This site just recently opened to the public, on March 3, 2016. Parts of it are still under construction, but I thought I would check out the Oculus and hub, which has caused some controversy for its final price of nearly $4 billion.
Here are some looks from Dey Street just off of Church Street:
And here's the other side of it from the park between the Oculus and the North Pool at the 9/11 Memorial:
The architect's name is Santiago Calatrava. Although his design was altered over time because of security, money, and space issues, his idea was for the Oculus to evoke a dove being let go by a child into the air.
While it is hard to separate the structure from the money it cost, I found the Oculus interesting and unique. I appreciate its ambition to have its own shape and form and be uplifting, instead of trying to be overpowering in height or bulk. I understand the price issues, but at least it wasn't expensive and also uninteresting.
I admit that I had not heard of the word 'oculus.' Its architectural definition on dictionary.com is "a circular opening, especially one at the apex of a dome."
Here's more evidence that it is a work in progress:
Because of all the ongoing construction in the area, I found it a bit disorienting to figure out where I could enter the hub to get a look inside.
I eventually learned that there is public access to the inside of the Oculus through 4 World Trade Center, which is just south of the structure.
After an escalator ride and a couple of hallways, it opens up to a pretty remarkable space:
I tried to use the panorama option on my phone:
I really like how open the space is, and that it lets in lots of natural light. I was definitely impressed overall.
It looked like there would eventually be escalators leading to the balcony on one end:
Going up to that balcony would give a nice overview.
And when I left and took an escalator up one level, I saw this area under construction that might also eventually be a good viewing area:
One end of the open space leads to the PATH train:
Here are some more looks inside:
It is such a big, open area that I even noticed a pigeon flying around a couple of times. I couldn't get a photo of it, though.
Another entrance to the hub is just north of the Oculus, near the intersection of Vesey and Greenwich Street.
To the left of the escalators is the entrance to the PATH train, which seemed to be the only access here for eventually reaching the inside of the Oculus. Since I wasn't interested in buying a PATH ticket, I walked through that opening straight ahead in the above photo to see what that led to.
At first it led to a rather dreary walkway:
There was also a very loud noise that sounded like roaring water, which I figured was because it was close to where the North Pool was, including its waterfalls and open middle:
After the brief walk through the dreary hallway, the doors opened to a rather stunning contrast:
While this space was not as open and vast as the inside of the Oculus, I still appreciated it very much. It is called the West Concourse and it opened in October 2013.
There's a cool little bridge on the second level:
Here's a closeup of the plaque on the left of the above photo:
There are suggestions of future stores along the second-level walkway:
Along this passageway is also the entrance to the observatory at One World Trade Center. An escalator ride past the observatory entrance area leads to an exit. I looked straight up when I got outside:
It's a tall building, in case you were wondering. Wikipedia says it is the tallest in the West and the sixth-tallest overall, at 1,776 feet.
The West Concourse also connects to Brookfield Place, which is west of the West Side Highway and has office buildings and some high-end stores, along with places to eat and several tall indoor trees.
One side of it faces the marina along the Hudson River. Here is a photo across the West Side Highway, from just outside the opposite end of the building:
Between the Oculus and the highway is the North Pool, mentioned earlier. Here's one more look at it:
Nearby is the 9/11 Memorial Museum:
And the South Pool, which I also took a panorama of:
Also near the Oculus, on Church Street, is St. Paul's Chapel:
Here was a small structure also on the Chapel grounds:
I think that wraps up this post. It was a photo-heavy post but I hope it was worthwhile for discovering the Oculus and some of the area around it. Thanks for reading.
I would have said that this block is in SoHo, but Google Maps says it's in Nolita, and who am I to argue? The term 'Nolita' comes from North of Little Italy, by the way. Couldn't it have its own name instead of being compared to something nearby? It shouldn't have to be the West Virginia of neighborhoods.
Unfortunately the most noticeable thing right away on the block is a big advertisement. I guess the ad people did a good job. When ad people succeed, however, the rest of us lose.
Here's a big building at the northeast edge of the block, with grand columns and an interesting shape:
Oh yeah, and a Duane Reade. I have a feeling that building wasn't originally a Duane Reade on the ground floor. Just a guess.
I tried a pizza joint on Cleveland Place called Champion Pizza SoHo. The sign says they have award-winning pizza, so I guess the name holds up.
At the counter they have many varieties of pizza and novelty license plates:
If I'm trying a new pizza place and judging its quality, I have to go with a regular slice.
That's a good-looking slice. The verdict: delicious. Highly recommend. And a slice is only $2.00, which is a bargain for quality pizza around these parts.
The place itself is small and has a nice atmosphere, with wood and brick walls and plenty of small tables. On the walls are framed articles and photos of famous people who have eaten there.
Just next door to the pizza place, and sharing with it the ground floor of a nice-looking building, is Eileen's Special Cheesecake.
This shop is even smaller than the pizza place, with the back area full of employees working on making more treats.
It was very crowded and seemed to be mostly full of tourists, but that doesn't mean New Yorkers can't go there. They let me in, at least. Fortunately the line moved fast so it wasn't a long wait.
I got a cannoli and cherry tart. Here's the box it came in!
Ah, nothing like a bakery box, tied with that special string in that special way. Good stuff.
Oh yeah, and here are the actual pastries:
Both were really, really good. Especially the cannoli, though that may just be my personal taste preferences talking.
Also on Cleveland Place is The Henley Vaporium.
Are you wondering what a vaporium is? Dude, get with it. It's a place for e-cigarettes. Where have you been?
On Kenmare Street is the Corner Deli, which actually serves Mexican food.
It is also called La Esquina, which means The Corner. Hmm, makes sense.
I do find the name "Corner Deli" confusing in terms of what food to expect there. I didn't eat there but it has good online reviews and I would guess it is in the city's top ten for "delis" that serve Mexican food. Since I can't imagine that there are ten such places here, I would put it in the top ten even if it had bad food. But apparently it doesn't.
By the way, see that rather majestic, domed building a couple of blocks down the street? It's just an apartment building. Actually, from 1909-1973 it was the New York City Police Headquarters, but now it's full of condominiums. So there you go. At least they didn't tear down the nice building.
It is fitting for the former police headquarters to be so nearby, because at the center of this block is a park named after an heroic lieutenant, Joseph Petrosino.
Below is a plaque with more information on Lieutenant Petrosino. I recommend reading it, he sounds like a great man:
Next to the plaque was an article that included a photo of the Lieutenant and a photo collection of 17 criminals whom he had locked up.
The park itself is small with a calm vibe, and a nice open space in the middle of a rather busy area of lower Manhattan.
I'm sorry to say it, but here are some rather ugly buildings in the area:
Along the Lafayette Street side of the block there are several restaurants that seem very nice, though I didn't go to any. One of them is Ed's Lobster Bar, which is probably the one with the big lobster on its sign.
I like the colorful art on the right side of that photo.
That about wraps it up from a nice block, named after a noble man and with good food options. Here's one more look at the pastries, just because:
Oh my.
