9/11 in New York

Thought I'd share a few observations from the 5th anniversary of 9/11 in New York today. There is a very interesting feeling all over the city. It's somber, even around Rockefeller Center. As I left for work this morning, after watching a bit of archival coverage from NBC News' broadcast in 2001, the first thing I saw was the fire station across the street. The flag was at half mast, and one of the regular firefighters that I see there almost every day was standing outside in a full uniform talking to a tourist. I can only imagine what the conversation was. As I got to the subway, the platform was a ghost town. I wonder if people didn't want to take the subway today, or if people were taking the day off but it was about quarter after 9, the platform should have been packed.
At Rockefeller Center, the most marked presence of the anniversary was out on the plaza in front of the building. The hundreds of flagpoles which usually fly the beautiful, colorful flags of the countries around the world were notably bare except for the 2 front and center, which were each flying one American flag at half mast. Today, from 12-2 the NYPD band is playing a concert right in front of those 2 flags. All in uniform. I walked outside just as they started playing New York, New York. There's no other song I would have wanted to hear.
I forgot my camera at home today, but I'm going to get pictures of all these things before the day is over and I'll post them on here. Let's just call this 9/11 in New York: Part 1. Something I saw the other day which I will CERTAINLY get a picture of are the two beams of light that they shoot out of the hole to represent the absence of the towers. I have an amazing view of them from the roof of my building, I won't miss that photo tonight.
Please take a moment and think about the people here, in DC and all over the country who have been forever changed from this day. I'll do my best to illustrate the day here for all of you who can't experience it yourself.