September 11

August 29, 2022

Daffodils to be planted across NYC to honor New Yorkers lost to 9/11 and Covid

As a living memorial for those lost during the September 11 terrorist attacks and the Covid-19 pandemic, the open-space advocacy group New Yorkers for Parks last week launched The Daffodil Project. As New York's largest annual volunteer program, the project distributes hundreds of thousands of daffodils to be planted by volunteers.
Details here
August 16, 2022

NYC’s 9/11 Tribute Museum is closing

The museum which told the stories of September 11 survivors is officially closing its doors. The 9/11 Tribute Museum will close on August 17 due to financial hardships stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic, as NBC New York first reported. The museum will shift to a fully online format to continue telling victims' stories and support those affected by the attacks.
See more here
September 3, 2021

America’s original hot dog company Feltman’s of Coney Island brings back 9/11 fundraiser

Several years back, 6sqft told the story of the original Coney Island hot dog. Started in 1867 by German immigrant Charles Feltman, who's considered the inventor of the hot dog on a bun, the Coney Island eatery and amusement park Feltman's eventually closed in 1954. But brothers Michael and Joe Quinn brought the brand back in 2015, in part because they themselves love Coney Island red hots but more so to honor the legacy of their late brother Jimmy, who died in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks at just 23. This year, they'll continue to honor Jimmy with a special fundraiser for the 3 Brothers Foundation, which supports veterans and service members, to which they'll donate 100 percent of proceeds from the new Jimmy Quinn 2021 Memorial T-Shirt.
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August 11, 2021

1 million daffodils will be planted around NYC to honor victims of 9/11

Daffodil bulbs will once again be planted across New York City this fall as part of a living memorial to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Led by open space advocacy group New Yorkers for Parks, the Daffodil Project launched in the spring after 9/11 and has continued every year since, with more than 8 million daffodil bulbs distributed for free and planted by volunteers. As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the organization will hand out more than one million daffodil bulbs, double the amount from the year prior. The project's expansion this year will also honor lives lost to the coronavirus pandemic.
Get the details
August 9, 2021

Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson will host 9/11 benefit comedy show at MSG

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson have organized a special benefit comedy show at Madison Square Garden called "NYC Still Rising After 20 Years: A Comedy Celebration." Other big-name comedians who will perform at the September 12 show include Dave Chapelle, Amy Schumer, Jimmy Fallon, Michael Che, and Wanda Sykes, among others.
More details here
September 8, 2020

Annual 9/11 dance tribute at Lincoln Center will be live streamed

An annual dance performance in New York City commemorating September 11 will be live-streamed this year. On Friday, the Buglisi Dance Theatre and Lincoln Center, in partnership with Dance/NYC, will present a "reimagined" Table of Silence Project 9/11, a multi-cultural performance calling for peace and global unity. Created and choreographed by Jacqulyn Buglisi, the yearly performance first debuted in 2011, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
Find out more
August 17, 2020

After Cuomo provides health personnel, 9/11 Tribute in Light is back on

It takes nearly 40 stagehands and electricians more than a week to produce the annual Tribute in Light display that marks the 9/11 anniversary each year, according to the New York Times. And because they must work in close contact, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum decided last week to cancel this year's memorial. Upon hearing the news, Governor Cuomo, however, stepped in and said he'd provide the medical personnel necessary to make the event happen safely.
More details here
September 11, 2019

COLORS restaurant, founded by 9/11 survivors, to reopen on the Lower East Side

COLORS restaurant in downtown Manhattan was originally founded by employees of the Windows on the World restaurant on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center, and employed many restaurant workers who lost their jobs on the day of the terrorist attacks. COLORS closed in 2017, closing the door on an establishment that had helped survivors to thrive. Now, am New York reports, on the 18th anniversary of the attacks, that the restaurant is re-opening in October.
More good news, this way
September 6, 2019

WTC Oculus skylight won’t open this year during 9/11 commemoration due to leak

The skylight atop the $3.9 billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub Oculus won't open this year on September 11, according to the Port Authority. It was announced this week that the skylight–comprised of 224 panes of glass on 40 motorized panels designed by Spanish starchitect Santiago Calatrava–has a leaking problem and will remain closed for this year's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The skylight was intended to open and close, releasing a beam of light into the Oculus space at precisely 10:28 A.M. each year to mark the moment the north tower of the World Trade Center fell.
Find out more
August 21, 2019

Help plant 500,000 daffodils around NYC to remember 9/11

The annual Daffodil Project--launched by New Yorkers for Parks and NYC Parks in 2001 as a living memorial to September 11th--is now open for bulb requests. Each year, the initiative gives out approximately 500,000 free daffodil bulbs to individuals and groups to plant throughout New York City's public spaces—in parks, schoolyards, community gardens, and street tree pits. More than 7.5 million bulbs have been planted since the project started. If you're interested in participating, all you have to do is submit a request before September 5.
More details
June 3, 2019

New 9/11 memorial honoring rescue and recovery workers opens at World Trade Center

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum's new monument honoring first responders opened Thursday, on the 17th anniversary of the official end of the recovery effort at Ground Zero. The 9/11 Memorial Glade monument recognizes first responders who are currently sick or who have died from illnesses caused by toxins following the September 11 attacks. Located at the World Trade Center site, the memorial consists of six stone monoliths that point skyward to "symbolize strength and determination through adversity."
See it here
April 8, 2019

See the stone monoliths being installed at new 9/11 memorial for first responders

The main pieces of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum's new monument were laid in place on Saturday at the corner of the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The memorial, dubbed the 9/11 Memorial Glade, honors first responders and those who are sick or who have died from 9/11-related illnesses. The Memorial Glade's six stone monoliths will flank a pathway and point skyward, to represent the "strength and determination through adversity" of rescue and relief workers in the aftermath of September 11.
See the installation
February 4, 2019

Memorial honoring those stricken by illness after 9/11 to open May 30

As 6sqft previously reported, after the rescue and recovery effort for the September 11th attacks ended, an estimated 400,000 people were exposed to life-threatening toxins, and since then, nearly 70,000 first responders and more than 14,000 survivors enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program. Last May, 9/11 Memorial & Museum president Alice Greenwald revealed the official design for Memorial Glade, a monument to all those who have lost their lives or are sick due to these related illnesses. The New York Post now reports that work is underway at Liberty and West streets.
Find out more about Memorial Glade
September 11, 2018

New Midtown mural honors 9/11 firefighter

The number of first responders who deserve to be honored for their courageous efforts after the September 11th attacks is many, but a new Midtown mural of one particular firefighter serves as a symbolic honor to all of those brave men and women. The Post first reported on the mural by Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra, painted on eight-stories of a building on East 49th Street and Third Avenue. The image replicates a photo of FDNY member Mike Bellantoni "overcome with exhaustion and despair" on 9/11, originally taken by Post freelance photographer Matthew McDermott.
What did Bellantoni think of the photo?
September 11, 2018

Dawn of a new Downtown: The transformation of Lower Manhattan since 9/11

In 2010, Lower Manhattan was still deeply scarred by the attacks of 9-11. With much of the neighborhood under construction, a high vacancy rate, and few full-time residents, walking around the area, especially outside business hours, often felt like walking through a ghost town. It was, in many respects, a neighborhood in waiting. Since 2011, which marked the opening of the 9/11 Memorial—and the symbolic end of the neighborhood’s long period of recovery from the 9/11 attacks—Lower Manhattan has undergone a transformation that is difficult to ignore. New businesses have opened, new residential developments have launched, the vacancy rate has drastically declined, and in many respects, an entirely new neighborhood has taken shape.
The dawn of a new Downtown
September 10, 2018

The retractable skylight at the World Trade Center Oculus will reopen on 9/11

The skylight at the World Trade Center Oculus will reopen on September 11 at exactly 10:28 a.m., the same time the North Tower fell in 2001. The "Way of Light," which happens every year on 9/11, will shine through the opening, bringing light to the bustling WTC transit center below. Santiago Calatrava designed the Oculus oriented in a way that allows sunlight to cross the floor, directly along the axis of the building.
Get the details
September 10, 2018

INTERVIEW: Exhibition designer Jonathan Alger on how sports healed NYC and the nation after 9/11

Immediately after the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, sporting events across the country were suspended as the nation grieved, with stadiums used for prayer services and relief efforts instead of games. After a few weeks, commissioners and government officials decided to recommence games, with one of the first at Shea Stadium between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves. When former Mets catcher Mike Piazza hit a home run, tens of thousands in the crowd, and even more watching on television at home, truly cheered and celebrated for the first time since 9/11. From then on, sports became something that was okay to enjoy again. "Comeback Season: Sports After 9/11," a new year-long exhibit at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, examines the role of sports in helping New York City and the entire nation heal after the attacks. Designed by C&G Partners, the show uses the emotion of the crowd to inspire and guide the narrative, with broadcasts and sports memorabilia from that time. The exhibition chronologically follows what happened in sports in the aftermath of 9/11 with nine sections that look at significant sports moments. 6sqft spoke with Jonathan Alger, the co-founder of C&G Partners, about the strategy behind "Comeback Season," the importance of the color green throughout the show and the capacity of sports to do actual good.
Learn about the exhibit and hear from Jonathan
September 7, 2018

Destroyed on 9/11, Cortlandt Street subway station reopens this weekend

Three days before the 17th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the Cortlandt Street subway station that was destroyed that day will reopen as the last piece of the WTC site. The MTA announced today that the new 1 train station, now dubbed WTC Cortlandt, will be back in use tomorrow, Saturday, September 8th, at noon.
All the details
August 21, 2018

Organization honors 9/11 victims by giving away 500,000 daffodil bulbs

New York City non-profit New Yorkers for Parks is getting ready for its annual daffodil bulb giveaway project in tribute to the memories of those who died in the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The annual Daffodil Project distributes 500,000 daffodil bulbs to residents and groups, to be planted in public places throughout the city (h/t AM New York).
Find out where to get yours
May 31, 2018

New 9/11 Memorial monument honors first responders exposed to Ground Zero toxins

Sixteen years ago as of yesterday, the rescue and recovery effort for the September 11th attacks ended. It's estimated that 400,000 people were exposed to life-threatening toxins, and since then, nearly 70,000 first responders and more than 14,000 survivors have enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program. Yesterday, former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart and 9/11 Memorial & Museum president Alice Greenwald revealed the official design for Memorial Glade, a monument to all those who have lost their lives or are sick due to these related illnesses. In addition to increasing awareness about the health crisis, the memorial will also "recognize the tremendous capacity of the human spirit, as exemplified during the rescue, recovery and relief efforts following the 9/11 attacks."
Learn about the design
April 23, 2018

Cortlandt Street subway station, destroyed on 9/11, will reopen this fall

Also damaged in 9/11, the R-line at Cortlandt reopened in 2011; photo via Wikimedia Nearly 17 years after it was severely damaged in the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, and then temporarily shuttered, the Cortlandt Street station is set to open this October. Running on the 1-line, the new station, expected to serve thousands of workers and tourists visiting the site, will boast Ann Hamilton's artwork, featuring words from the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of Independence (h/t Daily News). Cortlandt Street station was meant to open in 2014, but funding disputes between the Port Authority and the MTA delayed its completion until this year.
More this way
September 29, 2017

INTERVIEW: Architect Lee H. Skolnick on designing New York City’s 9/11 Tribute Museum

This summer, the 9/11 Tribute Museum opened in a brand-new space at 92 Greenwich Street in the Financial District. The 36,000-square-foot gallery became the second iteration of the museum which originally occupied the former Liberty Deli from 2006 until earlier this year. While many are more likely to be familiar with the 9/11 Memorial Museum just a few blocks up the street, the Tribute Museum differs in that rather than focusing on the implications of the tragedy, documenting the events as they unfolded and examining its lasting impact, it assumes a more inspired take, dedicating its exhibits and installations to the stories of the survivors, first responders, relatives of victims, and others with close connections to the tragedy who found hope in the terror and stepped up to help their fellow New Yorkers. Ahead, Lee Skolnick, principal of LHSA+DP and lead architect of the 9/11 Tribute Museum, speaks to 6sqft about the design and programming of this important institution, and how he hopes its message will inspire visitors to do good in their communities during these uncertain times.
read 6sqft's interview with Skolnick here
September 11, 2017

VIDEO: Photographer Richard Drew on his haunting 9/11 image ‘The Falling Man’

Video courtesy of TIME When Associated Press photographer Richard Drew emerged from the Chambers Street subway station on the morning of September 11, 2011, he saw both towers up in smoke. Despite the atrocity in front of him, he began snapping photos of the burning buildings, eventually noticing the people jumping from the upper floors. "I instinctively picked up my camera and started photographing them, following them as they came down, until I photographed what has become known as 'The Falling Man'" he told TIME. Ahead, Drew discusses the story and meaning behind his haunting photo that is one of the only to show someone dying on that day.
More here
June 13, 2017

9/11 Tribute Museum reopens in new 36,000-square-foot space to tell victims’ personal stories

When it comes to remembering the 9/11 terror attacks, personal stories can be the most moving reminder. The 9/11 Tribute Museum opened in 2006 in a former deli near the National September 11 Memorial and Museum site, intended as a temporary shrine to the victims during construction of the larger museum–and it has grown even since the latter opened. The Tribute Museum offers tours of the rebuilt World Trade Center site led by survivors, first responders, relatives of victims and others with close connections to the tragedy. Crain’s reports that the museum reopened today in a much larger location, slightly further from the memorial but with more space dedicated to victims’ personal stories.
Find out more
September 8, 2016

Missing 9/11 flag returns to Ground Zero site after 15 years

The American flag seen in the iconic photo of the firefighters at ground zero on 9/11, which mysteriously went missing only hours after it was raised, has been found and will be displayed in a museum forevermore. Thomas E. Franklin, the photojournalist who took the photo for The Record newspaper, had heard a few years ago that the flag […]