Ground Zero: My Experience

       Walking past O'hara's Restaurant & Pub, a pedestrian would think it was just an ordinary Irish bar with cheap (or expensive) beer, but one would soon realize that it was just as much a part of the Ground Zero memorial. 

Located directly across the street from the famous tourist attraction and decorated with a several varieties of patches of the police force, fire department and military personal. Ohara's provides prides itself on its patriotic slogans that paid homage to the ones that lost their lives or fought during the appalling mark in history. It makes sure its customers never forget the tragedy of September 11, 2001. The well-established business shared its own experience of turbulence when the World Trade Center fell and how it was dramatically effected. Being a native of New York State, I could not resist hearing first hand the story of this small bar that overall succeeded from the traumatic acquaintance.  

Dave Demarco, an employee at the famous pub, stated "this was definitely an Wall Street bar…workers would come here after 15 hour shifts."  The bar provides an scrap-book dedicated to the infamous date of pictures filled with newspaper clippings, personal letters from dedicated patrons that were featured in magazines like Vanity Fair, and obituaries of police and firemen that died during the attack.  "The bar took a major lost after 9/11" stated Demarco, when the bar, that has been open since 1983, had to close for eight months after the Twin Towers fell, depreciating the originally four- stories to a one floor business. 

      When asked about the construction of the new site, Demarco simply stated he was glad to see progress of the center because in  2010 he could not see over the fence of surrounding the area. Now, Tower 7 is almost complete and the rest of the buildings are getting built rapidly.

     Getting the chance to visit the actual memorial site and museum can be an humbling experience, one can not resist an sense of empathy for the families that lost a loved-one. Missing persons ads were plastered along the walls, as well as personal pictures and items that that held sentimental value. A few Items that were obtained from the debris, such as airplanes parts, firefighter uniforms, and pillars from the original buildings.