Two Lower Manhattans

Was downtown over the weekend, and was struck by the contrast between the Occupy Wall Street protest and the 9/11 Memorial. They are within several blocks of each other. The protesters were loud, there were signs about "Nazi Bankers," drum beats and a crazy kind of disorganized unity. Just two blocks away were people trying to get into the 9/11 Memorial, which has been sold out since it opened. NYC cops were everywhere - around the protesters, around the site, and of course, in the names inscribed on the memorial walls.

I remember when that downtown area was desolate - now it was packed with people, businesses, loss, gain, vendors hawking "I Love New York" t-shirts, not far from people who were homeless, unemployed and outraged. It was intense, and then -from the perch of my brother's art studio on the 47th floor of 7 World Trade Center - surreal.