Tag: New York City

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Ten Years After 9-11

When I was in New York last April, one of my first stops was Ground Zero.  I had been there twice since September 11th and wanted to see the most current progress almost ten years later.  Despite how one feels about where the progress should be at this point, or whether or not you like the plans, or if you hate the memorial, you must admit that this is still one huge step forward for our most diverse community in this country. New Yorkers have a resilience and a focus that keeps them moving forward, but in the case of 9-11, those components assisted in their recovery while still getting back to the fast paced, goal oriented and brash community that we love and get addicted to. So now, ten years later, how does Ground Zero represent the community of Manhattan?

               The main plan for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center is the One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, will once again be known as the largest skyscraper in Manhattan.  With the goal of having it built past the 80th floor by the ten year anniversary, this building can already be seen in definition from New Jersey.  My video footage was shot from my trip in April and you can see the great progress done to One World Trade Center.

               One World Trade Center will also be equipped with the most recent collaborations in technology and energy.  This is a huge step forward in the way of social responsibility.  The design team has used the most up to date methods to maximize efficiency, minimize waste and pollution, conserve water and improve air quality. The designers really took it on themselves to use innovative energy sources such as off-site renewable wind and hydro power that will set One World Trade Center as a new design standard.

               Adjacent to the Freedom Tower will be a new performing arts center and a state of the art transportation hub.  Nothing really says more about New York than mass transit and the performing arts.  The plans for the performing arts center aren’t completely clear but it will be the new home for the Joyce Theater and really wants to put focus on rebuilding how Lower Manhattan can create a more vibrant cultural landscape.

               The brand new World Trade Center Transportation Hub will be built with the most up-to-date fare taking system and will be the home daily for over 200,000  New York commuters.  Comparable to the size of Grand Central Station, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub will be a great new go to landmark for the millions of tourists that visit New York City every year.

               In the footprints of the original Twin Towers will be two reflecting pools that will be the center of the September, 11th Memorial.

  This space is said to be open by the ten year anniversary and visitors will be able to relax within the hundred and fifty oak trees that will be planted around the reflecting pools.  The goal of the memorial is to provide a place for contemplation, reflection and remembrance.  The memorial will also contain all the names of the 2,981 people who lost their lives that day and will still have some of the structural beams that were in the original towers.

               Ten years of coping, mourning, and planning and we can now see a new face and feel a modern yet historical vibe on lower Manhattan. Despite the shiny new buildings and the great leaps forward with social responsibility, we must always remember what came out of the late summer morning in 20ll.  We do come together when times are tough and we need to remember that when times aren’t at such extremes.  We also have to remember to celebrate our advances and our victories as one community too.  If we don’t then we will never become solidified as one structure moving forward.

        To all the New Yorkers, as well as all of the people directly affected by the devastating events on September, 11th, 2011, I commemorate you on your courage to move forward and will always have love and hope in my heart for everything you had to endure.

I hope that you find strength and community on a daily basis for something that will never be forgotten.  And, when other tragedies such as war or natural disasters occur, that you use your experience to teach and support those affected when they have no direction into their futures.  We are all one community and as we saw after September 11th, 2001, we need to be there as one, together and united.

For more information about the develpoment of Ground Zero, please check out www.wtcprogress.com

This article can also be found on Dign2it Magazine

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Damon Reflects

Even though Damon’s birthday has now passed, it is important to share this video that we shot while I was in New York. In it, he shares what it means to become forty, what he has accomplished and what his journey has been. I shared part of my sit down with Damon last month when he discussed social media. While he shares some of his thoughts and accomplishments, maybe take note on yours.  It happens to be a great moment for you celebrate them. 

Here are a couple other links that I though would be a great pairing with this post.  This first one is Damon’s website Should-less where you can check out his book as well as his forty lessons to forty blog.
 

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A Walk In the Park

 After two days of rain in New York, the sun came out and the temperature rose enough to take a stroll through Central Park.  My sister and I went wandering around for a while and were able to really absorb the necessity of the park in Manhattan.  Even though the concrete jungle takes it’s toll on certain aspects of a local’s life, it still offers great places for rest, conversation, entertainment, forums and everything else that parks are needed for.  A community is definitely defined by what is offered from it’s parks.

On that particular day in Central Park, we were able to see a couple organizations raising awareness for Central Park Conservancy as well as Hand in Hand Project for Japan.   The best part though was just to see people out with one another, connecting face to face, having that human contact that we need in which technology has no relevance.  The next time you’re on a walk with a friend or sitting down with coffee to enjoy another person’s company, I challenge you to not pull out your phone. We are so dependant that it is a reflex to check it in any free moment.   Try not to and use that energy to just look around, listen, and take in your company.

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Gail, What is Pickle Ball?

While I was in New York City, my wonderfully outspoken, Washington D.C. blazing, beautifully and stoic friend Gail came to stay for a night.  I was so thrilled because it had been quite some time since I had seen her and this would be a grand reunion.  We had tons to catch up on but of all things that I got on tape, it had to be the odd one: Pickle Ball. 

We wandered across the Brooklyn Bridge because neither one of us had walked it before so we decided that it was time.  This gave us a great opportunity to connect and discuss the real matter of what’s been going on in our lives like Pickle Ball.

Tonight, I find myself in D.C, safe and sound at Gail’s apartment, and after a week in her city, you’ll get to see the greatness that she is that has nothing to do with Pickle Ball.

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Monday in New York, After The Today Show

After a very long weekend of connecting and meeting up with family and friends that I haven’t seen in a while, I finally get a chance to sit down and share with you everything that has been happening.  I’ll start with today and then jump back to the train ride here to New York.

It’s late morning on a cloudy and cold Monday and I find myself in my favorite spot in New York City;  The Starbucks next to Dante Park across from Lincoln Center.  Just north of Columbus Circle, it’s a great mesh of New York where you see the business piece, the cultural arts piece, the historical piece as well as the euphoric piece that are just a few of the many components that make this city the amazement that it is.  As I sit here reflecting over the last week, I can’t help to remind myself that we are so lucky to be living in this country and despite all of our problems, and we all know there is a deficit of them, we will begin to resolve them soon. We have to.

On a much lighter side, it’s obvious that these first few months are going to be an uphill battle for me and Project Kinect, so, being in New York City, I decided I would go bother Al, Ann, Matt and Meredith at The Today Show this morning.  Well, they weren’t bothered at all but I did get a moment on morning television and had the chance to meet a handful of great people from all over the country. There was this group from Lincoln, CA who sang last night at Carnegie Hall and wanted to do The Today Show before they left.  There was a group from Georgia who were there for the sole purpose of getting their teacher’s son’s picture on television.  I also met some people from Indiana as well as a mother/daughter duo from Oconomowoc, WI who had been the busiest tourist’s I’ve ever heard of.   I look forward to the next four mornings outside the show meeting new people in my attempts to get some air time. 

Getting to New York though was quite the process.   Being the most inexpensive route, I took the train and boarded on Wednesday evening in Tampa, FL.  That night large storms struck northern Florida and tornadoes dropped trees onto the tracks which took about five hours to cut up and get moved.  This however was not a huge problem because I love the train and got a chance to meet Leah. 

Leah, along with her two daughters, were in the middle of those storms and now were on their way home to Raleigh, NC.  Leah and I sat there for a while and she told me about how she met her husband.  They were friends for a very long time before they even looked at each other romantically.  They were both from New York and moved to Raleigh about the same time never meeting. This was the third story I had heard in the span of a few days about people in love who happened to live parallel lives until one day there was a shift.  Valoree from the Tampa hostel, she was another.

As Leah sat there and talked to me about her and Shawn, her husband, she got into her story in a bit more detail.  She came to Raleigh pregnant with her oldest to escape the cold of New York.  All of her family still lives here in the city but she prefers to only visit in the late spring.  She found a home and life in Raleigh and that suits her to perfection.  I could see how happy she was when she talked about her life until she mentioned her two daughters, and then she perked up with enormous pride.

 Her oldest, Simone, is already big into fashion.  I don’t think she could have been more than ten years old, and Leah told me how she spends most of her time reading about fashion, watching the shows, checking updates on line.  As Leah told me about how she would rather be online learning than be outside playing, I had to think about the line between technology and children.  There are times when a kid needs to go play and times when it’s alright for them to be online.  When it comes to passion about a certain subject, does that line ever get crossed?  I have no clue what the answer is and probably won’t even when I’m a parent, but its cyber-food for thought.

I asked Simone what her favorite article of clothing was and she told me, “It would have to be my silver shiny boot cut pants with the butterflies on them”  A ten year old!  I loved it and thought about my favorite article of clothing.  For me, it’s my alpaca sweater with the deep cowl neck collar.  I laughed when I brought it but now that I’m in New York and its forty degrees, I’m so happy.

Leah’s youngest, Miya, was falling asleep as me and her sister were talking.  While she was awake though, she was definitely ready for everything.  Not shy one bit and not afraid to inquire about what she had questions about.   While Miya slept, Leah told me of her constant eczema and I completely related.   Built up dry dead itchy skin isn’t fun for anyone but as a child, it is pure torture.  I empathize with Miya because when I was young, I had an eczema problem too.  I really loved Hi-C and the combination of all that vitamin C and the sun set a rage to my skin.  No child likes putting cream all over their bodies because they have to.  It will be over soon Miya and will just be a great antidote to tell to people younger than you.

Thank you Leah for making my trip to New York so memorable.  You have two remarkable children on your hands and it can only be a testament to who you are.  One day I may even be wearing a Simone.

Well, I then got to New York the next evening around ten.  It was rainy and I was tired but New York does something to you and in an instant, with the city at your fingertips, you are rejuvenated and all is whole.  This on top of seeing my best friend Matt, and then getting the chance to hang out with my sister Shaina, and a visit from Abigail who lives in D.C. set to a full weekend.  I’m off to tour the True Colors Residence and check out the exhibit at the New York Public Library, Radioactive, on Marie and Pierre Curie. I do promise to not go three whole days without content ever again and will have more on the website this afternoon.  I appreciate all your support.

  Happy Monday everyone!

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