These images really help me understand why people didn’t know what to do that day. These buildings were huge and a lot of areas were windowless. Just looking at the darker hallways and tiny stairwells gives me chills. They couldn’t see what we could from the outside. Climbing down those stairs was like running away completely blind. All they could do was hope they were fast enough.
There's a video i've seen on that day of someone who had escaped one of the WTC towers claiming that ''the fire escape was locked'!' He seemed real angry about it and made sure to let people know who were filming the aftermath. It felt like he was alluding to foulplay on that day with the fire escapes doors.
it was really beautiful. i visited three times first time my Mom worked on a floor before they moved into another building. second time for a family reunion my mom took us on a tour. the last time was to meet her in the city for lunch. sad
I agree the twin towers were different and had character. everything just fit together perfect the new one just looks like something completely out of place they stuck there and said ok lets throw some money away.
For some reason, I always pictured the Skylobby as a large open area surrounded by windows but these pictures really emphasise the fact that, the poor people waiting for the elevators when the second plane hit never could have seen it coming. Really helps to understand what people faced that day.
@@MBB9394No it wasn’t, and no, there weren’t. It was called the sky lobby because it was 78 floors up rather than at ground level. It was where people had to get out of one elevator and transfer to another to complete their trip up or down.
We were leaving on a cruise from New York harbor a week before the attack. When the ship was at a certain angle, one of the buildings appeared to disappear behind the other and my young son said that one of the buildings was gone. I told him not to worry, and that that could never happen. Little did we know that a week later they would both be gone.
Back in 1979 my parents took me to see the twin towers. We took the elevator all the way to the top, and that’s when I noticed we were in the clouds. As a kid, that was so cool! That I never forget!
With my hearing issues i wouldn't be able to go up there. I get dizzy on a 3rd floor if i see out the windows. I now won't go past a second floor. My lung dr will come down to the lobby for me.
This is truely sad for me... I was born the day 9/11 happened in New York an hour before it happened... My mom worked their but missed work for the day because she had me. she was holding me and full of tears watching the Hostpital TV seeing this happen only to look out the widow and see it live
Emperor Sheev Palpatine Horrifying to know that. But blessed that you decided to come when you did, otherwise you wouldn't be here to tell this story. Wow.
0:34-0:43 is where firefighter Chief Orio saw "numerous code 10-45's" which means "dead bodies" in firefighter code. Very eerie. That was also the last floor he was on as the tower collapsed. R.I.P.
that's correct. Orio Palmer was a marathon runner and was in great shape. he was first one up that high and radioed down everything he saw and tried to set a plan in motion. the plane smashed in through and exploded throughout sky lobby so with all the unsuspecting people standing there waiting to get an elevator out of there, naturally there would be multiple 45's. he also probably spoke to people briefly as he raced up the stairwells and I'm sure it was comforting at the time to know firemen were on their way. God Bless, Orio Palmer and the victims that day. R.I.P. hero.
I was a young sailor at the Brooklyn shipyards in the eighties. One day I went to Manhattan and got lost and ended up in the financial district and to my amazement I ended up at the Twin Towers. I was mesmerized at the beauty of these buildings. Someone told me once if you stand facing and hugging the Tower and try to look backwards you will actually fall. I did it and almost fell backwards. It was the weekend and the area almost seemed abandoned and I had the place all to myself. I was driving in Orlando on 9/11 and was in total disbelief when the news came over the radio.
@@Saboteur709 Ha! On a whole different video, I've been in a comment war... some "kids" don't believe me that there were 99 elevators in each tower...239 total elevators in all 7 WTC bldgs.
It's sad because the current one world trade center that replaced the north tower is one acre of space up until you hit around the 40th floor. At the 40th floor the tower starts to scale back space as it climbs to the top where the antenna and roof is. It's a shame. The top floors of the new 1wtc are small.
0:40 that particular area of the skylobby was the 44th floor skylobby in the north tower. There was a restaurant in that skylobby reserved specifically for employees who worked in the tower and it was called skydive. They were open 24 hours unlike windows on the world and the fast food places in the observation deck of the south tower. I know this because my aunt Linda used to work there and she told me about it. If you were working at the tower at night you could literally go to skydive at 3am and get breakfast. These towers were ahead of their time. This might be one of the worst mistakes the usa ever made by not rebuilding the twin towers. They should scrap plans to build the ugly current design of 2wtc and instead make a twin to one world trade center. A futuristic rebuild of the twin towers is still possible. Edit: my aunt survived. She wasn't there that day. She worked for Carr Futures on floor 92. Several of her co workers died because floor 92 while it wasn't directly hit by the plane it was "trapped" because the stairwells were blocked.
Am I the only one that feels like they should've built the freedom tower twice? I know no one will care in the future, but I'm just so used to seeing 2 structures standing there. 15 years later the skyline still looks awkward to me with just one tower. I guess I'll get over it eventually.
SupaDupa FlyGuy They should have built two in a V shape and called it the" up yours " tower ! Sorry I'm English that's an old urban slang for saying Fuck you . Basically
true, but the twin towers were part of the skyline people all recognized from 1972-2001. Prior to 1972 their was a totally different looking skyline and now with freedom tower 1 we have yet another NY city skyline. It's awful to know what took place to shape the current skyline, however, it's not like different generations have always had different skyline pics in their heads no matter what city were talking about. NY city obviously being the most drastic, disturbing change to think about.
SupaDupa FlyGuy Yes ! I wanted them to build two towers again too ! They didn’t have to be just like the ones before but I wanted there to be two of them .
I worked in the WTC for 11 years until that day. During the early 90s recession the WTC was not doing well. Alexander's dept store the major tenant of the mall below closed and others also. In the late 99s until 2001 high end stores opened up such as Sephora and Tourenau and was doing very well. My office also had a major make over and we only had 6 months to enjoy our redone offices..I knew many people I saw on that Monday Sept 10 2001 and did not see them again.....
What floor where you in? I'm so happy that you are still here today 💗 I was 9 years old when it happened, and I wish I knew the inside of the WTC, I would've loved to go dine at the Windows on the World.
@@sweetpinkivette I worked on the 5th floor and was running late so I did not make it to my desk. My co workers survived but had injuries and left the hospital the same evening. Space was needed for survivors who needed to stay.
@@TheAbxgirl I'm glad to know that you and all your coworkers survived. Even though I was not born during this tragic event, it feels like a part of NYC was lost, which I really wish I could have witnessed.
So many memories come back seeing this video. Inside of towers were so awesome. Played hide and seek with brothers and sisters in tower one all the time as a kid. Mom worked there.
Prior to 2001 I was always amazed by the Twin Towers and couldn't wait to see them in real life. Sadly I'll never get that chance but these pictures give me some insight into their glory. Thanks for posting!
If you would like to see a relic of the Twin Towers, take a visit to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and check out the viewing deck of the BOK (Bank of Oklahoma) Tower. It was designed by Minoru Yamasaki and is very faithful to the original Twin Towers. It is also almost exactly half the size, at 52 floors. Or you can just look it up. (don't confuse it with the BOK tower gardens)
Seeing the pictures after hearing all the recounts of people who were in the buildings and survived takes it to a whole other level of grief for what happened that day. It's been 20 years I can finally listen to the stories all the way through.
This feels like your looking at the titanic and to know the horror that this building went through and the people inside it went through. I cried all night last night watching all the documentaries again.
I am truly sorry for your loss that’s absolutely tragic and she must’ve been terrified. I am from the United Kingdom, we here in the United Kingdom stand in solidarity with America and the great people of New York. Your grandmother will never be forgotten and neither will the hundreds of people that died on that day sir September 11, 2001. May your grandmother soul rest in peace and may all these of lost family and friends on that tragic day! Xxx
Seeing how it looked inside seems so fascinating and ghostly, especially if you try your best to imagine scenes of what could have been going on inside during the attacks at the same time. I've been thinking about it too much, suddenly makes me want to be inside one of the towers and just explore the whole building.
I worked in Tower 2 on 110th fl for GTE Telecom that was Verizon on 9/11. Somehow I remember skylobby being on 77th fl. I'd have to go up to 107, walk passed 107, head to freight elevator and reach 110 below the observation deck. Best group of people I ever worked with.
I was also there about a month earlier. I was only 6 at the time but I clearly remember being in the lobby and seeing the world flags, the elevator operator in his green uniform and being on the observation deck looking through the binoculars. Luckily my grandparents still have most of the pictures from that day.
Such beautiful towers and a beautiful concept, being two identical massive towers. It is so sad to be seeing this and having that eerie feeling, knowing what happened 13 years ago.....
I was only 10 in 2001 but I’ll never forget at the end of august my summer camp took us to the liberty science center in Jersey city. It was foggy as hell and you couldn’t see anything outside. But I was able to see the outline of the towers and I was pointing them out to my friends. As we were heading back home under much clearer conditions, I turned around and just stared at them smiling. Never did I think that would be the last time I saw them. Thank you for uploading this
I remember what Wtc1&2 were like before 1993.Before the first bombing in February of that year. The absolute freedom of going in and out of those buildings pre 1993 is something I will cherish forever. There was no fear.No apprehension back then.
@@stevenedwards8353 Yes.All visitors had to check in with the security set up in each of the main lobbies in WTCs 1&2.For delivery persons, security had to call upstairs first before giving them a plastic pass with their photo on it.For unknown reasons,I held unto two such passes.All cars and delivery trucks in the loading dock were checked with a fine tooth comb.
1:21 this floor plan helps so much in understanding just how entrapped people were. I always thought the stairwells would have aligned the edges of the building, I didn’t realize they ran through the middle. The explosions really must have blown them up for several floors. So sad. R.I.P.
what disturbs me is knowing the panic and terror that happened in all those rooms. they look like ordinary office buildings, stylish too, but its tainted with the knowledge of what happened in them that fateful day
this year has been strange for me. I was 14 years old when those towers fell. I agree with many of you. the towers were so beautiful and majestic. it would have been great to just rebuild them but I understand how that may have been painful for so many. I've literally been watching 9/11 videos this entire month. it's been 14 years but seeing all these pictures and watching all the videos makes it seem like it was just yesterday. never forget. all the souls and beautiful American lives we lost. I can never forget. I'm not a new yorker but we all felt the deep sadness on that tragic day. rip to all the lives we lost that day.
Some of stairwell entries to certain floor were inaccessible. You had to have key. I think more lives could have been saved if there was a way to get all the way down to ground level without needing an access key. But these builders were design and built in the 1970s, so I'm sure it was for security purposes. Sadly it entrapped a lot of people on certain floors from moving forward and waiting for someone to come rescue them.
if only they had been aware that after 1993, the PA (whom I fucking despise as a govt. enterprise) restricted access to the bare minimum of workers with access keys, like you said, in order to tighten security and lesson the risk of a potential roof-invasion of the towers. I find this reasoning to be completely bizarre and bogus, but again, if these workers knew the roof was not even an option, more people would have diverted their course to the roof, instead towards a ground escape. More lives, at least in Tower 2, would have certainly been saved. Another example of how lack of communication hampered rescue efforts that day.
cindypltnm That’s not really it. In the first tower, the plane cut through all three staircases and all of the elevator shafts. For the people at or above the impact floors (which were 93-99), there was no way down. That resulted in 1,344 people dying in the collapse (or having jumped). In the South Tower, the second plane struck at an angle. Because of the fact that it dipped its wing at the last minute, it actually missed one of the Staircases: Stairwell A. However, only a little more than 10 were able to pass the impact zone, which resulted in 599 people dying. This was despite Stairwell A being intact. They either didn’t know it was there, or for some reason couldn’t get to it.
Stairway doors are always unlocked from the outside, but one can only re-enter on certain floors. This is for security, and in a normal fire evacuation, after the people evacuated from the fire floor and the floor around it, they would re-enter to safety a few floors down. And yes you could get down to ground level with the stairways.
Thunderbolt_78 yes we all know this now but at the time many people during the evacuation were trapped due to not having key access. Very poor design for buildings that high up. Very employee should have me access. Just maybe those in the south tower could have found a way to descend
Me too. They were beautiful don’t get me wrong but sadly, what made them beautiful, also made them a target. There were many images and what we now know as memes portraying their demise. I wouldn’t feel comfortable working in a building like that.
I only saw the twin towers from an airplane, flying from D.C to New England back in the late 70's. It was a spectacular view on a clear day so far above. RIP for all those lost.
I moved to Brooklyn March of 2001 and me my friends would walk down over the bridge to the mall downstairs. We went to the lobby of tower 2 but never upstairs. It was a beautiful building and you really felt you were in NYC with those buildings there.
I stood in the plaza at WTC, and looking up it felt so unreal, so unnatural, it brought a feeling of dread. My wife wanted to go up to the observation deck, and I told her don't do it. I'm terrified of heights, I am not ashamed to admit to; I tried to reason with her, be objective, "If anything happens, there's only one door between you and the ground." She went anyway, and after walking from the elevator to where she could look straight down, she was on the next elevator going down. The $20 ticket would have lasted longer at a blackjack table in Vegas. Now, when I remember standing in the Plaza, if I had been there on that day, how far would I have gotten? I don't think far. It would have taken a second to even believe what I was thinking; another second to form the words What the Fuck; another second to say it; another second to tell myself, Run like hell. But where? Maybe three or four seconds before parts of an imaginary falling sky introduced itself to the earth below. Vanity of vanities, to think I may be secure earth.
So sad and so tragic what happened on this day, September 11, 2001. I've watched so many documentaries and conspiracy theories docs on what happened this day. I honestly don't know what to believe because there are a lot of questions that still to this day, 16yrs later, haven't been answered. But what I do know is that almost 3,000 people lost their lives that day. Many of them dying as heros. So sad
@@loulou7963 it was the communications floor where a ton of radio transmission and main TV transmitter equipment was. I was a 2-way radio tech and spent a ton of time up there fixing stuff. You could feel the building swaying about a foot in every direction when the winds were high. My buddy Rod didn't make it out that day....RIP.
The sky lobby idea came after the designers decided it was impractical to have an elevator with 20 people stopping 20 times at 20 different floors. So there were express elevators to the sky lobby (I believe at the 44th and 78th floors) where you disembark and take a “local’ elevator up or down to your floor
Its been supposed that many people died in the South Tower 78th floor sky lobby, the area where flight 175 hit, waiting for elevators to go down after hearing news of the first attack
it has that feeling looking at the inside building of what it madness must have been like for the people in that place before it fell, kind of like looking at the Titanic ship under the sea but way worse
To see the door to the roof, the last image, I almost fear to acknowledge whatever horror continued to surge in those people finding that door locked... And, still, it ultimately would have made no difference. RIP, what an unimaginable tragedy, that really happened.
I was watching a bunch of documentaries about 9/11 recently, and seeing that sky lobby was eerie after learning there were about 200 people grouped together in there when the 2nd plane hit and the bottom wing went right into that lobby and killed all those people in an instant. Sad shit.
Life changed after they fell. I grew up seeing skyline of NYC with the towers. I remember crying the first time I saw the skyline had changed. I became even more real even though I saw it unfold on TV live. Prayers. 🙏🏻
0:22 It makes you wonder if thats THE floor 78 of the South tower. which is almost exactly where the plane hit that tower. just off center between 75-85
Shot just 3 days after my 6th birthday! Cool to see my city on that particular day. My family was probably getting ready for Thanksgiving festivities when this was shot, given it would be a week away. I was probably in school that very morning at P.S. 119 in The Bronx. My first time visiting the Observation Deck wouldn't be until November 16th, 1991 on my 10th birthday. Thanks for bringing back great memories!❤
It looks incredible but also so dominating and menacing with corridors, lobby's, elevators, miles up I the sky...I'd feel terrified being such a tiny thing in such a complex building..
I am a single south american person. I was inside the towers in 1997. July to be more accurate. The world will never see the american way of life as it was before. I was there before and i was there when it fell. I wish the best for those who lost everything during the most important day of the century. I was in america and i felt it. Best fellings for all the us persons who felt what i felt. I remember that day. And i feel sad. Love and greetings to all the families... the future will make their memories never be forgoten
It's so tragic. Imagine the pain people went through. First the horror of impact. Then the terror of knowing you're going to die. Then the physical pain as building collapses and shreds you as you're falling and then the impact against the debris below. Jesus... This was pure evil. People can be so evil.
Oh to see the lovely dining room called Windows on the 🌎 World. For my engagement my fiancé and his best friend and his wife accompanied us for dinner at this occasion. We could look right down towards the Brooklyn Bridge from being up so high. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever feel unsafe there, of course more than 20years. We were married 1997. My ❤️ heart is filled with sadness then and still today, a tragedy that should have never happened. Prior to this there was the Lockerbie 747 Pan Am Attack. This hatred has got to stop, the evil what really does it gain you if you are willing to loose your soul. Prayers for all the people who lost their lives and all the people on the ground, the police, the firefighters, all the responders who since that day developed some type of cancer and died. This tragedy will never be forgotten RIP✈️📿🙏🇺🇸❤️💐✈️
They were quite lovely buildings inside. The Observation Deck in the South Tower and Windows On The World Restaurant in the North Tower were my two favorite places at the WTC.
Exactly my thought. Arenas built in the 70s had the same issue-- dark, cramped concourses. I think the WTC would have aged rather poorly in 2023. It would have needed major renovations
God, those marble designs look so cool! I also had the pleasure of visiting the original Twin Towers/W.T.C. ten years before 9/11 took them away from us, during the summer of 91. I'll never forget the amazing view from the top, which was like none other, where people looked like ants, while cars appeared they were these toy micro-machines you could just pick up, and throw on the ground. It was magical, almost supernatural in a way. Never once did I think it would be a one shot deal that I'd never get the chance to truly experience ever again. :(
@@everardo2345 Yeah I know. But the new tower does have both an indoor observation deck, and places to eat at the top. It's still a nice place, even if it'll never be the same, nor nearly as iconic as the original W.T.C. was with that being said though.
I live in north Jersey. I’d always get so excited to see the sky line because of the twin towers. My mother was in the buildings before 9/11. She said she got very sick from the swaying of the building; one of the top floors
Oh boy, the interior of these buildings was just as gaudy and hideous as the exteriors. Sorry, this is just my opinion. I'm not trying to offend anyone here. The marble used in the sky lobby looks incredibly tacky today. I'm sure back in the 70's this would have been very trendy, just like the white marble used in the ground floor lobbies. Notice the silver ashtray on the 78th floor? You definitely don't see those in the buildings today. Imagine how many people were smoking cigars and cigarettes in these buildings back in the day. I bet a lot of the offices reeked of tobacco. I heard that many floors were vacant in these buildings on the day of the attack. Also, people complained about the windows being too narrow, making the place feel more like a prison than a place of work. These extremely narrow windows were designed this way because Yamasaki himself was terrified of heights, and he thought the narrow windows would make people feel more secure. The very design of the building resulted in its collapse; the design to maximize floor space in order to milk more money. Kind of ironic, isn't it? Also, if you look at the facade at the base of the buildings, you'll see the prominent gothic arches that are borrowed from Arabic architecture. Apparently, Osama Bin Laden was angered by this and made him want to bring the towers down even more. The plan to destroy the WTC was 5 years in the making. They had blueprints for the buildings and knew that it was constructed differently than most skyscrapers. They exploited the weaknesses in the design and knew exactly how to bring them down. They knew the planes would have massive amounts of jet fuel still in them, which would produce more than enough heat to weaken the structures and bring them down. Mohammad Atta, the mastermind behind the attacks, studied architecture, and would have known the weaknesses in these towers.
Thanks for the photos. I worked in 1WTC for six years (in the 1980s). Every day for six years, I took one of the express elevators from the concourse up to the sky lobby on 78 (shown at 00:17), where I then took one of the local elevators (shown in the smaller hallway at 1:35) up to the 97th floor where I worked. I'll never forget the day in Sept 1985 when NYC had hurricane winds. At lunch that day, I took the express elevator on 78 down to the concourse to get a sandwich, and I guess for our safety, the elevator was running in super slow speed. It literally took about 30 mins to go from the 78th floor down to the concourse (normally about a 30-second ride).
Thanks for the vid. I was always curious about what the sky lobbies looked like. My only experience inside 1 & 2 WTC besides the ground floor lobby and mall underneath was the observation deck. But that had a direct elevator. I had spend a good amount of time in 7 WTC, but that building didn't have sky lobbies.
I was only 1 when 9/11 happened so I don’t remember a world with the twin towers in it, but this video makes me feel very solemn. I wonder what the world was like before this all happened, I wish I experienced it. I’m feeling very nostalgic for some reason. I guess that’s what happens when you grow up in a world that’s drastically different than the one your parents/even older siblings (who are 15+ years older than me) did..
I worked in the trade center. On that day i was fortunate to be on level four. I made it out with some injuries. Sorry to say that was not the case for over seventy of my co-workers. May all that lost their lives that day rest in peace.
I was born in June of 2005, I always thought these buildings were to up and until I learned about them in school, I was disappointed that they werent visitable.
You know, these towers have a very important message we all keep on forgetting. Never take everything for granted. As one day, it'll all be gone forever.
NavDDG54 I like the buggs bunny style plane hole in the building. Nice touch;) ...except the Pentagon, it was just a small hole, no cartoon style wing holes. Amazing that aluminum wings can break through concrete and steel like that.... sometimes.
Yes, but I never saw buildings turn into dust from a tornado.How come the pentagon not only didn't have the same cartoon style wing holes, but also zero plane wreckage? Same with Shanksville. Just a hole, no plane parts, nothing? Seems weird. Every other plane crash footage I've ever seen, (in photos or videos), there seemed to be a lot of wreckage. But on 9/11, the planes just vaporized, along with bodies. Very weird.
Really? An idiot for asking questions? Go listen to Pantera you fool. What about Shanksville? Just a hole in the ground. No evidence of anything... only found a perfectly intact passport from a terrorist? Really odd. A paper document was found but zero bodies, zero plane parts, no black box. How does that happen? Do you have a functioning brain? Since when is questioning things "idiotic"? I never claimed to have answers, I only have questions. Logic, common sense, critical thinking, all things you ignore. Bahhhhhh!
Phillip H Anselmo no it would squish things very very flat, not turn them into dust. Show me a scenario where pressure can turn a carpet into dust rather than flattening it
Oh my gosh can someone please tell me where I could watch a video tour of whats inside the twin towers without all this 911 stuff? Like a normal video?
I was there a month before 9/11 on the roof of tower 2. Can’t believe it’s been 20 years!! I miss these buildings so much. Seeing the staircases shows you just how narrow they were and plus there should’ve been more but being built when they were the port authority didn’t have to have more than 3 per building. Plus the walls around the stairs and elevators were Sheetrock not masonry a new method at the time of construction.
It's so good to know so many people have shared their photo and uploaded this on RU-vid, most of us was too young or either wasn't born to see these marble buildings.
This is a real look inside before that horrible day. This was a second home for many employees as a normal day as routined. I have chills swing the spacious 78th floor…thinking about many surrounded by smoke, panic, fright and Top of The World was so beautiful. May they all Rest In Peace! 🌹
