I remember the day so well.
I had grabbed my gym bag, kissed my spouse, and was heading-out-the-door. Off to the gym, then to my store on Bleecker Street. And, oh! It was Election Day! I needed to go to the polls first.
An announcement on the radio: "WNYC has just received reports of an explosion of some kind at the World Trade Center. Stay tuned for more information."
Instead of taking the elevator down to the street, I took the elevator up to the roof. The building's Super, Manny, was the only person up there. He was hosing down the roof deck. It was a beautiful, crystal-clear day. New York days did not get better than this.
We looked downtown together—approximately two miles—where a wispy stream of smoke emerged from a high floor of one tower. I remember thinking to myself, "It looks like a cigarette!"
Manny commented, "You know, a plane just flew right over our building."
"You don't think a plane crashed into the tower?" I asked. "It's so clear today. Was it a big, commercial plane or a small plane?"
"It was a big plane."
"Wow," said I. "Was it close?"
"Yes. I could see the American Airlines logo very clearly. It was strange that it was flying so low."
I went down to the apartment and flipped-on the TV. Soon the second "explosion" occurred. The female on-air commentator saw something funny. "Wait," she said, "run that footage again." She pointed-out an aircraft approaching from behind the building, just before the dramatic explosion. This was the moment when we knew that the world had changed.
Naturally, I didn't go to the gym that day. Nor did I vote (as the polls were closed-down soon after the second attack). And I didn't open the store, either. I did talk my way through the Fourteenth Street police barricades, explaining that I wanted to check-on my store in the Village.
Although it was 23 years ago, I remember every detail as though it had happened only yesterday. And I regret that I had never really appreciated the stoic elegance of the buildings before they were gone. Two dramatic "strokes" of architecture—punctuating my island home.
God Bless the Souls who perished on that day—and all of those who died in the aftermath, having raced downtown to serve their fellow man.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248