Motorcycle-cade Invades Manhattan With Boots On The Ground

Manhattan, NY, Aug 16 2014 –

A huge throng of motorcyclists that came from around the country entered Manhattan via the Holland Tunnel tonight as the culmination of a three-day ride that began at Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It was a rolling memorial from where flight 93 hit the ground on 9-11 twelve years ago. The fund-raising event is part of a support system of families and friends that lost loved ones and co-workers on that tragic day.

The parade of different types of bikes (yes, tricycles too) came out of the Holland Tunnel and turned towards the West Side Highway from Laight Street (2 blocks south of Canal Street) and headed directly into Times Square after turning right near 42 Street.

Union Pacific Railroad Commemorates Their 150th Anniversary At The 'Big Board' By Ringing The Closing Bell

Lower Manhattan, July 2, 2012 - In celebration of the company’s proud past and bright future, employees of Omaha, Neb.-based Union Pacific Railroad, North America ’s largest freight railroad by revenue, UP visited the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to commemorate their 150th anniversary. President Lincoln signed investment legislation on July 1, 1862 for the railroad that ultimately connected our nation's east and west coasts. Where would our nation be without railroads? Not as prominently poised in the world over the years since then is the answer. The food we eat, materials and goods we use all get transported by rail - they literally haul the freight.

Attached are my photos from the NYSE floor and the exterior of New York Stock Exchange that was adorned with Union Pacific Railroad's 150th anniversary banner and flag. Union Pacific Railroad Chief Executive Officer Jack Koraleski rang the NYSE Closing Bell and made congratulatory handshakes with 11 Union Pacific employees from various locations across the country.

Congratulations UP!!!

Lower Manhattan Traffic Report: Traffic Jam Due To Giant's Super Bowl Ticker Tape Parade

New York City, February 7, 2012 - A huge morning-long traffic jam occurred as a one-time event - the N.Y. Giant's Super Bowl ticker tape (an estimated 40 tons) parade up the 'Canyon Of Heroes' on Broadway in Lower Manhattan today - and what a parade it was! The victors proudly waved their 4th Lombardi Trophy in the air that made the crowd cheer! The weather was beautiful picture postcard day but was overshadowed by the extravaganza starring our Sunday afternoon heroes, who were the real stars.

You're saying, ok, this is a transportation blog - so where's the transportation angle? Alright - here goes: aside from the traffic jam, City Comptroller John Liu rode on his own private float - a 1952 Chrysler 300.

New York City's subway system service was altered as extra trains were added and train stops temporarily closed as 11 am approached - when the parade began. All divisions in Lower Manhattan were affected as fans made the subway cars that are normally packed to the gills, were jammed cheek to jowl far above normal levels. I've never seen so many school children on parent sponsored field trips - lots of hookey was played today. Subway details:
Beginning at 10 AM to prevent overcrowding conditions, trains did NOT stop at these five stations:
Wall St, 4 or 5;
City Hall, R;
Chambers St, A or C;
World Trade Center, E;
and Fulton St, 4, 5, A or C.

These five stations were the best way to get to the parade route:
1 service to South Ferry or Rector Street;
2 or 3 service to Wall St or Fulton St;
4, 5 or 6 service to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall;
J service to Chambers St;
R service to Rector St.

The MTA's commuter lines, Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road, will be adding extra trains to handle the added capacity.

Over a million fans of all ages and sizes attended the gala event that was a wonderful event that was culminated with the Giants getting the keys to New York City from Mayor Bloomberg.

Congrats to the comeback kids as they rebounded from a 7-7 regular season record to go on a winning streak that earned them the Super Bowl trophy. Coach Coughlin is worth is weight in gold as he kept the team on message and was definitely exhibiting leadership as he definitely kept communicating with his charges in a positive manner - I wouldn't mind working for a guy like that!

Bulls On Wall Street – No Really!

Lower Manhattan, New York, NY (January 5, 2012) – A pair of bulls invaded Wall Street today, well sort of. From 1 to 3:00 pm, live caged bulls were showcased beneath the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) façade as the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. visited the NYSE and were at on the interior platform as they help ring the closing bell with PBR CEO James Haworth to kick off the 2012 Built Ford Tough Series /PBR’s 6th Annual Madison Square Garden Invitational on January 6-8, 2012.

It was some week for bulls in Lower Manhattan, first the Charging Bull at Bowling Green on Sunday, the NYSE on Thursday - what's next, a cattle drive? Stay tuned! That's no bum steer!!!

St. Nicholas Church At Ground Zero Holds Annual 'Blessing of the Waters' Ceremony At Battery Park

Lower Manhattan, January 8, 2012 - One of the time-honored Epiphany rituals was celebrated in Battery Park this past Sunday. The Blessing of the Waters and casting of the Holy Cross into New York Harbor. This ceremony was conducted after a mass was held at Saints Helen and Constantine Church in Downtown Brooklyn. Parishioners arrived in Lower Manhattan in a bus in the early afternoon following a morning of prayer. These parishioners are of St. Nicholas Church at Ground Zero which was demolished during the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. This year is especially joyful because they now can begin to build their replacement church next to Ground Zero. The story about this is in this blog at: http://railientrails.blogspot.com/2011/10/agreement-to-build-greek-orthodox.html

The ritual begins with a procession from Pier 1 to Slip 1, near where the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island ferry boats dock. Crosses and religious artifacts are carried and chants are sung during this procession. The priests and divers (this year there was only one), boarded a new FDNY rescue boat where more prayers are sung. At the appropriate moment, the swimmers are told to be ready and the gold cross is thrown into the water with a tether and is the symbolism of the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan river by St John the Baptist. The successful swimmer hoists the cross in the air to signify he's got it and swims back to the boat. For his efforts, he is rewarded with a small cross, personal blessing from the priest to ensure good luck for the coming year. The ceremony is concluded with the release of a white dove which symbolizes the Holy Spirit which appeared that day in the sky.

The Greek Festival of Epiphany is held every year on the Sunday of January after the Epiphany. Greek Orthodox Churches around the world holds its own 'Blessing of the Waters' ceremony. All Greek Orthodox churches located close to a water front perform this rite that is based upon the Rite of Baptism.

Agreement To Build Greek Orthodox Church At Ground Zero/World Trade Center Site Reached

Lower Manhattan, October 14, 2011 - More than a decade after the destruction caused by the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, an agreement was signed between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the leadership of the Greek Orthodox St. Nicholas Church in Lower Manhattan. The only religious house of worship that was flattened, will be built at 130 Liberty Street instead of at their previous location.

The deal was brokered by Governor Cuomo’s office which effectively was a land swap for a tract of land the Port needed for security reasons. The church's previous site at 155 Cedar Street was exchanged for the nearby former Deutche Bank building plot at 130 Liberty Street. The agreement states that the Port will build a platform the church can build upon, at a cost not to exceed $25 million.

It is unfortunate that a lawsuit and an intervention by Governor Andrew Cuomo was needed to reach this milestone. I look forward to entering this new church dedicated to the patron saint of Bari, Italy - St. Nicholas.

It's Not Your Grandfather's Vending Machine

South Street Seaport, Friday, September 16, 2011 - Your grandfather never used these vending machines in his youth but now the makers of modern-day vending machines want to say “thank you” to Gen Y (ages 18 - 29), the generation that prefers vending machines over any other retail channel. The 'Gratitude Tour' is a way for the vending industry to showcase to students, working professionals and all consumers how vending delivers what they want, where they want it, and when and how they want it. This past Friday was the New York City stop on a seven city tour.

Visitors to the exhibit had the opportunity to see, touch and use the latest vending technology. They can also learn about how vending is now offering conveniences such as cashless payments and new technological appliances. Wait a minute, technology, in a vending machine? Absolutely - here's how. Have you been dreaming of your chips toasty-warm when you get them? Now you can have them. Fresh, steaming-hot bowl of Ramen Noodles from a vending machine?! You got it!!! Want to get ice cold soda and not have the fizz explode when you open it? Now this is not a dream but reality. Vending machines can now communicate with each other, so consumers can buy a snack and beverage together, from different machines with one convenient swipe of a credit card. Grandpa never had it this good.

Fun was had by all with lots of free goodies for the public as they heard the rock band on stage. The social media tent was a fun place to visit and had an easy Facebook contest with cash prizes and free tee shirts to winning entries.

I hope they come soon to a machine near you - the new way to deliver treats was great. Visit their website for more info about these great machines at: http://www.vendialogue.com

85th Annual San Gennaro Feast Begins In 'La Piccola Italia'

Manhattan, Little Italy, September 15, 2011 - Despite protests by Yuppie shop keepers on Mulberry Street, the 85th annual San Gennaro feast began on Mulberry Street as always. Like all feasts that have their origins 'in the old country', the patron saint of the local city or town is honored by the populous for a little over a week in the streets. This year, it begins on Thursday, September 15th and ends 11 days later on the 26th which spans from Canal Street to Houston Street. It is a feast that has many ethnic groups as  participants that seems to grow every year, evidence by the swelling crowds. This year, it begins on Thursday, September 15th and ends 11 days later on the 26th which spans from Canal Street in Chinatown to NoLIta's Houston Street. It is a feast that has many ethnic groups as  participants that seems to grow every year, evidence by the swelling crowds.

According to a handout by the Most Precious Blood Church at 109 Mulberry Street, San Gennaro was executed under orders by Emperor Diocletian because he was a Christian sympathizer and gave comfort to other Roman prisoners. When San Gennaro was beheaded, someone saved his head and body and a good woman used a sponge to save his blood and filled a phial with it. The blood liquefies twice a year and is called 'the miracle of the blood'. San Gennaro's body is preserved in a church in Naples, Italy and is the patron saint of that city.

The feast is a popular celebration of San Gennaro by the masses complete with food, music and many Italian symbols. One symbol of Italians in America is the Italian American Museum on Mulberry Street whose mission is to tell the story of Italian Americans with their emmigration from Italy to America. It is the only museum with this mission. This week, the Museum is showing a video of the San Gennaro story in its main viewing room and features photos from a book of Italian American feasts. These are two of the many great topical subjects that are tackled by the IAM and it is worth the effort to visit it. Artifacts such as old passports, ship board passes and other vintage materials can be found in the old Banca Stabile building which still has its original vault and teller cages.

Attending and participating in this feast and you never know what you'll see. It could be the man walking around with his cat sitting on his head, a parade or a procession, cannoli-eating contest or maybe a human-sized tomato.

It is a great feast - stop by and maybe I'll see you there!!!

The Tenth Anniversary of 9-11 In New York City

New York City, September 8 - 15, 2011 - The object of this post is to recap a series of 9-11 events as a diary over the course of a few days that will be amended to include events as this small era with huge consequences evolves. To see my story/photos from a month ago, visit my August 24 post:
http://railientrails.blogspot.com/2011/08/silverstein-properties-unveils-sixteen.html

September 8
The preparations culminating in Sunday's event began revealing themselves. The now annual American flags comprising the 'Remembrance Field of Honor' in Battery Park near the globe rescued from Ground Zero are in place. NYC Transit's '9/11 Remembrance Ten Years Later' ceremony was held on the 20th floor of 2 Broadway instead of the Park. The photo on the left shows the current height of 1 WTC with the globe and flags.

At Noon, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) conducted their '9/11 Remembrance Ten Years Later' which featured MTA officials speaking about the little-reported fact that agency-wide managers bonded with thousands of TWU union workers to get the job of assembling trucks and supplies to begin the rubble removal and recovery effort. Heroic efforts of individual employees such as subway motorman Hector Ramirez' effort to rescue passengers from the BMT Cortlandt Street platform before the towers fell, saving their lives; Transit workers drove buses to help

 evacuate people from the scene; and the list of heroes action at a critical time goes on and on. Afterwards, the express bus that was destroyed on 9-11 and rebuilt in a bus depot, was on display in front of 2 Broadway all day as a symbol of the resilience and determination to return to normal life.

In the evening at the Pace University auditorium, the National Press Photographer's Assn in conjunction with Pace University, sponsored the 'Witness To Tragedy And Recovery' symposium. Aaron Brown formerly of CNN, was the featured speaker. Michelle Charlesworth of ABC-TV was the panel discussion moderator with Aristede Economopulos, James Estrin, Steven Livingston, David Handschuh, Anthony Mancini, Shams Tarek, Richard B. Woodward and Joe Woolhead as panelists reflecting on that days events and its effect on photography and security issues. Kudos to Todd Maisel for co-chairing the event that had spirited story of each photographer's personal tale. Towards the end, discussion turned to how photographers are being targeted by police as 'suspicious persons' performing 'suspicious activity'. I urge everyone to see the photo exhibit of mostly September 11, 2001 photos before it closes on September 24th.

September 9
New York City Transit conducted another hour-long remembrance. Brian Jenkins (Director of the National Transportation Safety Security Center -The Mineta Institute), co-author of Saving City Lifelines: Lessons Learned in the 9/11 Attacks spoke of why he wrote the book. He said, "Future generations will ask what happened. It is important to preserve the facts of an unprecedented loss of life on US soil. The Mineta Institute did a study of best practices and learning experience which was published in this book." He added that in January of 2001, eight months before the tragedy, an exercise was conducted and that planning proved invaluable in dealing with the events that unfolded. after Jenkins spoke, several current and former MTA management leaders recounted their experiences of that fateful day.

It was revealed by Joe Hoffmann, former Sr VP of Subways, said that Transit was the first responder and supplied buses, trucks, logistics and trucks to begin the rescue and recovery effort. Transit's efforts have become lost facts when the 9-11 search and cleanup is discussed. No one died on NYC Transit that day.

Needless to say, the NYPD began ramping up security in Lower Manhattan with check points, street and access closures and the like this on Friday evening. By Saturday, the barricades were up for Sunday's big event.

 September 10
 The 'Empty Sky' memorial in New Jersey State Park was dedicated where new icons now stand. Two walls and steel beams mark that New Jersey residents died in the tragedy ten years ago. In Shanksville, Pennsylvania where United flight 93 crashed into the ground, a commemorative ceremony was held. Former President Bill Clinton will offer his help to raise funds to build a memorial there. A 'hand-in-hand' ceremony was organized by Community Board 1 in Battery Park. The world's largest free flying flag was hung at 1 WTC about 6pm in Lower Manhattan by construction workers. In Bryant Park in Midtown, a seat was left open for each one that died that day. At night, the globe rescued from 'Ground Zero' and placed in Battery Park was illuminated along with the flags with the names of the deceased. These events were not the only ones, but some of the many. No, we're not forgetting anything about that fateful day ten years ago.

September 11 
Early Sunday morning, those involved in the big show will assemble in Lower Manhattan. The whole place has been in 'lockdown' since Friday evening. Unless you absolutely needed to be there, stay home and watching it on your television was the best option.NYPD checkpoints were on a seemingly block by block basis.

As a participant, I found the mood somber and respectful. For all the diversity in our nation, we came together to remember what happened to our nation on that day 10 years ago. Uniformed civil servants such as police, fire and others such as airplane pilots stood side by side on Church Street watching the ceremony on the jumbotron tv screen.

September 12
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and National September 11 Memorial and Museum President Joe Daniels will officially open the Memorial to the public with Memorial architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker, as well as 9/11 Memorial board members who are family members of victims who perished in the 9/11 attacks or those injured as a result of the attack. It was a pure photo-op for the politicians/Museum officials but the victim representatives did make themselves available to the media. These were passionate interchanges and the message delivered was to give medical aid to the survivors as those people selflessly went looking for survivors amid the destruction and toxic fumes.

Joe Daniels said 'it was a peaceful place' as the noises of the rest of the city went away and a respectful oasis was a good place to pray and remember the fallen and injured. Having experienced this peacefulness, I concur.




September 15
Alice Greenwald, Director, National September 11th Memorial and Museum gave a digital preview 'tour' of the Museum's interior (which is scheduled to open 9/11/2012) at a NYMTC (New York Metropolitan Transportation Council) PFAC meeting. Shown was a complete step-by-step look at the Museum from beginning to end. The Museum's scope includes artifacts such as steel beams, WTC 'tridents' and vocal recordings of radio transmissions and phone calls. The recovery effort was also included in the presentation. 

 Joel Ettinger, the Executive Director, gave the ED's report and announced that a booklet was available after a 9-11 Memorial Program for Regional Transportation Planning: a 5-year retrospective was conducted. NYMTC is the transportation planning group for the area around New York City within New York State.



Summary
Clearly, the decisiveness of our political climate must be resolved and we must move forward as a nation. Those that died and injured on that fateful day must be made whole as they represent the supreme sacrifice and selflessness. Pray for their souls. An old expression is, if you keep thinking of them and have them in your heart, they're still alive.

Amen.

Tugboats 'Drag Race' In 19th Annual Great North River Tugboat Race & Competition

Pier 84, Manhattan, September 4, 2011 - Nine tugboats competed in the '19th Annual Running of the Great North River Tugboat Race & Competition' sponsored by the Working Harbor Committee - a kind of drag race of tugboats in addition to other contests. After the 10am race to the finish line at Pier 84, other activities included the shove (where 2 tugs face-off against each other nose-to-nose), the rope toss (throwing a rope to a bollard on the pier where the fastest wins), spinach-eating contest and trophy awards for the winners of the race, best tattoo, best mascot and awarding of the raffle which consisted of framed tugboat photos.

New York Harbor is a shadow of what it was decades ago. The biggest drop in tugboat activity occurred when ship containerization reduced traffic levels way below what was considered the norm.

One other ceremony was held - commemoration of those associated with this event. For me, the most notable was that of Bernie Ente, one heck of a photographer that was there for me with advice and also got me to photograph these tugboats in the first place. Bernie was omni-present when it came to railfan photography in the New York region. Bernie set-up photo-ops at the NY Cross Harbor Railroad carfloat near the Bush Terminals. Alas, the carfloat is no longer used and Bernie is no longer with us. May he rest in peace.

HBO charters vintage 4-car IRT train as rolling billboards for their 'Boardwalk Empire' TV show

Manhattan, September 4, 2011 - HBO chartered the 4-car IRT low-voltage train built in 1917 and 1924 as rolling billbords for their 'Boardwalk Empire' TV show scheduled to debut on September 25, 2011. On Saturdays and Sundays during this month of September, these behemoths of the past will troll the 7th Avenue IRT express line (2 and 3) between the 42nd St- Times Square and 96th Street stations.

Normally, rides on this classic equipment are done by special arrangement. The cost you ask? It's free when you've already paid your fare to enter the system. HBO hired the MTA to operate the train to promote the TV show. All you have to do is show up and ride!

My experience today is that many riders were not railfans but those looking to experience something they've never seen and sometimes sharing those experiences with their families or 'best buddies'.

The logical question is how did these cars survive almost a hundred years? The answer is through the passion and desire of railfans to save the equipment back in the 1960s as the scrapper's torch was about to hit them. Frank Turdik was a transit employee in the early 60s that loved the cars and managed to hide them with some help, evade the 'grim reaper' of the person in charge of scrapping all the 'Lo-V' cars. It's too long a story for this blog right now, but maybe I'll get to it some day.

Silverstein Properties Unveils The Sixteen-Acre WTC Construction Site To Media Eyes

Lower Manhattan, August 24, 2011 - My first recollection of Larry Silverstein was right after the destruction of 9-11 where nearly 3,000 people died and hearing that he was going to build his towers at Ground Zero amidst negative comments from other developers, economists and urban scientists. On August 24, 2011, I saw the vindication of Mr. Silverstein’s dream.

Nearly ten years after the destruction caused by a terrorist attack, it is called The World Trade Center and not Ground Zero. Five towers arise instead of rubble on the ground. Eighteen days before the tenth anniversary, the new National September 11 Memorial and Museum is surrounded by the 30-foot high memorial waterfalls, trees, a transportation center and new skyscrapers. The 16 acre site is half memorial, half new construction. The memorial falls and pools of water are located where the footprints of the Twin Towers once stood. The plaza is filled with 400 trees. The aerial view of the current 16-acre site compared to the destruction of almost 10 years ago is a stunning view that can move you to tears.

As the press conference began, Glenn Schuck, President of the New York Press Club that hosted of the event, made his first introduction - Larry Silverstein. Mr. Silverstein proudly stated his resolve to rebuild was a success and Lower Manhattan is reborn by stating that, "Today for the first time since 9/11, every part of the World Trade Center is under construction. You have to have enormous respect for what's going on here.” He later added, “Looking at this area now, it's hard to remember that many were concerned that downtown was finished. You should never bet against New York. This town always comes back bigger and better."

Joseph Daniels, president of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, was clearly proud of the accomplishments being shown this day. "I remember walking toward the pools with no idea what the sound would be like. With 52,000 gallons of water cycling through the pools every minute, I worried that the effect would be too loud, that it would take away from the peace of the memorial. But the falls are just what you would hope. They create a beautiful whisper, a sound envelope that drowns out the noise of the city." He added that the names will not be in alphabetical order, but grouped so friends, co-workers for example will be together on the wall of the memorial. Mr. Daniels further remarked that, “…We wanted to bring together voices that were involved in what happened here. Construction workers, first responders, family members, just really telling the country that we’re opening, that they should come down and visit, that this is America’s memorial to what happened.” The 1993 attack victims are also recognized together as are 2001 first responders, plane and Pentagon victims respectively.

The different building constructions will be completed at different times in a manner that resembles a cascading timeline effect. The memorial will open to the public the day after the ceremony of September 11, 2011; the museum on September a year later; 4 WTC (designed for 72 floors is now 48 floors high) will open in 2013; One World Trade is already 80 stories high; 2 and 3 WTC foundations are up to street level from 80 feet below.

According to Mr. Silverstein, "I expect these buildings to be impregnable (earthquake proof),” and later added that they, “…will be a model of energy efficiency. The greenest, most high tech buildings – that’s a winning combination.”

In my estimation, with the rebuilding of the site from the destruction of Ground Zero into a working World Trade Center site is quite literally like the rising of a Phoenix out of the ashes.

These Vehicles Are Just Electric!!!

Lower Manhattan, Friday, August 12, 2011 – Advances in battery technology have created new possibilities in the transportation field. T3 Motion announced ‘T3 Day’ at the New York Stock Exchange as a venue to display their new T3 and R3 series electric vehicles as the latest entries into this upcoming transportation area.

T3 Motion (NYSE AMEX:TTTM) is a producer of clean technology electric vehicles. An area in front of the NYSE on Broad Street known as ‘Experience Square’ is where rides were given on the T3, a cutting-edge 'green' personal mobility vehicle. The same area was also the showcase location of the sleek, two-passenger R3 automobile with its innovative design and state-of-the-art technology.

The T3 is a ‘personal mobility’ stand-up tricycle built for use by law enforcement and security officers that costs less than ten cents a day to operate according to the manufacturer. Its zero-degree turning radius allows you to almost spin like a top and change direction. When moving, the personal mobility vehicle allows you to proceed at 20 miles per hour clip in the direction you chose. The built-in superior vantage point comes from the 9-inch raised platform the rider stands on.

This R3 series advanced technology car is a stunningly beautiful piece of environmentally friendly machinery that’s built to look like an Italian sports automobile with a top speed of 70 mph. The two-seat front wheel drive car has a low rolling resistance capability and a proprietary (patent pending) single, wide-stance, rear wheel with two high-performance tires sharing one rim. Electric power is managed by the T3 Motion's intelligent power management battery system. The hotel amenities include an in-car, integrated "black box" video and data recording system.

The modern vehicle age is upon us right now and ‘green’ is the order of the day. If you’re going green, this looks like it’s the way to go.

Ground Zero Greek Orthodox Church Celebrates Vespers

Ground Zero, New York, NY (December 5, 2010) – At 2 pm today, a rare religious ceremony was held at the site of the former Greek Orthodox Church at Ground Zero. The ‘vespers’ rite is in itself not rare, but the fact that it was conducted on the site of a church that no longer existed, was the rarity.

The ceremony was marked with the appearance of ‘precious artifacts’ that miraculously survived the destruction of the World Trade Center area on September 11, 2001: the splintered wood icon of the Life-Giving Spring (Zoodohos Peghe); a tattered altar cloth, a crushed silver bowl used to hold the blessed bread; twisted gold-plated candelabra; bent brass bell; mangle candles and a liturgical book. These symbols were prominently held by children during the service.

The Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, spoke of the destruction of the church and the resolved for its ‘resurrection’ and said, “On the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, I take this opportunity to warmly greet and gratefully thank all those who especially today have witnessed their devotion to Saint Nicholas but also expressed in very tangible ways, despite the adversities, their wholesale support and steadfast resolve for the rebuilding of the Church of Saint Nicholas on this most hallowed ground.” He added that, “Almost 10 years ago, our city and nation suffered a terrorist attack of unparalleled proportions. In addition to the tragic and horrific loss of almost 3,000 innocent victims, a number of whom were members of our own community, the world witnessed the unimaginable collapse of the Twin Towers”.

In attendance were several political figures including newly-minted State Senator Anthony Avella and New York City Comptroller John Liu.

The church was built by Greek immigrants and opened in 1916 and served three generations until it was destroyed on 9-11.
 
In published reports subsequent to the vespers, the church sued the Port Authority over rebuilding issues at Ground Zero. This story's final chapter hasn't been written.