One World Observatory

Last weekend I finally made it back up to the WTC since the observation deck was opened in the new (single) building, One World Trade Center.

Back in the summer of 1988, we visited the observation deck at the prior Twin Towers.   These were originally built in 1974.  We had been to Manhattan a few times in the late 1970s but only visited the Empire State Building (ESB).  

Observation Deck.  This was in the South Tower.   Having previously experienced the ESB, I was disappointed with this.  First off, the ESB is in the middle of Manhattan (34 & Fifth Ave) so the view is more even around.  South of the WTC is mostly ocean, though you can see Liberty Park, Ellis Island, Staten Island, and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in the distance.  Second, the windows of the deck were about 50 feet in from the edge of the building.  That took away much of the drama.

1993 Bombing.   A pair of Pakistani yahoos blew up a Ryder truck in the parking garage.  Six people died, and the garage was heavily damaged, but obviously the towers did not collapse.  This lulled us in to a false sense of security.

September 11, 2001.  This time around 19 hijackers learned to fly planes, took over 4 jets with box cutters, and crashed all four of them.  One crashed in the countryside of western Pennsylvania (we drove by the site on our way to Cleveland this summer), another crashed into the Pentagon, and the two others brought down the Twin Towers, as we call them. 

Current Deal.   The site of the original Twin Towers is marked with big square fountains.   The new WTC is a single building, which opened in November 2014, and its Observation Deck (One World Observatory) is finally open.  You take an elevator (?? You don’t walk up 102 stories?) which shows you Manhattan’s development.  Then you come out and browse around.  There’s a gift shop, a café, and a restaurant.  But the best thing is that the glass windows are at the very edge of the building, not 50 feet in.