The New WTC Progress and "Occupy Wall Street" Protest

When I was in Lower Manhattan last week I walked by the area where the new World Trade Center buildings are being constructed.  The 7 World Trade Center building is on the right in the photo above -- it was completed in 2006.  Located at 250 Greenwich Street and bound by Greenwich, Vesey, Washington, and Barclay Streets, it is 741-foot-tall.  The One World Trade Center Building seen in the middle of the photo, is under construction. When completed, it will soar a symbolic 1,776 feet skyward to become America's tallest building. The 2.6-million-square-foot building will include office space, an observation deck, world-class restaurants, and broadcast and antennae facilities.

4 World Trade Center, located at 150 Greenwich Street, will face directly onto the World Trade Center Memorial Park from the west.  Rising 977 feet from street level, it will be the fourth-tallest skyscraper on the WTC site.  Although the buildings look magnificent, my heart still feels the void of the Twin Towers and surrounding buildings that were lost. They were such familiar sights for so many years of my life, especially since my husband worked in the 7 World Trade building.

Almost diagonally across from the World Trade Center buildings construction site is Zuccotti Park. It is located between Broadway, Trinity Place, Liberty Street and Cedar street,  and is owned by Brookfield Properties.  The park was always a favorite place for local workers and tourists to sit and enjoy the nice weather. If you look on this link you can see how beautifully the park was decorated for Christmas two years ago and also the beautiful  Christmas tree on Wall Street. 
In the photo foreground above is Seward Johnson's 1982 metal sculpture of a businessman called "Double Check." This sculpture became a makeshift memorial after 9/11, and was eventually returned to the artist until the park was rebuilt in 2006, along with newly planted honey locust trees.

As of September 17, 2011, the "Occupy Wall Street" protest began using Zuccotti Park as a campground and staging area for their actions.

I was curious, so I went closer to take a look.

Information about "Occupy Wall Street" according to Wikipedia:
"The protest was originally called for by the Canadian activist group called Adbusters, taking inspiration from the Arab Spring movement, particularly the Tahrir Square protests in Cairo which initiated the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.  The participants of the event are mainly protesting against social economic inequality and corporate greed, among other concerns. Adbusters states that, "Beginning from one simple demand – a presidential commission to separate money from politics – we start setting the agenda for a new America. The protest's organizers hope that the protesters themselves will formulate their own specific demands, expecting them to be focused on "taking to task the people who perpetrated the economic meltdown".

There seemed to be a lot of different grievances being expressed on the signs and placards of the protesters.

The Occupy Wall Street protest members seem to be growing as time progresses and similar groups are emerging in other large cities.

Although I am sure almost everyone in the United States is frustrated with high unemployment and ongoing problems with our economy, I'm not so sure I fully understand this groups positions and if this is the right way to go about expressing them. In any event they have certainly been exercising their right to free speech the past few weeks.

Two more views of the construction of One World Trade Center, taken from West Street.

The 9/11 Memorial is located within the construction site and is open for viewing, but advanced visitor passes are required. Visitors must reserve advance passes for a specific date and time. Visitor passes are free and available through the Memorial's online reservation system.  I am waiting for a date in November to see the 9/11 Memorial, which was the earliest reservation time available. I admit I have some trepidation about visiting the Memorial, as I doubt I will have dry eyes the entire time as I search for the names of victims my husband and I knew.

A minute video taken across the street from the construction of 4 World Trade Center building. As you can see it is a very busy street.

I'm linking this post to Outdoor Wednesday blog event of Susan's blog,  "A Southern Daydreamer."