story9127.xml
Title
story9127.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2003-03-05
911DA Story: Story
I was hurrying down Canal Street from my loft near the Manhattan Bridge. I almost always leave a little late and it was a quarter to nine and I wasn't yet on the subway.
In retrospect, I think the first plane must have hit the WTC while I was traveling the 10 minute ride uptown to my office at 33rd & Park. I didn't hear anything as I headed down the stairs at Canal & Centre St, but ten minutes later as a surge of people emptied the cars to exit, a million cellphones were beeping. People seemed to grow very agitated and I heard the word plane crash.
I didn't see anything on the Internet, so I called my sister in Omaha Nebraska, She described what was going on, on the TV. A half an hour later, I couldn't reach her. I couldn't reach anyone.
As the horrible day unfolded, much of our information was from the single TV in the very large office. The thought that there were still planes in the air that might be headed for New York was the most terrifying.
I left and walked to Union Square and a friend and I went to Old Town Tavern. We couldn't quite believe what had transpired.
The bar was very lively. The streets were filled with people heading uptown, but cars were scarce. Every once in a while, you would see a person coated with the dust, looking disoriented.
In retrospect, I think the first plane must have hit the WTC while I was traveling the 10 minute ride uptown to my office at 33rd & Park. I didn't hear anything as I headed down the stairs at Canal & Centre St, but ten minutes later as a surge of people emptied the cars to exit, a million cellphones were beeping. People seemed to grow very agitated and I heard the word plane crash.
I didn't see anything on the Internet, so I called my sister in Omaha Nebraska, She described what was going on, on the TV. A half an hour later, I couldn't reach her. I couldn't reach anyone.
As the horrible day unfolded, much of our information was from the single TV in the very large office. The thought that there were still planes in the air that might be headed for New York was the most terrifying.
I left and walked to Union Square and a friend and I went to Old Town Tavern. We couldn't quite believe what had transpired.
The bar was very lively. The streets were filled with people heading uptown, but cars were scarce. Every once in a while, you would see a person coated with the dust, looking disoriented.
Collection
Citation
“story9127.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 21, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/4696.