After 4 Decades, An Old Walkway Reopens at World Trade Center Site
For the first time in more than four decades, pedestrians can now walk through the World Trade Center site. Greenwich Street is open through the site--and Fulton Street extends to West Street. The updated walkway isn't even on Google maps yet. But it's probably because the street hasn't been accessible to foot traffic since the area was dotted with Mom-and-Pop shops and was known as Radio Row.
Now it's open again, as part of the master plan for the redevelopment of the site.
Navigating around the perimeter of the World Trade Center site has become a way of life for commuters like Yeatie Morgan, who marveled at the newly opened street on Thursday. She said she's happy she can avoid shimmying down Church Street. "This is great because it's always so packed, you have to walk in the street, risk getting hit by traffic," she said. For her, reintegrating the street into the grid is just "fantastic."
Another pleased pedestrian was Vincent Di Santo. He once worked on the 99th floor of 2 World Trade Center. Whipping his head around to take in the views, he declared it "amazing." Di Santo remembers Radio Row, and greeted Greenwich Street like an old friend. "It's a pleasure to be back here on Greenwich Street after so many years," he said.
The walkway also affords some of the closest views yet of the Santiago Calatrava designed transit hub, which is expected to open later this year.
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