The Empty Sky Memorial at Liberty State Park

I had been on a mission to see the Reclining Liberty sculpture since it was at Morningside Park, but life and plans had me wait till after it was moved to the Liberty State Park in Jersey City before I finally got to experience it. I discovered not just Reclining Liberty in person, but also the Empty Sky Memorial as a tribute to the victims of 9/11 that it was right next to that I had no idea even existed,

This is what I first encountered, and knew right away that this is part of the original World Trade Center in some way without even knowing what this structure was for.

As I got closer, I had a catch in my throat as I confirmed that my initial hunch was correct, and Empty Sky was New Jersey’s September 11th Memorial situated so you could see where the original World Trade Centers stood, and positioned so the new Freedom Tower comes into view as you walk past the names of the 749 people from New Jersey that were lost on that fateful day.

The sense of loss was profound as I walked through the memorial with the names of all 749 people from New Jersey that were lost on either side.

This is what it was like to walk through the Empty Sky Memorial –

And here are some remnants of the original WTC, gone but never forgotten –

I am really surprised that I had no idea about this 9/11 memorial, especially since I like to visit the 9/11 memorial in New York City on 9/11 every year. This is the first time I visited the Empty Sky Memorial, and I know that it will not be the last.

#gottalovenewyork