On 9/11, We Honor 90 West Street @ World Trade Center in New York

How Has Skyscraper Design Changed Since 9/11? PBS News Hour

I got teary-eyed last night, watching this PBS/NOVA video about my home for several years after 9/11 90 West Street. I moved to 90 West St in 2006 deliberately — to be in the chaos that was the aftermath of the September 11 nightmare.

It was an act of defiance, I guess, and also resilience and determination to rebuild New York near the scene of destruction. My own life at 90 West St was fabulous and I didn’t suffer from the enormous problems with construction noise that now plague 90 West residents, at least on the north side of the building.

Because she survived the 9/11 attacks, 90 West St is the little building that could — modeled after a favorite childhood story ‘The Little Engine That Could’. In writing articles about 90 West St, I shared some of the architectural details about why the old-fashioned building withstood the attacks with so little structural damage.

My home didn’t do so well in 2007, when careless workers at the WTC building site failed to properly secure their construction labors. For all the New Yorkers who said that the recent potential for Hurricane Irene to damage lower Manhattan was over-hyped, I saw the incredible damage, closure of 90 West St for about 10 days, and flooding to ruin of about 70 cars in our parking lot — all in about 10 minutes time.

It was high tide anyway in lower Manhattan that day, before the storm hit. In an instant, the negligence of a construction worker once again tore this precious building apart, ruining the generators and causing all residents to evacuate as city officials were forced to condemn this precious architectural strucutre that strives to live on in the modern age.

With all the problems that America faces today — far worse than when I wrote some of these articles four summers ago — 90 West Street is a reminder of the quality country that we are, when we dig deeply into our best American selves.

Anne articles about living at 90 West St and the World Trade Center Construction site:

90 West Street, New York Survivor Story, Part 1 12-2-07 AOC Style

My Manhattan home is like this little engine.  Her story is one of survival, rebirth and continued assaults on her gorgeous beauty and strong character.

Considered one of Gilbert Cass’s architectural triumphs, 90 West survived the horrific blasts of Sept. 11, 2001, reopening its doors in 2005. With an exterior restored to now-landmark status, and the interiors designed for modern living, it embraced me with open arms and strong spirit.

90 West Street, New York Survivor Story, Part 2 12-2-07 AOC Style

Returning to Manhattan last Monday, I received an email message on my Blackberry at 11:32 am, advising me that my home at 90 West Street was under siege. Mara, my trainer called seconds later, with news that eight fire trucks were outside 90 West, and cars were submerged under 12’ of water in our garage.

Deutsche Bank Fire Ground Zero Claims Robert Beddia & Joseph Graffagnino AOC News Musings 8/20/2007

We are in lockdown near the Deutsch Bank building, experiencing another dose of Novocain on our wounded neighborhood. Sizing up the situation, I made one detour, created by the construction quagmire at the Ground Zero, only to discover that the roads are closed east of West Street.

Firefighters and on-call fire engines lined the side streets and open spots on West Street last night, ready for a secondary fire to erupt. They are gone this morning, replaced by police officers and investigation units. A few firetrucks are parked near the site of the tragedy.

True Grit Anne Is Psychologically ‘Rescued’ By Construction Workers at Ground Zero AOC Sensually Yours 8/6/2007

Last week was an intensely moving and emotional one for me. After being “fired” by my writing teacher, not over the quality of my words, but procedural issues, I was beyond sad.

To get to the post office on the north side of New York’s World Trade Center site, I must cut around on Church Street. Glum me was standing on the corner, diagonally across from the police-protected, tarp-fenced construction entrance.

After months of never having even a glimpse into Ground Zero, perfect timing opened the vista before my eyes and only for a very short time.

Profoundly punched by this sacred moment, I felt these big machines were coming to get me, sharing our mutual need to rebuild what is lost, outmoded or unrealized in life. The constant and familiar vision of firefighters running fearlessly into the smoking, blazing buildings that dirty, black-cloud day, also stood with me on the sidewalk, celebrating this dirty, oppressive, jubilant moment. I’ve always wondered if I have their kind of spunk in me.

On the one hand I’m terribly concerned about America’s future. Being a roses-lovin’, not gun-totin’ kind of woman, I stand mighty firm in a good fight. 

For a moment (now four years ago), I forgot that we don’t manufacture anything more in America, that we’re outsourced all our jobs because we’re now the leisure-economy society. Was that a bunch of horsey hullabaloo or what! I forgot that Ground Zero has taken forever to rebuild, and the arguing about it never stops.

For a moment I believed in all that made America great — our hardworking resolve and determination, a willingness to take risk for principles. Those machines inspired me to shake off my sadness and and find my resolve for the next fight.

True grit women aren’t quitters, and that includes me.