Reflecting And Remembering, 25 Years On

I frequently take tour guests to Reflecting Absence, the 9/11 Memorial fountains etched with the names of those who died on September 11, 2001, in the Twin Towers that stood on these spots. Each time, I am silenced and moved as if it were my first visit, a reaction magnified by the range of emotions experienced by my tourees.

Recently, I explained to a guest that a white rose placed on a name means that day would have been their birthday, a ritual curated by memorial staff and volunteers. The day we saw this rose at Bruce Edward Simmons’s name was also the birthday of my tour guest—a powerful moment for her and a reminder of all the rich lives and unquantifiable loss represented by the 2,983 names here.

When they died, Bruce Edward Simmons, 41, Christopher Newton-Carter, 51, Vita Marino, 49, Allison Horstmann Jones, 31, Stacey Sennas McGowan, 38, and Kristin Irvine-Ryan, 30, lived in and around New York City, worked for the investment bank Sandler O’Neill & Partners, and had families and friends who still love them.

Fun, Free And In Your Face

If you live around New York, or you’re planning a trip here next August, spend a morning or afternoon watching world-class tennis in an intimate setting in Queens.

Fan Week leads up to the US Open and features practice sessions, warm-ups and qualifying matches on courts throughout the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. It’s a quick and easy subway or Long Island Rail Road ride from Manhattan. You can bounce from court to court, sometimes getting so close to the action that you could easily jump in as a ball kid if needed.

That’s 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, and I loved watching him here recently, along with lesser-known but still gripping players from around the world.

Free Fan Week passes are available on the US Open website. See you there in ’27!

Twinkled Pink

At 9:25 (9 to 5) the night Dolly Parton passed away, the Empire State Building turned bright pink and shimmered for an hour—a dazzling tribute to an icon who spent 80 years lighting up the world.

Thanks to a conversion from floodlights to LEDs in 2012, the Empire State Building’s “coat of many colors” can now be activated with the push of a button. Before that, colored filters had to be manually installed over the standard white lights that illuminate the top of the building whenever a holiday, commemoration or corporate event called for color.

Look up for a possible pink encore on September 25th (9/25). Manhattan’s Borough President just proclaimed it Dolly Parton Appreciation Day, honoring her extraordinary contributions to music and culture, as well as her support for working people, LGBTQ+ communities, literacy and public health—including her role in helping fund research that contributed to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Walk With Me

Get to know New York City through its incredible history, people, and neighborhoods. I lead small private NYC walking tours and curated experiences for visitors, work teams, special events, New Yorkers, and more—along with inside-track recommendations for special spots to dine, drink, and lounge like a local. Newsletter subscribers and their friends receive 10% off tours, so click here for tour options, and let’s create an amazing NYC walk and experience!

Enjoy Amazing NYC Songs

I’ve curated this Apple Music playlist of tunes that tell New York stories from Dylan, Hamilton, JAY-Z, Sting, two Simons, two strangers carrying a cake, and many more. See and stream it for free here and subscribe when you’re there so it will automatically update when songs are added.

The playlist’s cover photo (above) was taken on the exact spot where Bob Dylan and Suze Rotolo were photographed, a random shot that became the cover of his 1963 breakthrough album The Freewhellin’ Bob Dylan.