10 years after 9/11, New York residents reflect

Related Photos

(Top) Ivan Rubenstein-Gillis, Isaac Maddow-Zimet.
(Bottom) Fletcher Haulley, Ben Bearman CTW Features

10 years after 9/11, New York residents reflect

Life in city has been forever changed

By Michael Falco CTW FEATURES The Stillwater News Press Thu Aug 25, 2011, 12:20 PM CDT

NEW YORK — Ten years after 9/11, New York residents reflect on the tragic events of the day – and how life in the city has been forever altered.

Tributes: Post messages of hope, remembrance

IVAN RUBENSTEIN-GILLIS, 39

Midwood, Brooklyn -- Musician

What are your memories of Sept. 11?

I drove upstate early on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, to do some recording in the country. I remember that it was one of the most beautiful days I have ever seen — a crisp clarity of light you could see for miles. When I arrived in Ulster County, I received a call to turn on the news. Two hours away from my apartment on 14th Street and 7th Avenue, my friend and I stared at the televised horror, transfixed.

How have things changed since then?

Well, in some ways, everything's changed, I think, about American culture, generally, more than just NYC. But New Yorkers are, true to their reputation, pretty gritty and resilient. I don't think things are very different.

ISAAC MADDOW-ZIMET, 23

Williamsburg, Brooklyn -- Research Scientist

What memories do you have of Sept. 11?

I was a freshman at Stuyvesant High School, downtown, so I was about a week or two into school on Sept. 11. We were sitting in Spanish class when the planes hit, and [we] saw the second one collide into the tower, just a few blocks away, out of our classroom window. Our school was turned into a triage center [and] we were evacuated by Secret Service agents about an hour or two after the first plane hit. I remember turning back as I left the school and seeing this huge plume of smoke suddenly come up. It wasn't until I got home that I realized it was the north tower collapsing.

How has the city changed since that day?

I'm not sure it has, quite honestly. If anything, maybe I think that there's a sense, among New Yorkers, that only another New Yorker can relate to what that day was like — that it was a certain kind of communal experience, that changed us, and changed the city but not necessarily in a clear-cut way.

I think it's subtle though, and it's rare that I notice it day to day. It's more in the kind of glance that you'll give to any other New Yorkers in the room when the subject comes up, that you, and they, know what it was like.

FLETCHER HAULLEY, 30

Morningside Heights, Manhattan -- Researcher

What are your memories of that day?

It was simply incomprehensible. The smell of the burning, collapsed buildings just lingered on … There was literally no way not to think about the attacks, at all times, for weeks afterward, as the smell was an ever-present reminder. Life seemed paused. Schools were closed. Businesses were closed. All you could do was visit the makeshift memorials.

How has the city changed since Sept. 11?

Everything that seemed so different and permanent in the aftermath of the attacks has become routine and has reverted to the way it was before. I think it’s kind of the same for the fire and police departments, even. It seemed like we would become a friendlier, more helpful, cohesive city after the attacks, but that didn't take long to revert, either. The city has definitely changed, but I don't know how much has to do with 9/11.

BEN BEARMAN, 28

Sugar Hill, Manhattan -- Information Technology

What do you remember from Sept. 11?

I woke up late that morning — around 10:30. I remember panicking because my mother worked in Tower 7. I was very upset until we heard from her around 2. She had been late to work that day and her train stopped in the tunnel after the first attack. Once my family was accounted for, I tried to go help at ground zero, but they were turning away volunteers by then.

[Ed: The original 7 World Trade Center building was located across from the twin towers and destroyed in terrorists attacks; the current 7 World Trade Center opened in 2006.]

How has the city changed since 9/11?

It's hard to remember what NYC was like before 9/11. It seems normal now to have cops with assault rifles on guard duty, K-9 teams in Time Square, and “If You See Something, Say Something.” signs in the subway. I think we all take the threat that we live under more seriously.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

CNHI Special Projects

Audio: How can we better prepare for tornadoes?
An NPR broadcast examines the question of how communities can better prepare for tornadoes like the one that struck Moore, Okla. on Monday. The broadcast features commentary from Michael Fitzgerald, who reported a five-part disaster series for the CNHI News Service.

May 22, 2013 1 Photo
Photos: Aftermath of massive tornado in Moore Storm victims were pulled from the rubble and residents began surveying the damage late Monday and early Tuesday in the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, where a powerful tornado destroyed entire neighborhoods and left dozens dead.
May 21, 2013
The Big One: Preparing for mid-America earthquake
It’s a bleak scenario. A massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault kills or injures 60,000 people in Tennessee. A quarter of a million people are homeless.

May 19, 2013 3 Photos 3 Stories
VIDEO: How sequestration could affect US flood warning system
Oregon and Idaho each had to shut down three water gauges due to automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration. Watch how Idaho relies on these water gauges, from tracking drought conditions to determining stream levels for salmon.

May 15, 2013 1 Photo
Warning Signs: Technology speeds disaster alerts, response
Technology has changed the way Americans get ready for disasters and respond to them – with more precise forecasts, personalized weather warnings and more efficient recovery efforts. And it will continue to help us be more prepared.

May 12, 2013 3 Photos
VIDEO: High-tech storm prediction center warns residents of tornadoes
At the National Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., the team of meteorologists charged with predicting when and where tornadoes may strike rely on ever-changing technology to get the job done.

May 12, 2013 1 Photo
VIDEO: Misconceptions about predicting tornadoes
National Weather Center personnel Lans Rothfusz and David Andra speak about the misconceptions the public may have when it comes to the National Storm Prediction Center in Norman.

May 11, 2013 1 Photo 1 Story
VIDEO: Take an inside look at storm prediction center
National Weather Center personnel Lans Rothfusz and David Andra give viewers an idea of the day-to-day happenings at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla.

May 9, 2013 1 Photo
When the earth moves under our feet
One of the most breath-taking geologic events is a major earthquake. In just a few moments, shaking of the Earth can result in billions of dollars of damage and thousands of lives lost.

May 8, 2013 1 Photo
When in a tornado, here's what not to do
Highway overpasses are widely thought to be a last-minute refuge from a tornado, thanks in part to this 1991 video. But, meteorologists say, taking shelter beneath a bridge is probably the last place you want to be when a tornado strikes.

May 7, 2013 1 Photo
More CNHI Special Projects Headlines

CNHI Special Projects

Search Results

Related Photos

Related Links

10 years after 9/11, New York residents reflect

Life in city has been forever changed

Site Map

Contact Us