MovieChat Forums > Man on Wire (2008) Discussion > Did anyone here ever get to visit the Wo...

Did anyone here ever get to visit the World Trade Center?

posted 17 years ago by Rabipelado
114 replies | jump to latest

If so, when did you go and what was it like? Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to visit the Twin Towers, though I did see them once through airport windows while transferring flights at Newark and was amazed at their size, even from such a far distance. They were always my favourite New York City landmarks and the South Tower's observation deck was the number one place in Manhattan I wanted to visit.

I was always fascinated by the story of Philippe Petit's walk between them and heard he even autographed the rooftop of one of the towers. I really look forward to seeing "Man on Wire" and learning more about Petit and his adventure. Anyway, if you're comfortable with it (I understand and fully respect how sensitive a topic it is for some), please feel free to share your World Trade Center experiences.

[–] kmc-4 14 years ago

I went to the observation deck at the top of the World Trade Center my first and only time in August 2001. I had been living in NYC for a little more than a year, and a friend from college and her husband came up from Texas to visit. I went with them, and I'm so glad that I did. Otherwise, I never would have gone.

I had been to the Empire State Building at least three times by then, so I wasn't overwhelmed by the experience of going up there. I do remember being reasonably awestruck, though.

Then, over Labor Day, I went out to Astoria in Queens to catsit for a friend. I wandered up to the roof of her building and started taking pictures. (Don't know why I was doing that.) Maybe nine days later, 9/11 happened. It didn't even dawn on me that I got this fantastic photo of the Twin Towers until I got the film developed, maybe in October, weeks after the fact. When I saw the picture, I just gasped. It was like foreshadowing, and I didn't realize it was right inside my camera. That was the most haunting feeling.

[–] IsleOfDogs 14 years ago

Yes. I was fortunate enough to visit Manhattan in April 1996.

It was a very windy but sunny day. The view from the South Tower roof (the observation deck) was magnificent. Looking towards the Statue of Liberty, the sun was reflecting off the water. It was a dazzling spectacle.

I've been in taller buildings (eg the CN Tower in Toronto). But I must say the twin towers seemed higher, both looking up at them and from the roof looking down. Probably because they were very sheer sided, and were very imposing architectually.

[–] darthstuey 13 years ago

I went in 1993 when on a month tour of the States- I was 21 at the time. I was utterly amazed with the whole of New York and am determined to return one day. Perhaps in 2013- twenty years on! Scary.

[–] VanTammen 13 years ago

This may sound like a bad tast joke, but it is not... I went to NY with my family in 1999, because I'm a film buff I mostly wanted to go to Empire & WTC because of both King Kong movies.

I managed to go to the top of both (not sure wich of the twin towers you could visit...),I think we spent an hour or so in line to go up there (it's what I recall the most, the hours waiting and the number of elevators)

The view up there was simply amazzing, it was really windy, but you felt on top of the world.

My sister took lot's of photografs with her camera, and when we finally came down, she realised that the film wasn't properly placed, so none of the photos where good... she wanted to go up again to take pictures, but my father didn't want to spend another hour in lines.

I still remember, my sister was complaining, and he said "well, you'll take them the next time you come to NY, it's not as if the towers are going anywhere!".

of course then happen what happen, but we still talk about that day every time we're all toghether...

[–] jac91604 13 years ago

I grew up in NY and went a couple of times as a child, and one time to Windows of the World restaurant.

It still is hard to comphrehend that this happened, especially when you're reminded of them in a film or TV show.

[–] Xeokym 13 years ago

I live in NJ and in my 20s, my cousins & I would always take the train into NYC and just wander around Manhattan, going to the Met or MoMA, Central Park, Washington Park, shopping in Soho, going to bookstores, etc. A couple times we went to the observation decks of several buildings, including the WTC. My favorite skyscraper (by design) is the Chrysler Building, but the twin towers were always the first thing I could recognize of the NYC skyline, as a kid. Any time we went to Newark Airport I would get excited and go "look! the twin towers!"

My husband is a courier, and his route had him going up both towers several times a week, delivering & picking up computer tapes. On 9/11 my dad came over & woke me up after the first tower was hit, and I sat frozen watching the 2nd tower get hit & both towers drop on the TV...I didn't know if he was on that route that day. I couldn't even pick up the phone & call his work. Finally my dad called for me, and thankfully, he wasn't there. I don't think I've ever been frozen with fear like that before in my life, & I hope I never have to feel that way again.

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[–] stan-banfield 13 years ago

I was there was I was a young boy of 12. Our family went to visit my Dad's Aunt and other friends and relatives in the city from Manhattan to the Bronx to the Catskill Mountains. Was a great trip.
Just being in new York City at that age was fascinating. It was 1974 and the actual day that Philip crossed the wire between the World Trade Center towers when we arrived in New York City via Grand Central Station.
I was very amazed at the stunt but would not know how much until later on in life because of my young age at the time.
It was all over the tv stations when we got to our relatives house in new York City that night.
We also had a great trip there and went to see the twin towers along with some other great landmarks in New York. Statue of Liberty, Macy's, Broadway, Across many famous bridges and through some famous tunnels over and under the Hudson River. Going up the Empire State Bldg. was a highlight.
Makes me sad that my Brother and Father are not here anymore to talk to about times like those that we had together. The good old days. I miss them.