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Times Square, the Empire State and Ground Zero, New York, US - 1st May 2006

Having stood at the top of the Twin Towers some eleven years before, it felt necessary to return to the site anyway, but as it happened Nosher had to head down to the financial district to meet mate Phil at his place of work, which happens to be right on the south-east corner of Ground Zero in the World Trade Center complex. Building had started on the towers' replacement - the subway is already in place - but there's still a huge, improbable, gap where they used to be. Whilst there were people there who were quietly observing and reflecting, there were also those who seemed to be there just to have their photo taken with the site as some touristy back-drop. There are also a few photos of some of the crew of Ladder Company 10, whose fire station is only metres away from Ground Zero and who must have been some of the first on the scene. Before that, there's a chance to explore Midtown from the base of a Marriott hotel near 42nd Street, and later on there's a trip with Phil to the top of the Empire State Building, which was supposed to be sunset but thanks to extreme queueing was just after dark. There are also a couple of emergency camera-phone photos of all-round legend Les Paul at the Iridium Club on Broadway - emergency because it turns out that you're actually allowed to take cameras in, but that was unknown before so the proper camera had been left behind at the hotel. Instead, Phil's Motorola Razr had to make do. Afterwards, fuelled by several pints of Brooklyn beer, it's down to Times Square with the tripod.

next album: A Union Square Demo, Bryant Park and Columbus Circle, New York, US - 2nd May 2006
previous album: Phil and the Fair Harbor Fire Engine, Fire Island, New York State, US - 30th April 2006

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Food stalls in mid-town somewhere

Food stalls in mid-town somewhere

A taxi speeds past on 5th Avenue

Mid-town buildings

The Empire State Building on 5th and East 33rd

A 'Papaya Dog' shop on the corner of 5th and 33rd

A cross-walk by a souvenir shop

Tacky souvenir shop

A Sabrett hotdog stand

Another street, another hot-dog stand

Prayer ribbons at the Dutch Protestant church

Advertising on The Breslin

Golden-topped spire behind a park near 24th Street

Street scene on 24th Street

The Flatiron Building

A hotel not related to old 70s and 80s computers

Looking up the Broadway and 5th Avenue

A homeless guy with his world in a shopping cart

A bright bar/café

A porcelain toilet, used as a giant ash-tray

More street food

The Chelsea Cinema on West 23rd Street

A memorial made of iron girders from Building 6

South of Ground Zero, a damaged building remains

Engine Company Number 10

The crew of Ladder 10/Company 10, World Trade Center

The hole where the Twin Towers were

The remains of a 1909 train tunnel

Patches and hats from service crews in 9/11

Part of the memorial wall

Another view of Ground Zero

Tourists peer through the secure steel fence

An emergency call station

Part of a service staircase in the North Tower

Les Paul and the band

Les Paul and guest vocalist Stephanie Powers

Looking down at the streets from the Empire State

Looking south over Manhattan

The Chrysler Building, to the right

Looking towards the ConEdison building

Down in Times Square

Times Square

Looking west past Loews Theatre

The streets of Times Square

People mill around outside Planet Hollywood

A blur of taxis stream past

An iconic steam vent outside Planet Hollywood

Caricature artists ply their trade

Times Square in black and white

A crosswalk in Times Square

A view with the army recruitment hut