What’s New at the World Trade Center

1. As you may have already read, Liberty Park, on the south side of the World Trade Center, opens this Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. Here’s a photo of the access ramp on the east side:

Access ramp at Liberty Park in the World Trade Center2. You can now enter the Oculus directly from the World Trade Center’s north side, on Vesey between Church and W. Broadway/Greenwich. This is a current map—and pity all the folks relying on the many out-of date maps inside the Hub.

World Trade Center Transportation Hub mapYou enter into a prettier—i.e., finished—setting than at the former PATH entrance further west (now closed), and then you have to go down a couple of flights of stairs/escalators—and it’s all much narrower than the former entrance, but at least there are other ways to access the PATH station now, which should relieve the pressure a bit.

New PATH entrance at Church and VeseyThe mezzanine level:

Entrance to Oculus from the new PATH entranceThen you’re inside the Oculus. This is looking back at the new entrance:

Inside the World Trade Center Transportation Hub Oculus looking north at the new entranceAnd here’s the space where Apple is said to be opening (in the northwest quadrant of the Oculus). Still no signage.

Presumed Apple store at the Westfield World Trade Center mall3. Yesterday’s major development was the opening of the bottom-floor corridor between the Oculus and the West Passageway, which leads to Brookfield Place. This means you can walk between Brookfield Place and the Fulton Center without having to go up and over the PATH station.

The new corridor connecting the WTC Oculus and Brookfield PlaceThe newly opened part of the West Passageway:

The newly opened part of the West PassagewayKeep an eye on the ceiling—it’s pretty groovy in this section.

The ceiling inside the newly opened West Passageway4. I expected to see more new signage for shops and restaurants, but there was only one: Breads Bakery is opening in 4 World Trade Center, along Cortlandt Way (the pedestrian-only street between 3WTC and 4WTC). Breads Bakery’s other locations are in Union Square, Lincoln Center, and Bryant Park (where it has a kiosk); people love the babka. I’ve added it to the last round-up of confirmed shops and restaurants.

Breads Bakery signage at 4 World Trade Center5. 3 World Trade Center has a new logo clearly inspired by West Side Story.

3 World Trade Center logo6. Finally, this isn’t news but I discovered a fun new angle at the Oculus.

World Trade Center Oculus

 

2 Comments

  1. Great update. Thank you!

  2. We recently shot some stills of the Oculus here:
    http://www.girlabouttown.nyc/2015-01/2016/7/4/oculus

    It’ll be interesting to see how much the space changes once all of the retail tenants begin to move in.

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