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Memorial - formerly free events at the World Trade Center
Memorial - formerly free events
The following article was posted on LittleView's Entertainment Section after 9/11 and remained there until the end of April 2002. It's posted here as a memorial to the World Trade Center area.
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>> I've had the honor of attending free events at both the World Trade Center and in the magnificent Winter Garden in the World Financial Center. Unfortunately, Since September 11, 2001, neither exist any more.
Tourists traditionally regarded the World Trade Center area as "business, business, business," with only the nearby Battery Park and the Statue of Liberty providing relief. Developers, however, pushed by residents, turned what could have been a concrete canyon into a relaxing area that included a 20+ stall, bi-weekly Green Market (farmer's market), free entertainment centers, parks and cafes. Everything was large scale. I remember one lunchtime visit where, on a single outdoor plaza, three different musical groups simultaneously performed, with no interference between them.
Areas surrounding the World Trade Center were equally friendly. The nearby Amish Market, for example, was a great place to buy gourmet deli snacks which could turn dining on plaza benches into a four star experience. The last time I saw The Amish Market, unfortunately, was in a New York Times photo; windows blown out and its wares covered in gray dust. In my mind, however, I can still smell the olive vats and taste sample cheeses.
The nearby World Financial Center held The Winter Garden. This glassed-in hall was braced by sweeping marble staircases that surrounded giant palm trees. Audiences sat on those staircases as well as on its cool, shiny floors and portable chairs to watch free dances, puppet shows, concerts, experimental video and more. Today, The Winter Garden is only a memory.
The World Financial Center overlooks the Hudson River, with its sides coming together at a right angle. Lining the walls of each were restaurants and outdoor dining areas overlooking a classy yacht harbor, a New York Waterway's ferry dock and a central avenue for rollerbladers, cyclists and skateboarders. This area and the formerly flower-covered Battery Park City promenade still exist, but for the time being, without fresh life.
Dormancy, however, often comes before birth. The people who formally lived and worked in the area brought to it their intelligence, beauty, creativity, passion, productivity, curiosity and inventiveness. Many are now of the earth. May their souls seed the future. I love them all.
Questions? Comments?
Karen Little
Article by Karen Little.
Karen Little created the above illustration based on photos she took during a free ride on the NY Waterways Ferry from Downtown to Hoboken, NJ.
The early evening light made the buildings look painted, exactly like you see in the background. It's unfortunate that the original photos were lost, something that didn't seem so important in 2000. Then, it seemed like more could always be taken. Who was to know?
First published on 4/27/2002. All rights reserved by www.LittleViews.com.
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