic products being developed. Eugenics
regenesis