My mom and I have always been super close. We do almost everything together, from going to the movies, out to eat, and to the gym. One of my favorite memories of us, however, was on her 50th birthday, when we spent an entire day exploring one of her favorite places together: New York City. Most people would consider us lucky, being that we’re from Long Island and that we live only two hours away from one of the most famous cities in the world. But to me, it was just like any ordinary city. Don’t get me wrong, I love this city with all of my heart. But when I think of New York, I can't help but to visualize the homeless people living on the streets, waving their cup around and begging people for money. I can hear the sound of music blasting from people performing in the subway stations, and the obnoxiously loud taxi drivers beeping their horns because the driver in front of them is moving too slow. What stands out to me the most, however, is the unbearable stench from the pile up of garbage in the streets. I had been to New York City multiple times throughout my life, so I thought I had seen all there was to see. But something about this particular trip was different. It was the first time I got to experience New York City for its beauty and understood why people from all over the world come to visit it.
For all the times I've been to New York, I’ve never seen the Statue of Liberty. I always wanted to see it, but I never had an opportunity. The only time I ever saw it was in movies and pictures. I was looking forward to the day I'd get to see it with my own eyes. I remember how excited I was when my mom told me she was planning a trip to New York City. It was the perfect opportunity to have an up close and personal view of the Statue of Liberty. I knew I'd probably never get that chance again, so I wanted to make the most of it. The statue is located on Liberty Island just south of Manhattan, so we had to take a ferry across the New York Harbor first before we could reach it. It was an extremely long line to get on the boat, which didn't surprise me considering the thousands of people that visit the statue every day. The ferry ride was pretty fast, however, and it offered a great view of the New York City skyline. The weather was beautiful, and there was a nice breeze coming from the water. I was able to see the statue from a distance as we rode along the harbor. I could see it getting closer and closer. I tried to take pictures, but the boat was so crowded that I couldn’t get a good view. Every time I went to take the picture, somebody would ruin it by walking in front of me, or raising their arm to take a picture as well. My short stature didn’t help either; I had to stand on a bench to get high enough above everyone to get a decent view. The view was amazing even from afar, but it was nothing compared to how it looked up close. It wasn’t until we arrived on the island that I actually got to witness the massive length of the statue and its mind-blowing beauty. I couldn’t believe that I was looking at one of the world’s most famous and beloved monuments. It felt like I was meeting one of my favorite celebrities. We walked around the base of the statue for about an hour and took as many pictures as we could before we made our way back on the boat.
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Our legs were so tired from walking around for so long. We sat down for a few minutes and my mom asked me where I wanted to go next. A million different places popped into my head. There were so many things I wanted to do, but there just wasn’t enough time. I couldn’t decide on a place, so my mom suggested, “Why don’t we try the 9/11 Memorial?”. I had some mixed feelings at first, but I agreed anyway. As we made our way to the museum, I was reminded of all the lives that were lost on that terrible day. I was too young to remember the events that took place on September 11th, but my mom remembers it like it was yesterday. Most people know exactly where they were and what they were doing when it happened. So, I asked my mom, “Where were you when the first plane hit?”. She said to me, “I remember sitting on the couch, watching TV. News broke that a plane had just crashed into the North tower of the World Trade Center. When I saw the second plane hit, I screamed”. Her words sent chills throughout my body. I can’t imagine how scary that must have been for her, and all the other people who witnessed the attack broadcasted on live television. The fact that it happened so close to where I live made it even scarier. It’s been eighteen years since it happened and it still remains a significant date in her memory. I don’t think that memory will ever fade away.
The memorial featured two enormous waterfalls built on the site where the twin towers previously stood. They were much larger than I had anticipated. It was completely silent apart from the sound of the water crashing at the bottom of the pools. Hundreds of names were engraved into bronze panels surrounding the memorial to honor the lives that were lost that day. Friends and family members cried as they placed flowers next to the names of their loved ones. My heart broke for them. I continued reading through the list of names, but they were just names to me. To them, it was so much more than that. The museum itself was located between the two memorial sites where the twin towers previously stood. We walked through the exhibits, most of which were underground. I was able to hear the 9-1-1 audio calls that were made on the morning of September 11th. I could feel the initial sense of confusion experienced by those witnessing the first plane strike the North tower. When the second plane hit, I could hear the confusion in their voices turn to terror, similar to what my mom described to me earlier. It felt as if I was going back in time to the exact moment it happened, allowing me to experience the same sense of fear of those who witnessed the events of September 11th unfold. Audio recordings of victims who made their last phone call to say goodbye to their loved ones were also played throughout the museum. As I listened to those recordings, I could feel the tears building up in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away, not wanting anybody to see me cry. My mom said, “This has to be one of the saddest places in the world”. I nodded my head in agreement. We continued walking through the exhibits; various artifacts recovered from the attacks were on display, including smashed fire trucks, pieces of steel, handwritten notes, and the exact staircase that helped hundreds of people escape the burning buildings. Also featured in the museum was a portrait gallery dedicated to the victims of the attack. Nearly 3,000 pictures with interactive touch screen technology were displayed on the wall to learn additional information about each individual.
The last place we visited was the One World Observatory, located at the top of the One World Trade Center. Built in place of the original twin towers, the One World Trade Center is one of the world’s highest skyscrapers. The architectural design of the building was stunning; its inverted triangular-shaped walls were like nothing I had ever seen before. We took an elevator ride to the top of the observation deck, which climbed 102 floors in less than 47 seconds. The journey to the top was spectacular on its own, as an ordinary elevator ride suddenly transformed into a virtual reality experience. The walls of the elevator displayed an animated time-lapse projection, recreating the construction of the New York City skyline from the 1500s to the present day. It was like watching 500 years of history unfold right before my eyes. As the elevator doors opened, we got an aerial view of the entire city, with views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and Empire State Building. We were so high off the ground that we were able to see the curvature of the Earth. We walked around the observation deck for a couple of hours and took pictures. My favorite part was watching the sunset across the Hudson River. I was in awe as I witnessed the glare of the sun reflecting off the surface of the water. The entire experience was amazing and far beyond my expectations. To see how the city was able to recover from the 9/11 attacks was truly inspiring; it is the ultimate symbol of strength and resilience. It completely changed my perspective of New York City and what it means to be a New Yorker. No wonder it’s considered one of the most famous cities in the world.
My visit to New York City was unlike any experience I’ve ever had. I’ve been to this city countless times, so I thought I had a decent understanding of what it was like. This experience, however, completely shattered my previous outlook on it. Now I know it’s not perfect, far from it actually. But I realized that New York is so much more than just poor traffic conditions, overpriced food, and the consistent smell of garbage. There’s nothing like walking down the streets of Manhattan with skyscrapers towering over you. There are countless things to do there that you simply can’t experience anywhere else. There is always something new and exciting, no matter how many times you visit it. I wish I had visited these places sooner. I am so grateful to live so close to a city as beautiful as this one, and I can truly say that New York now is my favorite city and there is no other place in the world like it.
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