ORGANIZATION....from a different perspective

the 10th ANNIVERSARY of 9/11

September 11, 2011

Tonight at 3am in NYC I got to revisit my past.

It was 10 years ago on this day, standing on the corner of Mercer and 4th Street I remember plane 1 flying over my head as I walked to class at NYU. The rest is history. New York City as well as every American's life was changed at that very moment.

This morning, I took the 2 train downtown to Park Place where all I expected to do was take a few pictures to remember the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.To my surprise I found organization tucked neatly into politics, security, growth, freedom and a breath of New York City.

A bit of what I captured was this...

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Organization was everywhere, but an organization where people were on the same side. Secret Service, NYPD and FBI were all awake at 3am preparing for what will be a coming out party for the United States.

Every entrance was blocked that needed to be blocked, every officer was prepared to answer questions, whether or not I wanted to hear their lawful answer. People were organized and kind at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction as an art is meticulous organization, and to see the 9/11 site developed, still under construction, but finally with a life of its own was incredible.

Because no one was around the buildings took a life of their own. It was almost like Optimus Prime from the Transformers was going to transform right before my eyes and give me an explanation on who his friends were and why they were put there to overlook this historic site.

We continued to walk around the perimeter as close as we could, as I sat down in the street trying to capture angles that gave justice to the massive buildings.

I wanted to get closer and pushed my limits as much as I could without doing something illegal. I like to test my boundaries, but realized that tonight wasn't the night to do so.

 

 

 

 

The FDNY 10 House, or FDNY Ten House as some call it, was organized and ready to respond to anything that could possibly come their way. Their supplies, gear and freshly painted doors showed signs of strength in their organization.

The unique plaque outside of the firehouse gave tribute to the 6 men, Gregg A. Atlas, Paul Pansini, Stephen G. Harrell, Sean P. Tallon, Jeffrey J. Olsen and James J. Corrigan who lost their lives in the September 11th attack.

 

 

A newly planted garden, organized by gardeners from Seattle, Washington made compost from a million flowers that had been left at a vigil for those who died on 9/11 and transported the compost to Battery Park City.

It has been just a little over a year since the garden was moved to its present location from a space near the intersection of Rector Place and West Street.

A little over a year ago I lived on 1 West Street, which is just 5 blocks from where this beautiful garden now sits. It truly is incredible how beautiful this neighborhood is becoming.

 

Read a full article on Liberty Community Garden here by Terese Loeb Kreuzer.

Organizing thousands of lights to get the patriotic red, white and blue effect on buildings of these size must have been exhausting but visually astounding.

Unlike the Empire State Building that lights up only the top of the building, these buildings were lit from top to bottom.

I believe RAB Lighting was used to facilitate this incredible project.

The power, and energy running through this place, even at 3am was incredible.

 

 

From every angle you could see something new and unique. Over the fence you could see the setup for what would be the Commemoration of 9/11.

"New York City's 9/11 commemoration ceremony at Ground Zero on Sunday will include more than 300 victims' family members, who will name each of those killed during the terrorist attacks ten years ago, as well as readings by President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush.

All of the nearly 3,000 people who died in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001 -- as well as the six victims of the World Trade Center bombing on Feb. 26, 1993 -- will then be named by 334 members of the victims' families who will take the podium in pairs."

Read more about the ceremony here.

What was amazing about being down there hours before this ceremony was the calmness in the air. Officials were alert and organized, and the event space was hidden and only available for us to view on an NYPD's cell phone. Yes...after asking an NYPD member to escort me and my friend Jake down to the site, we were politely denied with a consolation of a sneak peak of the flowing, yes, flowing 9/11 Memorial Fountain on her cell phone.

It was beautiful and very classy.

 

I normally don't find myself in my pictures, but this one I wanted to be present in.

I was affected tonight.

I was affected by the world.

I was affected by the city.

I was affected by air that was being shared in NYC on the morning of September 11th, 2011 and remember the air that was being shared on September 11, 2001.

Today will be a day everyone remembers. September 11, 2001 will be a day that no one forgets. I will never forget where I was, who I was with, how confusing New York City became on that very morning. And how clear everything is now.

May we all continue to build up our country.

May we all remember why we are the United States of America.

My favorite band Muse said it best:

And during the struggle
They will pull us down
Please, please let's use this chance to
Turn things around
And tonight we control history
Together we're invincible
Together we're invincible

Truthfully,

 

Justin