Wherever you are in lower Manhattan, two buildings dominate the landscape. Critics say the twin Ronson lighters of the World Trade Center towers don't relate to their surroundings and aren't especially pleasing in design – and, spirited down to a tenth of their size, they certainly wouldn't get a second glance. But the fact is that they're big, undeniably and frighteningly so, and a walk across the plaza in summer months (closed in winter, as icicles falling from the towers can kill) can make your head reel.
Perhaps the idea of so huge a project similarly affected the judgment of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Center's chief financier, which for several years found itself expensively stuck with two half-empty white elephants – which were quickly surpassed as the world's tallest building by the Sears Tower in Chicago. Now the Center, whose towers are the best part of a five-building development, is full and successful, and the building has become one of the emblems of the city itself.
With courage, a trip to the 107th floor observation deck of 2 World Trade Center (June–Sept daily 9.30am–11.30pm; Oct–May daily 9.30am–9.30pm; $10) gives a mind-blowing view from a height of 1350 feet – over a quarter of a mile. From the open-air rooftop promenade (closed during bad weather), the silent panorama is more dramatic still: everything in New York is below you, including the planes gliding into the airports. Even Jersey City looks exciting. As you timidly edge your way around, ponder the fact that one Philippe Petit once walked a tightrope between the two towers: nerve indeed. Best time to ascend is toward sunset, when the tourist crowds thin and Manhattan slowly turns itself into the most spectacular light show this side of the Apocalypse. If you're hungry or thirsty – and willing to shell out – you could also get the view by visiting the refurbished Windows on the World restaurant (1 World Trade Center, 107th floor), and its accompanying bar, modestly titled The Greatest Bar on Earth.
The Bombing of the World Trade Center
On February 26, 1993, the World Trade Center complex was rocked by an explosive device left in one of the underground parking lots; six people were killed and over a thousand injured. For a moment, the nightmare scenario of the destruction of one of the world's largest office buildings seemed possible, but apart from some minor structural damage, the building held fast. The evacuation of over 50,000 office workers was swiftly and safely carried out, and the biggest headache for the companies in the Trade Center was the fact that the towers were closed for weeks while structural examinations took place. Blame for the bomb fell upon an Arab terrorist group led by the radical Muslim cleric Shaikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was found guilty of involvement by a NYC court in summer 1995.
The 9/11 or September 11th of the World Trade Center
On September 11th ,2001,separate hijacked commercial airliners hit both of the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan. Both eventually collapsed to the street below.
