September 2022.
New York, New York.

In two days (as this is published), September 11, 2025, marks the 24th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and other locations in the United States. This day is observed as Patriot Day, a time for remembrance and reflection on the lives lost and the resilience shown in the aftermath of the tragedy.

A while back, I was going through my gallery of travel folders and realized I hadn’t shared photos of a visit to the September 11 Memorial. In fact, I hadn’t even processed them. The files had been accidentally moved to long-term storage on my Network Attached Storage (NAS) drives along with the other photos of New York City taken on our trip there. It seems on this anniversary of the attacks, that I should share the images of that journey to New York City’s place of remembrance.

The memorial is located at the World Trade Center site and honors the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives in the attacks, as well as those who risked their lives to help others. The memorial features two large reflecting pools set within the footprints of the Twin Towers, surrounded by the names of the victims inscribed in bronze.

There are 2,983 names inscribed on the bronze parapets of the 9/11 Memorial. This includes the 2,977 victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks and the six people killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

The reflecting pools at the National September 11 Memorial are designed to be deeply symbolic and visually striking. Each pool spans roughly an acre and marks the footprint of the former Twin Towers. The memorial’s North and South Fountains have a combined recirculating system that pumps up to 18,000 gallons of water per minute at peak performance. The water continuously flows over the walls of the pools and into catch basins for recirculation, creating a serene and contemplative atmosphere.

I found the architecture around the site fascinating and captured several views of the buildings around the monument. The World Trade Center stood in the heart of Lower Manhattan’s Financial District, which has many historic landmarks, including the World Trade Center complex, Wall Street, and Battery Park. The memorial itself spans eight acres of the 16-acre World Trade Center site.

Here is a list of the buildings shown in this view:
The Oculus – The striking white structure with wing-like designs is the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.
One World Trade Center – The tallest building in the U.S., with a sleek glass facade, stands prominently to the right of the Oculus.
Millennium Hilton New York Downtown – A dark, towering building behind the Oculus.
Woolworth Building – A historic skyscraper with a green roof and ornate architectural details.
3 World Trade Center – A modern glass building with visible structural elements, located further to the right.

One World Trade Center – The area’s tallest and most reflective skyscraper.
4 World Trade Center – A sleek, glass-covered building with minimalist design elements.
7 World Trade Center – Another modern high-rise with an angular structure.

One building stood out as truly historic. The older, ornate building at the center of the image is the AT&T Building, also known as the Western Union Building, built as the headquarters of the Western Union company in 1930. It’s a historic Art Deco design that stands out among the modern skyscrapers surrounding it.

I saw a historic old building down Dey Street as we walked past the Oculus. I spent over half an hour between Google Maps and Gemini AI before discovering the details about the Corbin Building and its date with a wrecking ball. The Corbin Building is a long, narrow structure that stood in the way of a modern subway interchange. Designed to house his various business ventures, it was initially built as an office building for Austin Corbin, a wealthy railroad magnate and developer. The structure attracted my attention and demanded that I take a photograph. It was an interesting side note to our visit to New York City. You can read the details on how the building was spared here.

I couldn’t resist taking more photos of the One World Trade Center, which stands at 1,776 feet (541.3 meters). The tower’s design is meant to evoke strength, resilience, and hope, serving as a tribute to the original World Trade Center and the events of September 11, 2001.

I used Copilot AI to name the buildings. In some cases, I wasn’t trusting the response, especially when in two responses, it identified the Oculus, the white wing-shaped building that wasn’t anywhere in either of the images. If you know of any errors in identifying these buildings, let me know in the comments.

Some notes on the photography of the memorial: It was hard to photograph the monument, both emotionally and physically. As you might imagine, many tourists were there, especially when we were there, only about a week after the September 11 anniversary. In some of the views, I used Photoshop’s AI to remove people from the images, but mostly, I took photos close to the pools.

My error in not processing these photos sooner did have one advantage. Adobe Lightroom Classic and Luminar Neo have added several features that make processing quicker and improve results. Lightroom Classic’s Denoise function came in handy to remove noise in some of the photos taken in shade. The recent addition of Adaptive Color profiles provides a much better result than the Auto button I often used. Those wanting to pixel-peep or check the metadata can find the gallery on my Flickr site here.

On the upcoming 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the nation will come together to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost and reflect on the resilience that emerged in the aftermath. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum will host commemorative events, including a Moment of Remembrance and a wreath-laying ceremony. Across the country, tributes such as the 9/11 Memorial Flag, which has traveled to over 129 locations, will continue to serve as a powerful reminder of unity and remembrance. The annual Tribute in Light, illuminating the New York City skyline, will symbolize the enduring legacy of those who were lost and the strength of those who carry their memory forward.

Never forget!

John Steiner