I’m listening to Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys (awesome song). Miss Keys was playing in Rockefeller Plaza this weekend when I was in New York City. It is that kind of event that makes you realize that this is where everything is happening. In my entire life I have been to this city seven times, and every time I go there it is a completely different experience. Ironically, I am more free in New York than I am in Toronto, and I am a Canadian. Maybe I should move. Anyway, here is a list of some cool things I did this weekend.

The Apollo Theater

1. The Apollo Theater

My wife and I took the subway to Harlem, getting off at 125th and Malcolm X Blvd. For some reason I was surprised by how many Starbucks there were. I was also a little surprised by how small The Apollo Theater is on the outside. There is so much history here I just assumed there would be a big gift shop and a huge outer-facade (is that even a word?). There is a tour you can go on that we couldn’t do because there was a matinee performance of Dreamgirls (I saw the original on Broadway).

2. We walked the entire length of Central Park

IT'S A CONCRETE JUNGLE!!!!

For the first time I walked the entire length of Central Park from Harlem to the Upper West Side. Next to Stanley Park in Vancouver this is the nicest park in the world. It barely seemed like any time went by, but we walked miles. We watched people skating, saw a turtle, witnessed a wedding and watched two jazz trios. I kept remembering all of the movies I have seen that take place in this park (mostly Woody Allen movies).

3. Angelo’s Pizza (Next to the Letterman studios)

Angelo's Pizza

New York has six million people, but we actually bumped into my family at this restaurant. Maybe it was because I wouldn’t shut up about how great it is. We all sat at Madonna’s table right there in the front window. We also ate at a few Italian restaurants with more nouveau cuisine, but there is something about the basics that will work forever. Good tomato sauce, white bread, cheese, pepperoni and spaghetti done in an old fashioned New York Italian style. The last time we ate here my wife talked to David Letterman shortly afterwards.

4. The Empire State Building

The Empire Strikes Back

One night we went up to the top of the Empire State Building. It seemed to be going through a cloud and it was snowing even though on the ground there was no snow. It was still a great view and we were able to see people practicing for the Macy’s Parade. Interesting factoid: the observatory that is further up was supposed to be a waiting room for zeppelin balloons.

5. Macys Parade Practice

Macy's Parade

Well we didn’t get to watch the parade but we did see them practicing. There is always something happening in this town.

6. We stayed near Times Square

WHAT TIME IS IT?!!!

Um…if there is a recession someone forgot to tell Times Square. It was much more crowded then it was two years ago when I was last here. And yet I never felt like I wasn’t safe. And I was mugged here once in the 80s. It is now completely different from the Times Square I was mugged in. It’s all chocolate and toys now. I’ll save my Broadway experience for my next blog, but here is a teaser: GO SEE IN THE HEIGHTS!!!! Also Rihanna played here on Monday morning for Good Morning America. I missed it but my niece saw her.

We stayed at the Westin off of 43rd. Nice comfy beds.

7. The Brooklyn Diner

The Mixed Marriage of Irving and Gina

This is my favorite place to eat in New York. This is an interesting breakfast they have called The Mixed Marriage of Irving and Gina which has challa bread and Italian sausage. It was delicious. I love mixed marriages myself and this was as delicious as my own mixed marriage. I also had pancakes the next day that were also soft and yummy. They serve polenta instead of hash brown.

8. FAO Schwarz

The BIG Piano at FAO Schwarz

One thing I love about New York is that they are proud of their film history and they take every chance they can to exploit/celebrate that rich culture. Here two FAO Schwarz employees gleefully dance on the piano while dozens look on.

9. Gray Line Tours

Part of the Berlin Wall stands near the WTC ruins

We took the Gray Line Downtown tour. This was the only way we could see everything we wanted in the short time we were in the city. The only place we got off the bus was at the WTC site. My father told me that when I was a baby we stood there as they were building the World Trade Centre. In the 80s we both went to the top of the World Trade Center. And now we stand looking at the construction of the Freedom Tower.

10. We didn’t get in to see The View but we did stand in a cold line

Take some time to wait outside in the cold hoping to get in to see The View

Actually this wasn’t a cool thing to do. It was a freakin’ cold thing to do! And we didn’t get in to see The View. We stood in the stand-by line early in the morning. They do give you a complimentary breakfast which is nice. And I did get to see producer Bill Getty walk into work. And I learned that The View is actually filmed in a really ugly building. And they don’t have enough seats, because even people with tickets couldn’t get in. Get a bigger theater Barbara!

Of course the real reason it was so busy and crowded is because it is much cheaper to go to New York City now because of the recession. So there are a lot of deals and I encourage you to go down and experience the city Toronto can only pretend to be. Most of my immediate family went down to spend some time together and celebrate some birthdays, good health and my sixth wedding anniversary.

I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news that fateful day.  It was third period during the first semester of my sophomore year at Wilton High School and I was in health class when the principal made an announcement across the school’s intercom: “Attention please,” said Principal Deborah Low.  ”We are just receiving word that a small plane has hit the World Trade Center.”  I remember looking at my friend Justin and saying, “Is this some sort of a joke?  What kind of an idiot would accidentally fly his plane into one of the Twin Towers?”

As the bell rang for the next period, I soon found out that this was no joke.  In fact, Wilton, a small town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, about 60 minutes northeast of Manhattan, is home to fathers and mothers who commute to New York City everyday, some of whom worked in and around the site of the World Trade Center.  Principal Lowe may have said to the students of Wilton High, “If you have family members that work in and around the Twin Towers, please report to the main office.”  If she did, I can’t quite remember because word began to spread around the hallways of WHS that this was not an accident:  This was an act of terrorism of a magnitude none of us could fully understand at the moment.

I remember going to my next class, fourth period, which was the lunch period at Wilton High School.  At that time, I had English class with Mr. Walsh, one of my favorite professors in high school.  I sat next to a girl, Stephanie Davies, with whom we conversed about the potential magnitude of what was going on around the country.  I could tell that Steph, who was a senior at the time and whom I looked up to as a young sophomore, was equally as stunned and saddened by the news as anyone else in the class.  At that point, word was going around throughout the high school that one of the Twin Towers had collapsed.

“Collapsed?  I asked Steph.  ”There is no way one of those buildings could collapse,” I exclaimed.  At that point, Principal Lowe came back on the intercom to tell us there would be “live coverage” of the events in the school’s auditorium and that we would be having “early dismissal” at around 12:30 p.m.  Like everyone, I was still in shock.  It wasn’t until I was driving home with my mom, who picked both my brother and I up from school, that I fully realized the magnitude of what had happened.  Also, the fact that we were so close to the site of the attack and that some of my classmates had loved ones that worked down there, made everything seem all the more surreal.

As I look back today on the events of September 11th, 2001, it seems such a distant memory, but still very near and dear to the hearts and minds of the people of New York City, Washington D.C., and the entire country.  I still think about what it would have been like to be a fireman, a police officer, an employee of a company in one of the buildings.  I think about how catastrophic the damage was and how a city like New York, with such pride and resilience, was not going to let this attack stop the way it carried on and perservered.  Lastly, I think about the family members who lost loved ones that day and the photographs of the “missing” that were put up all around Lower Manhattan and the entire city of New York.

Eight years later, September 11th is still with us:  We must continue to rebuild and recover, but like the slogan of the firefighters of New York and the FDNY, we must also “Never Forget.”

Many have chosen to commemorate the attacks on the United States of September 11th 2001 with images of the atrocities. I’ve chosen today to show an image of what will stand at the former site aka Ground Zero.

McCainBlogette (Meghan McCain) asked when it’ll be complete on Twitter today. Answer: April 2013.

Never forget.

Every day, our top 666 songs of alltime countdown gets one step closer to #1. This being 9/11, today’s song looks at one lesson we should have learned from the atrocity. It’s #320 on the list:

Elgin Movement – Freedom Tower

This oldtimey trio – with Jerome O’Brien of the Dog Show on upright bass and Jake Engel on chromatic harp – was a short-lived side project of the great New York Americana songwriter and blues guitarist Lenny Molotov. This song was inspired by plans to replace the World Trade Center: as he tells it, the Freedom Tower is actually a giant prison. Unreleased, and bootlegs don’t seem to have surfaced, although Molotov has a long-awaited new album due out most likely in early 2010.

(AGI) – Washington, 11 set. – Prima commemorazione dell’11 settembre e delle sue vittime per Barack Obama. Il presidente Usa ricordera’ infatti oggi le 3000 vittime degli attacchi contro le torri gemelle di otto anni fa con un intervento al Pentagono per poi riunirsi con i familiari delle vittime. Una pausa di silenzio ricordera’ il momento dell’impatto degli aerei contro le torri e quello dello schianto degli altri velivoli, sul Pentagono e in un campo in Pennsilvania. Sara’ invece il vice presidente Joe Biden, insieme a sua moglie Jill, a partecipare alla cerimonia ufficiale di New York a Ground Zero dove i lavori per il nuovo World Trade Center e quelli per la realizzazione di un monumento sono ancora in stallo. Il sindaco della Grande mela, Michael Bloomberg, sara’ presente all’evento in cui saranno letti i nomi delle persone rimaste uccise. La vigilia della ricorrenza e’ stata animata ieri dalla pubblicazione di foto inedite di Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, considerato la mente degli attentati e detenuto a Guantanamo in attesa che riprenda il processo. Mohammed appare provato, ha la barba lunga e indossa una tunica bianca. Le recentissime immagini (alcune risalgono appena a luglio), le prime del superterrorista dopo quella che lo ritrae subito dopo la cattura in Pakistan nel 2003, erano state spedite dalla Croce Rossa internazionale ai familiari ma non sarebbero dovute circolare. I siti islamici ne sono venuti in possesso e le hanno pubblicate e ora potrebbe accendersi una polemica sulla decisione assunta a febbraio dal Pentagono di autorizzare la Croce Rossa a far scattare foto dei detenuti di Guantanamo spedire alle famiglie. Sempre ieri il Congresso ha reso omaggio ai 44 passeggeri del volo 93 della United Airlines precipitato in Pennsilvania che con la loro rivolta a bordo impedirono che l’aereo si schiantasse su Capitol Hill. “Non solo salvarono un numero incalcolabile di vite, ma evitarono anche la distruzione del Campidoglio“, recita una targa rossa scoperta in vista dell’ottavo anniversario. I lavori di ricostruzione a Ground Zero sono stati rallentati in questi anni da battaglie finanziarie e legali con i costruttori, oltre che dalla crisi finanziaria e dal crollo del mercato immobiliare. Uno dei motivi dello stallo e’ l’insistenza della Port Authority e di Larry Silverstone, uno dei costruttori, per ripristinare gli uffici e i negozi del vecchio World Trade Center. Teoricamente sono stati progettati quattro nuovi grattacieli, un parco con cascate e un monumento nel mezzo, e una linea di trasporti pubblici progettata dall’architetto spagnolo Santiago Calatrava, tutto da terminare entro il 2013. Ma molti pensano che il mercato attuale non sia pronto per la ricostruzione degli edifici, di cui uno, chiamata “Freedom Tower“, sara’ della misura delle vecchie Torri Gemelle, ma con un’antenna molto piu’ alta. Questi ritardi, ha avvertito Bloomberg, potrebbero “mettere in pericolo” il ruolo di New York come capitale finanziaria.

hey everyone its cali. . 8 years ago 2 airplanes crashed into the world trade center….. The worst day in American History and the most video taped day in hisotry. Over 2,000 people died that day. A family member of mine could of died that tuesday.. The pentagon was hit and another plane smashed in to the ground. why am I writing this? Because we must never forget. New York is putting up this call it ” Freedom Tower” when everyone would rather have the world trade center back. Never forget. Now everyone knows why I hate tuesdays. The worst day in history is here. I was home sick I think. I will never forget what I was doing and when it happened. I hope none of you will ever forget. Here are some pictures of the tragic event.

Before:

Attack.

World Trade Center Videos…. Some contain falling people…

Now that this is up its time to stop posting for the day all posts over this will be deleted due to Attack Memorial. God Bless America. Also In the comments section tell me what you remember on that fateful day the two towers collapsed I’d love to read them and reply back to as many as posible.

God Bless America R.I.P Victims of the September 11 attack……

~Californiama….

From Governors to organizations, committees to developers, from architects, designers, to every trade and craftsman, the tasks of replacing 9/11’s loss is both monumental and historic. Travesty is embodied in all of us, compelling us to find ways individually to contribute even if indirectly. Behind the scene scores of people make millions of micro-decisions each day, all adding up to weeks and months, like sands piling up into a pyramid–rebuilding what has become an incredible unique human achievement crafted of the raw materials of inspiration, vision, determination, hard work and sacrifice.

This blog is about an important element of the New World Trade Center rebirth and re-emergence aimed at complementing New York’s One World Trade Center; This important element is: the logo and image.

This proposed logo design is submitted for consideration for The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, now coordinating the current development project.

This blog will also show you the possibilities of rebranding an integral part of our history and future through a medium known as ”brand identity.” I present here a single design concept and thematic, with firm meaning and versatility. I share it with you.

Brand touchpoints? You guessed right. It’s all the points in which the brand interacts with the user, i.e., answering the phone, packaging, logo, signage, business card, websites, sales team, customers service… you get the point.

This logo demonstrates its diverse design application from employee lapel pins to retail gift bags. As part of the identity designer’s role, it’s important to understand a wide range of materials like paper, metals, glass, textiles and even digitally how the logo will effectively reproduce.

What’s the most critical facet in this process? Threading the brand “Consistently” through good design communication.

Retail shopping bag and employee lapel pin

A lot of power…intense visual influence and brand energy.

What’s a visual system? Well, in the identity world it’s a graphical element that replicates some or all of the logo. Think of it as a visual extension of your logo and brand. It may be a pattern or part of the shape, color or texture of the logo as shown in some of the examples below.

Near the end of the design phase, a visual guideline will be created that will show the do’s and don’ts in using the logo, name and visual system across all applications. Signage and wayfinding, stationary, banners, website, motion media, merchandise, trade shows, literature, and ads are just some of the few touchpoints in which the One World Trade Center logo will need to be properly addressed.

Banner Visual System

Visual system for interior

Miami Airlines Arena & Freedom Tower, originally uploaded by miamism.

]]> http://miamismpix.com/2009/06/10/approaching-downtown-miami/ Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:08:43 +0000 miamism http://miamismpix.com/2009/06/10/approaching-downtown-miami/

Approaching Downtown Miami, originally uploaded by miamism.

]]> http://gunnarsimonsen.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/ground-zero/ Mon, 11 May 2009 21:40:10 +0000 gunsim http://gunnarsimonsen.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/ground-zero/

Ground Zero today…

Rising at Ground Zero, a symbol of resilience

… and Ground Zero yesterday.

The April after 9/11, I had an opportunity to fly to New York for an event at Carnegie Hall. While there, I took two walks from Central Park to Ground Zero. Here is what I saw…

The ‘now’ eerie sounds of a commercial jetliner echo off the walls of buildings lining lower Manhattan. I look up, but see nothing. I quickly re-set my eyes on the path before me. All the while hoping no one reads my nervous mind. Surely, I cannot be the only one who feels this? But then again, I am just a visitor.

At what point on this journey did this consciousness begin? Not in Times Square, Greenwich Village, not even the outskirts of lower Manhattan. For that matter, not even as I landed at LaGuardia did it breed these thoughts.

As I move into the block surrounding Ground Zero, the outer noise of the city is now gone, just the immediate sounds fill my heart.

I stand in awe of the magnitude of this destruction.

Over 2,800 died here. Unbelief is now my companion.

The unbelievable is now the possible. Perhaps, that’s what causes the ‘now’ eerie echoes off the walls of buildings?

An American flag shrouds the badly burned face of a building left standing. A makeshift cross-erected, and memorials line the street. A police officer stands talking to a recovery worker as the officer directs authorized personnel. Steam rises from the streets and the sound of construction vehicles methodically move through this place.

I move past the crowds, some wiping tears off their face, others stand in silence, while some walk away shaking their heads. I hear voices in many languages. As I walked along the lines of onlookers, I wondered how many times I ‘heard‘ the same phrase spoken, yet unable to comprehend the language. Of course, I didn‘t need to. I could feel it. I could see it in their eyes. One soul to another.

While some pose to say ‘I was there’, a daddy stands in silence as he holds the hand of his little girl. His eyes were in unbelief, her eyes were curious.

As I look again to the buildings still standing, from the distant south comes the approach of a commercial jetliner. As it flies directly over the sight, the echoes I heard earlier grow silent. For a brief moment the sounds around me fade away and I am only left to stand and wonder. I wonder if I am the only one who notices this. I wonder if this plane is still a reminder to those who work 50 yards from where I am standing. Am I still the only one looking up?

As the plane disappears in the distance, I am brought back to the faces that surround me, as well as those who would have… if only this were 7 months earlier.

As I stand here in the midst of the voices of many, I hear the clicking of cameras taking pictures aimed at the remnants of many.

Perhaps these pictures will turn out to be a reflection not of this sight, but of that of the picture-taker. It is hard not to stand here and reflect.

Reflecting, I stand alone, but I am not alone as I know that He is here. He is here I am sure, collecting tears in a bottle.

For those ready and willing, looking at this sight can be like looking in a mirror. You could not stand here liking what you see, perhaps, what you see, is that which you will take home.

I move up a few blocks, on one corner I see a touching makeshift memorial that lines the street. A block away street vendors sell postcards of that day’s terrifying events. People line up at both places. A group of young people wearing red shirts hand out flyers offering to pray with anyone who wants. There appears to be one taker.

Life carries a vibrant mix of emotions here. A clash between those that want to take something home and those that call this place home, between those who will not forget and those who are trying not to remember.

I slowly begin my trek back to West 57th. Through Greenwich Village, Times Square, and everything in between. Moving up-town the sounds of New York cab drivers begin filling the air as life moves back into the vibrancy of this place. All the while planes fly overhead. At what point on this journey did I lose my consciousness of this?

I am alone on this walk, but I am not alone. I know that my thoughts have echoed through thousands of minds since that day.

Walking past a clothing shop somewhere on Broadway the sun is now tucked under the clouds and rain begins to fall, this drought is coming to an end.

Perhaps, many droughts will come to an end.

 Like two high powered beams of light shooting up towards the sky, I am sure many have stood here and called out to heaven. Many did not have that opportunity on that morning. But the opportunity was not lost.

Throughout life God reveals Himself to us in many ways. In all of these ways, He stands with arms opened wide.Or as one widow put it after losing her husband on September 11 when speaking to a large group of people, “Have 3 things before you die: life insurance, a will, and get your eternal destination in order with Christ.”

You just never know. But you can be ready.

His embrace is there in that reflection. Do you see it?

Somewhere over Pennsylvania sitting on a plane I write these thoughts. No tall buildings here, just an open field with tall trees. At least that is what I remember from TV. Same cries from the heart I am sure, but with different scenery. Does the scenery really matter anyway?

I am home now, and I can see His embrace in the most curious of places…

As I stand here holding the hand of my little girl, my eyes are thankful…and her eyes… well… there just plain curious.

Make a difference here by clicking this link… Tuesday’s Children

Allison Iraheta from American Idol is very cute. Agree? -ztuntz

I couldn’t disagree any more.  She looks like Miss Piggy to me.

Is it just me, or is the intro to Pineapple Express trying to send a message to people? Although I cannot agree more, I think the herb makes everything so much better, for me its like the ultimate anti-depressant. But, the problem with feeling good all the time is that it tends to have the effect of making people take down their defenses. Smoking weed gives me the mindset of opening up to people and having the urge to want to help others. That’s what the entire hippie generation was all about. But, the problem is, when we take down our defenses and all we try to talk about is a peaceful Utopian society, it can get us killed. Enemies would completely ignore our plea for a peace, and they will do what every dominating species does, try to control us.  -psychicnewt

Great example of the other issue of smoking pot, “Over-thinking comedy movies”. Well illustrated, sir.

Freedom Tower renamed “One World Trade Center”.  Thoughts? -DZDeere

Good. Crashing those planes into the towers was just saving us having to tear them down to improve the lot. Let them think that.

Should “Under God” be removed from the pledge? -DonFlamenc0

I think it should be removed because it gives terrorists the impression that we are fighting Holy Wars with them. If you have ever seen terrorist propaganda, they reference the Pledge, the inauguration, and are court system of using bibles to uphold truth as evidence that we hate Muslims and the Islamic religion.

“I love you. I just thought I’d throw that out there.”
We’ve only been together for about 6 months.
I just replied being like “You can’t say that through a text! You’re drunk anyway. Tell me again when you’re sober.”
To which I was asked whether it would even be accepted anyway or is it too early to be saying such things.
I haven’t replied. How awkward. -Polishgnocci

Text back; “Love has no minimum time requirement.” You want to allay her fears of bringing it up, without giving away your hand.

Is it ever appropriate to kiss a girl on the cheek? Seems kinda gay. -Gargantuwon

The majority of women in my life I kiss on the cheek; my wifes friends, my friends that happen to be girls, my friends girlfriends and every family member. How is kissing a girl in anyway shape or form gay anyway?

Seriously, you’ve got the son of freaking god at your dinner table and you sell him out for a few shiny coins? Coins that Jesus could conjure up from thin air? Was Judas retarded? -Albatross_Beach

Didn’t the Gospel of Judas claims that Jesus asked him to betray him? I remember having a pretty elaborate theory tying the removal of his Gospel with the basic fundamentalism of Faith. I might have been stoned, also, though.

I gotta be honest. I don’t like it in movies or magazines when girls just show one boob at first. It’s stupid and annoying. I don’t want to see just one. I want to see all of them and I want to see them now! -LGRaver

Like that one tit-tease, Kristen Davis. My favortie part was when you said “all of them” and not “both” just in case someone has a half dozen under there.

Corn Pops: Yay or Nay? -Crow754

They get soggy too quick. I eat them all the time as a snack out of the box, but with milk? That’s a big nay.

I couldn’t get it up yesterday when I was about to have sex. -dagupe

It was your golden retrievers lucky night, I guess.

My friend told me he was thinking of hurting himself because is Fiancee, girlfriend for three years, broke up with him. I told him a bitch isn’t worth your life, here’s what you got to do. Go out, fuck a bunch of random bitches, live your life, your 19 years old, you don’t need to settle down right now. He just looked at me and said he’s not like that and that nothing could fix the way he felt. I got up and said well good luck then, and left him with one finaly quote amongst everyone in my group of friends “Bitches be crazy, you never know what they gonna do, all you know is what comes when you stick your dick in them.”  Buddy_Christ

A simple “I’ve had my heart broken too. It sucks, but time will fix it.” would have been way more helpful then telling him the way he is feeling is wrong.

Your opinion on they might be giants? -Lamerooster

Ive been down with them for like 20 years. Never have an accordion and horns sounded so consistently bad-ass. I really wish they were able to release their DuDo commercials.

What would happen if a college team put on tv sanctions makes it to the national championship game? -Minumus

The NCAA would never allow a situation where they couldn’t make money off of volunteers.

1 World Trade Center, formerly known as the Freedom Tower, is the main building of the new World Trade Center under construction in Lower Manhattan in New York City. Construction on below-ground utility relocations, footings, and foundations for the 1,776-foot building began in 2006. Work on 1 World Trade Center, then called Freedom Tower, began on April 27, 2006. The design of 1 WTC has generated some controversy due to the limited number of floors in the previous design (82) that were designated for office space and other amenities. The floor limit was imposed by Silverstein, who expressed concern that higher floors would be a liability in a major accident or terrorist attack. In a subsequent redesign, the highest space became comparable to the World Trade Center.

The Port Authority is making progress on the $3.1 billion Freedom Tower (1 World Trade Center). Located at the northwest corner of the WTC site, installation of steel columns continues as the concrete is being poured to form the tower’s base.

The skyscraper is being built according to a revised design released in June 2005. The new design retains essential elements of the original plan– soaring 1,776 feet into the sky, its illuminated mast evoking the Statue of Liberty’s torch — but features a smaller, cubic base set back further from West Street to protect the building against future attacks.

Other key elements include; 2.6 million square feet of office space, tenant amenity spaces, world-class restaurants, below-grade retail, and access to the PATH, subway, and World Financial Center. The tower is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Hacía mucho tiempo que no oía nada relacionado con el World Trade Center y el edificio que al final se iba a construir allí, así que estuve informándome acerca de que es lo que había cuajado finalmente. Por lo visto el rascacielos que se va a construir se llamará “Fredom Tower ” (en un perfecto ingles) ó para los de aquí “Torre de la Libertad”. La verdad es que por lo que he estado viendo el edificio está cargado de curiosidades, de las cuales comento algunas:

• Medirá 1.776 pies (541 metros para los de aquí), cifra que resulta ser el año de independencia de los Estados Unidos
• La azotea del edificio estará situada a 417 metros de altitud, la altura exacta de las antiguas Torres Gemelas
• Hubo filtraciones de uno de los planos iniciales de construcción, descubiertos por un mendigo en una papelera, donde supuestamente había la suficiente información como para poder hacer otro atentado (no aprenden !!!)
• Se colocaron dos columnas decoradas con mensajes y firmas de los familiares de algunas de las casi dos mil 800 personas que fallecieron en los atentados del 2001
• Estará rodeada de otras cuatro torres
• También hay unas WebCams donde se puede hacer un seguimiento de este reto de la Arquitectura (están muy bien).

La verdad es que para lo que tienen pensado construir y como van las obras para mí que para 2010 no están terminadas, para 2013 a lo mejor, pero tampoco pondría la mano en el fuego y más ahora con la crisis.

Imagen generada por odenador (Wikipedia)

Imagen de las obras en una resolución bastante alta (Wikipedia)

11 de setembro de 2009: futuro

Construção do One World Trade Center, previamente chamada de Freedom Tower (Torre da Liberdade), no mesmo lugar onde se encontrava o World Trade Center, em Nova Iorque. 8 de setembro de 2009. (Rick Gerson/Getty Images)

Babies are born and lovers lie;
We’ll make plans, when Freedom stands.
Do not let their stories die.

We teach the how, perhaps the why;
Teach to repeat, to ace exams;
Heart and truth would make them cry.

He stayed inside, in search of his brother.
The second plane hit, lens on his mother.

They put on their fire suits, knowing the worst.
They stormed the pilot; called home first.

Some got relief. Some got the wall.
Nine-thousand remains: nothing at all.

Heartbeats skip and minutes fly
like spy planes with capture plans.
And the dead cannot ask why.

It’s not the oil. Truly, we’ll try.
Allied lands, joining hands—
Empty space in our New York sky.

Babies are born and lovers cry;
We’ll make plans, when Freedom stands.
Do not let their stories lie.
Do not let their stories die.

The Twin Towers, by Heather Grace Stewart (2000)

Depois de alguns dias em Nova York no Affinia Dumont da Royal Holiday, fomos para a tão famosa Miami onde ai nos hospedamos no Doubletree Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay tambem da Royal Holiday e foi ai então que fiquei com duvida de qual lugar é mais bonito, se Nova York ou Miami, mas depois cheguei a conclusão de o mar dá o grande detalhe a Miami, construções lindas, um estilo próprio, modernidade e um clima muito agradavel faz de Miami a vencedora na minha opinião.

Foram tantos lugares visitados que fica até dificil falar sobre tudo : Skyline de Miami, Freedom Tower, Villa Vizcaya, Bank of America Tower, Praia Virginia, Centro de artes Cênicas, o estadio Dolphin Stadium, a prefeitura de Miami, o porto que é um luxo, entre outras milhares de coisas que me  fizeram ficar apaixonado pela cidade.

Vá a Miami e conheça tudo que puder e ainda vai faltar varios luagares para ver.