So I went back home for a little pre-Thanksgiving celebration last week – my grandmother’s 100th birthday. That’s why I couldn’t ride to the reopened WTC station last weekend. I got back on Tuesday evening, and promptly collapsed (15-hour drive thank you). The past couple of days I’ve just been unpacking, relaxing, catching up on e-mails, the norm. This afternoon I decided to make a trip to the post office to pick up my mail – yes indeed, I’m the proud owner of a PO Box and was it ever stuffed. After I crammed all the magazines & bills into my bag, I was going to walk back to the apartment and relax some more, but the Hoboken PATH terminal was just sitting there staring at me, so I decided today was the day.

I hopped onboard a World Trade Center bound train and was lucky enough to get the “railfan” seat — this is the first seat in the first car with a window facing out the front. The first part of the trip was as I had remembered. They even had the Christmas tree in the tunnel (Caisson 3 upper – I think). Once we were past Exchange Place though, wow. It was super bright in there. I guess they added more lighting? Or maybe because the tunnel has been refinished, it’s brighter, less dirty & reflects more light? I dunno, but it was bright. You could make out all the details. And then all of a sudden *bam* you’re outside. The train just pours out into the “bathtub” and this totally weirded me out. It’s just bizarre. I can’t really explain it properly, but you’re in the dark tunnel, and then all of a sudden you’re outside where you’re not supposed to be. And then you just kind of ride around the base of the bathtub, and you can look up and see the buildings above, and the big truck ramp that decends into the pit. It’s weird. Especially if you were a regular rider of the pre-9/11 PATH. The station is bright & airy. It’s very minimalist, which I like. The only decorations really are these huge photo murals on the walls that are overhead shots of the financial district, and street grids. They’re essentially monochromatic, each mural alternating either red, white or blue. Also among the murals are quotes about Manhattan from famous folks, none of which I can remember right now. Once you get off the train, and go up one level, the layout is very simliar to the original. The big, long esclators are where they used to be. I had forgotten how deep the station was. I went up to ground level and you pop out across from the Millenium Hotel & Century 21. I’m still a little weirded out. Not in a bad way, just in a “woah” way.

PIX OF THE DAY: The Woolworth Building framed by the WTC PATH Station shell.
© 2003 permalance.com

PIX OF THE DAY: The WTC PATH Station shell.
© 2003 permalance.com