Memory Lane Plein Air

I have been paddling to Jersey and it occurred to me that I should go paint there too.

There are great views.

Today I am off work, so I decided to go over to Exchange Place on the Path train and see what I could find.

This was a little bit of a Memory Lane day.

I worked here from 2001-2003ish.

I had been at 100 Wall, and we moved offices over to the brand new financial center in Harborside NJ, just across the river from the World Trade Center.

It was terrible and horrible and everyone hated it, except for the people who live in NJ.

This is where I was on 9/11.

This photo was taken exactly where I was standing on 9/11 when I watched the second tower come down.

There were no trees back then, it was a clear view.

Actually not all the buildings were there either.

The whole area was in the process of being built.

The new WTC tower is right in the center, in that sky gap.

This is the building I worked in. I was on one of those top floors.

I hated it.

Everyone hated it.

It was ugly and sterile and there was nothing around.

The commute was bad and expensive, and even worse after 9/11 because the exchange place station was one of the ones that flooded and it was closed for years. 

We had to walk from Grove Street instead.

It was bad.

I was so happy when I applied for (and got) a new position in the company that got me back in lower Manhattan.

I actually like Harborside just fine now.

Not that I wouldn't want to work there again- absolutely not, but it's nice, there is a lot around now, and the views are gorgeous.

I dont even know how this happened but here is an Unintentional Selfie.

And the painting, 8x10 oil

It was windy