Even in a city of unusual sights, shorts and t-shirts in early December are startling. The weather here has finally turned toward winter, with colder temperatures and rain. But last week was sunny and pleasant, with temperatures in the low 70s. Only the low angle of the sun gave away the month. Some flowering trees …
NYC has a flexible attitude toward holidays. The mail and the Stock Exchange may close for a day, but people go to work anyway. Parking regulations are suspended for an astounding list of celebrations, including (as of a few years ago) Muslim holy days. Groups of Jewish friends get together to see movies and order …
New Yorkers often take pride in their ability to assess risks on the fly. That skill has been put to good use over the past week, as the spectre of biowarfare emerged with news of anthrax exposures and full-blown cases in NYC. Anthrax. In New York City. Until now, the stuff of terrorist thriller movies. …
One month after 9/11, New York City is back in business. The city and its people are older, perhaps wiser, certainly sadder. While activity is restored, the tone is different: quieter, slower, kinder, more tentative. The city feels rather like it’s had the wind knocked out of it. New York is back on its feet, …
Dear All It’s early morning on Monday. With the exception of Thursday’s rain, the weather since Tuesday has been perfect. Clear blue skies, brilliantly sunny and warm during the day, comfortable at night — a classic New York City autumn. New York goes back to work today. The NY Stock Exchange will reopen at 9:30 …
Sat, 15 Sep 2001 From: John Voelcker <johnvoelcker@yahoo.com> Subject: coming together, going forward Dear All If you’d said before this week that thousands upon thousands of New Yorkers would gather to light candles and sing the national anthem — without a trace of irony — I’d have asked what new drug you’d cooked up. But …
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 From: John Voelcker <johnvoelcker@yahoo.com> Subject: a turning point Thanks to all for the outpouring of concern and love, especially from those outside NYC. What began as a letter to family and a few friends now seems to be reaching a few hundred people. I’m glad you all enjoy it, and …
From: JVoelcker@aol.com Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 Subject: more from Manhattan Another day, another dawn in Manhattan. The mayor has ordered 11,000 body bags. Bodies and body parts are being taken to New Jersey ice rinks on barges. A friend’s firefighter brother hints that the scene at Ground Zero is indescribably worse than we see …
From: JVoelcker@aol.com 12 Sep 2001 Subject: thoughts from Manhattan Updates – 202 firefighters and 57 police officers & Port Authority police officers are still missing as of 7 am this morning. – Rubble is as much as 10 stories high – The Mayor’s “situation room,” a reinforced concrete bunker with redundant communications capabilities, completed several …