..September 2001 New York..
Shot from the 65th Street fishing pier in Brooklyn. About 5 or 10 minutes after the second plane hit. A warm sunny azure blue morning. Was at home getting ready to cover New York fashion week.
Headed to the fishing pier because of it’s view off the coast from the south. The pier became packed with people. People running out of their homes and fishermen who had already been fishing. Fishermen continue to fish after the buildings fell. Was like a suspended reality. Life continued that day and night in a strange space.
My pregnant downstairs neighbor worked at the World Trade Center and escaped in time. A Chinese man down the block never came home. A candle burnt outside the apartment building he lived in. Next to the candle a small photo of him. A candle was lite for many months after. He never returned home.
I live 5 miles away from the World Trade Center. I could smell the fire smoldering in my neighborhood until the middle of December. Was a bizarre time in New York. For months the streets seemed solemn. Everyone in a suspended disbelief. Bombarded with 24 news coverage for 3 months also didn’t help. Regular tv didn’t resume for 2 weeks. Even than it was kind of hypnotic.
I left for a weekend trip to Rhode Island 5 weeks after. It was the first trip I took after September 11th. Was good to get out for a day. Just 15 minutes outside the city I could smell a crisper air. The sunshine seemed brighter and landscape endless.
Seems like 10 minutes ago but also a very long time ago. 8 years.
