Nothing has changed New York (and really, the world) like the events of September 11, 2001.
When we came up from the subway, we were in the Oculus. The Oculus is a hub of transportation options including at least 10 subway lines and the PATH Train to New Jersey.
The first place I wanted to head was to the One World Observatory on top of the new One World Trade Center (also called the Freedom Tower).
There was a line of people outside the street entrance to the One World Trade Center by 9AM (there’s also an entrance to the observatory down in the Oculus) and we moved pretty quickly down the escalators and through airport style security.
If you’ve ever seen the early stages of a skyscraper being built, you know how deep underground it actually goes. So when you enter the museum, you immediately go down a story or two on an escalator.
I just happened to time this perfectly by accident, but every Friday from 11AM to 7PM (April through October) on Fulton Street (just outside the Oculus) is a brand of Smorgasburg, the ultra popular food truck rally that originated in Brooklyn.