I have two memories of the World Trade Center, one is direct and one not.
My first visit to New York City was on July 3, 1986. In the following forty-eight hours I experienced the following:
- Arriving at the Saarinen terminal at JFK (I still miss crazy-ole TWA)
- Several scary “80s-era” subway rides (including the Train To The Plane line!)
- Gunfire followed by a woman screaming
- The best coffee and bagel I had ever eaten
- Attempted murder by cabbie (“pedestrians are targets California-boy!”)
- Used book stores in every neighborhood
- A dirty-water hot dog from a vendor in Central Park
- The joys of trying to park a car on the Upper West Side
On July 4, Nicholas, who was living in NYC at the time, and I tried to get into Windows On The World. We got as far as the elevator where the ground floor maitre d’ took one look at us and refused us entry because I was wearing blue jeans and neither one of us was wearing a tie. I wasn’t offended, in fact I muttered a bemused “wow, snooty New York service… Alright!” to myself. We ended up watching the fireworks from the south tower observation deck… My only regret was that I didn’t take a camera with me.
The indirect memory of the World Trade Center is a flyer and a video I have of Spiritualized’s 1997 show at Windows On The World as part of their “Highest shows on Earth” concerts. I wish I could have been there, I could have finally gotten into the place. (there’s a Real stream of the show here)
(advertisement from Asbestos magazine, November 1981. Found here and elsewhere.)