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A Day Of Change
Close to 3,000 people lost their lives on September 11th 2001, an estimated 6,000 people got injured. 9 years and 4 months later a US Military operation called Neptune’s Spear – commanded by US president Barack Obama - killed Osama bin Laden - founder of the al-Qaida group - who declared himself as the initiator in 2004.
Instructions
5 commercial planes where hijacked by 19 members of the al-Qaida group on that day. 2 of them hit the two towers of the World Trade Centers (WTC). Jason Dahl was the captain of United Airlines Flight 93 which was hijacked at 9:28am on September 11 2001 crashing at 10:02am in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The voice recorder revealed his instructions for the passengers: “Ladies and gentlemen this is the captain speaking. Please take your seat and stay seated. We have a bomb on board. Please take your seat.”
411
343 fire fighters, 60 police men an 8 paramedics were killed in action. Nowadays two water basins with the name of all the victims from that day are the heart of the memorial site which marks the footprints of the two towers destroyed on September 11th 2001.
Phoenix
In dependence on the mystical bird - first from the Egypt and later Greek mythology - a steel construction in the shape of a bird spreading its wings marks the entrance of a shopping mall next to the 9/11 memorial site.
Connection
New York has always been a melting pot of people from all over the world. The MTA New York City Subway connects its areas since October 27th 1904. Nowadays it counts 25 lines, 472 stations, approximately 1,355 kilometres of rails and more that 4.9 Million passengers per day.
City Of Superlatives
A population of more than 8 million, 170 languages spoken (the most of any city in the world), more than 6,000 skyscrapers (the most worldwide), 50 million visitors per year, 33,000 visitors to Broadway musicals per day, 200 museums, 13,000 taxis and 2,072 bridges.
Times Square
One of the world’s most visited tourist attractions. Approximately 330,000 people pass through daily, on a busy day 460,000 pedestrians walk through. Wall Street Journal estimates that the total revenue from billboards around Times Square accounts for 230 million dollars per year. And counting.
World of Power
In 2013 a study found out that it costs $ 368,291,070 a year in water, electricity and greenhouse gas emissions to run Times Square. It´s estimated that it takes at least 161 Megawatts at any given time to keep the area glowing. Enough energy to light 161,000 US homes and twice the amount of electricity to power all the Las Vegas casinos.
13,587
More than 13,000 cabs pick up street-hailing and prearranged passengers anywhere in NYC.
Final Curtain
After 22 years on air, David Letterman decided to close his final curtain of the daily CBS Late Show in 2015.
Cold Living
In the city that never sleeps nearly one in every 106 inhabitants is homeless. Night by night, nearly 4,000 people sleep on the streets, in the subway system or in other public spaces.
Central Park
Most visited urban park in the US with more than 40 million visitors per year. New Yorks green lung comprises 341 ha and is – compared by land area – larger than the principality of Monaco.
Eternal peace
In New York there has been no new cemetery built for more than 50 years. As more than 60,000 people die every year this situation leads to rocketing grave prices and fierce fights for the eternal peace.
East River
The tidal strait changes its direction of flow frequently, and is subject to strong fluctuations in its current, which are accentuated by its narrowness and variety of depths. The waterway was historically the centre of maritime activities in NYC.
Coney Island
Famous for its amusement parks and seaside resort the original native American inhabitants of the region – the Lenape – called this area “Narrioch”. This name has been attributed the meaning of "land without shadows" or "always in light" – describing how its south facing beaches always remained in sunlight.
Symphony
In 1993 artist Toshio Sasaki installed The First Symphony of the Sea – a sculpture wall with a total length of more than 90 metres.
Long History
Between about 1880 and 1939 Coney Island was the largest amusement area in the United States. It attracted several million visitors per year and the area was also the centre of new technological events - with electric lights, roller coasters, and baby incubators.
$ 300
Jewish immigrant Nathan Handwerker (1892-1974) started his business together with his wife (Ida Handwerker) in 1916 in Coney Island – only four years after he had arrived in New York City. Ida created the hot dog recipe and Ida’s grandmother created the secret spice recipe. To begin their business Nathan and Ida spent their life saving of $ 300.
A million a day
In 1824 Coney Island started out as a seaside resort. Up to a million people would visit the beach each day.
Sandy
On October 29 2012 Hurricane Sandy struck Long Beach. The estimated cost of the damage was over $250 million.