The conference plans to organize one tour on 13 November 2019 either in New York City or New Jersey. We would like to collect your interests in the following two options and decide which one we will go with. Please provide your preferred choice at the following link by Oct. 25, 2019.
https://forms.gle/oeFCwQMGofy9sYGz9
If you have any questions, please contact our local chair, Chase Wu (chase.wu@njit.edu).
Tour Option 1
The Oculus, Lower Manhattan
Website:
The conference will provide bus transportation to the Newark Penn Station and PATH ticket to the Oculus (World Trade Center Transportation Hub.) The Oculus, is the new building of the state-of-the-art World Trade Center Transportation Hub completed in 2016. The Oculus rose from the debris of the September 11th terrorist attacks, as an organic form within a field of towers and the memorials representing them. Above ground, the white-winged building is designed by internationally acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava as a pigeon being released from a child’s hand. The Oculus has astonishing views both inside and outside the building. It is not only a physical connector for underground trains, but Calatrava intends, “a witness of belief that we can overcome this tragedy,” a symbol of the camaraderie of the American people, and a gift “given to the community.”
The Oculus is the fanciest shopping center in New York with 800,000 sq ft. It is very close to many landmarks in NYC: 5 mins walking to Liberty Tower, National September 11 Memorial & Museum, World Trade Center Towers 1, 2, 3, and 4; and Brookfield Place (formerly known as the World Financial Center), which houses the Winter Garden. Click Here to find more landmarks within the walking distance to the Oculus.
Tour Option 2
Liberty State Park
Website: https://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/liberty.html
The conference will provide bus transportation to Liberty State Park. Liberty State Park is a green oasis in the middle of Metropolitan northern New Jersey. It has astonishing views of the lower part of the Manhattan island, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island along the waterside paths and promenades line. On the east lower corner, the park features the "Empty Sky" 9/11 Memorial, which is the official State of New Jersey's Memorial that honors the memory of the 749 people that lived in or had ties to New Jersey that lost their lives at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The names are placed randomly on the twin brushed stainless steel walls. The brushed stainless steel twin walls are 210 feet long, the width of each side of the World Trade Center Towers. Like the World Trade Center, the stainless steel reflects the constantly changing light of day. The memorial invites visitors to literally and metaphorically look toward the empty sky in memory and look forward as a community. See the attached map for more information about the park.
