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The smell

5 comments on The smell

The smell
: Today, when I was down at the World Trade Center today talking with a French TV crew about the memorial competition (more on that later), I walked by an open gash in a building off West Street and I was struck by the smell. It was the first time I had smelled the smell in well over a year. It was that odor that overtook New York after the attacks, an odor of electricity gone mad, plastic turned bad, water, and concrete dust; it was the smell of September 11th. I turned to the TF-1 bureau chief, Loick Berrou, and asked whether he smelled it. He recognized it immediately: the smell of September 11th. It’s a flat smell, distinct and strong and, of course, unappealing but not disgusting. It opened scars in my lungs and my soul. The anniversary is approaching and I did not expect to smell the smell again.

I got back to the office and read James Lileks’ Bleat and he writes about that block and that building (scroll to the bottom).

5 responses to “The smell”

  1. Doc Avatar
    Doc

    The most disturbing thing I remember about breathing in the air at work near the WTC post-9/11 down there was blowing my nose late in the day, seeing the ash/dust and thinking what (who) could be in there. Made me sick to my stomach.

  2. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Below city hall you can still see grey ash gummed up in the black plastic grates covering the Walk/Don’t Walk signs. Even after the last year’s torrential rains and snow storms it’s still there. It’s the most visceral reminder. I imagine that smell all the time.

  3. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    That is my company’s building (Deutsche Bank) it used to be the Bankers Trust building (where coincidentally my dad worked many years and before that at the Wall St BT main bldg). Deutsche bought Bankers Trust.
    Anyway, the insurers want DB to move back into it and repair it, and don’t want to call it a loss. DB is suing the insurers. It’s interesting that you mentioned a smell since the insurer’s act as though if they just fixed the gash it would be as good as new as if that anyone who lived through that day want to go back there. They said the city cleaned up the mold and mildew from exposure.
    We are back down on Wall now. That’s close enough.
    I haven’t been down there since, but I remember the smell that lingered over all the city as far North as 68 St. That smell.

  4. O'McSomething Avatar
    O’McSomething

    Working across the street from the site. We get the smellon rainy days and often times when the freght elevator stops on our floor. Takes me right back.

  5. O'McSomething Avatar
    O’McSomething

    err, that’s freight
    I before e
    Except after c,
    Or when sounded like ay,
    As in neighbor and weigh.