Visiting New York

     PHOTOS BY ALLAN                                              COMMENTARY BY SALLY
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With all the medical happenings this fall, we found a window to get away and join friends in Union City, NJ for a little respite. Glen Davis and Merrill Vaughan live in a condo with this magnificent view of Manhattan. We arrived at dusk to savor golden hour. That's the Freedom Tower standing majestically at Ground Zero.

We met Glen in Iceland in 2001 on a Land Rover shoot. He is a master photographer, pilot and world traveler. He rescued this dog a year ago in a Miami parking lot, and named her "Miami."

Merrill is an editor at Forbes Magazine. She's a singer and actress and an avid member of a theater company in Manhattan.

Glen and Allan love to compare the latest gadgets. He's demonstrating his new apple corer and slicer.










 







 

They bought this condo, to pare down from their four-story brownstone in Hoboken. Merrill was crushed at first. But the view helped her to adjust.

 

One of the goals of the trip was to visit Ground Zero. We took the train under the Hudson River and surfaced to this sight.

 This is the signature 1,776 skyscraper popularly called The Freedom Tower. But the official name is One World Trade Center. It is the tallest building in the United States.

The first phase of the memorial has been completed, with two pools set in the footprints of the original twin towers.

Visitors had total access to all four sides of each pool.

The names of the 2,977 people who perished are carved into the perimeter. Firemen, policemen, workers, and airplane passengers from 90 nations.

The site provides a place to pause and reflect. Still under construction are a museum and several more high rise buildings with addresses:  World Trade Center.

Nearby monoliths twelve years after 9/11.

 On another day we explored Staten Island. The fare for the ferry: free. This was instituted after 9/11, by Mayor Bloomberg who wanted to help with the healing.

More than 270 Staten Island residents perished on that day, and this memorial was erected in their honor.

The two structures represent postcards, suggesting messages sent to those lost.

 It was a surprise to find detail inside each wing.

   

Each person appears in  a 9"x11" profile.

We actually came to Staten Island to explore the commercial shipping activity, this time from the shore.

We first viewed this area in 2012 from our own tug and invited local blogger Will Van Dorp to join us. He didn't disappoint, giving us a non-stop commentary. www.tugster.wordpress.com

 We invited Will to join us again and he hopped on the ferry. New York Harbor is often called the sixth borough. This stretch of water on the north shore of Staten Island is one of the busiest, with tugs, barges, container ships, car carriers, and tankers full of everything from oil to orange juice concentrate.

Will showed us this ship graveyard. It all seemed so sad.

And onshore, one block up, a reminder of better days for others as well.

We returned to the condo, and spent one more night savoring the views.