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It’s been 20 years since 9/11. When tragedy hits, it tends to make a significant footprint on our memory. To honor the anniversary, Bustle spoke with millennials who were in the New York City area on that day. These are the details that have stuck with them.
The clearest memory I have was the sunset that night, because the weather was so incredibly beautiful that day. Sitting on my front steps, there was a sherbet-colored sky that evening with a huge disruption of black smoke in the center of it. — Jamie, 26
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“My sister, brother, and I were all at different schools in the city. My mum went to pick them up on the east side, and my dad came to pick me up. I remember traffic wasn’t moving at all, and so he came on his bicycle. I balanced on the handlebars while he pedaled.” — Bea, 32
My mom’s building evacuated, and she walked to the Brooklyn Bridge. She made it more than halfway over but people in cars were offering free rides, and that’s how she got home. Through the worst thing that ever happened to us, New Yorkers were still helping each other. — Ariel, 31
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“By early afternoon, everyone in my building had gathered on the roof. You could see the smoke from downtown. We all huddled around a radio, embracing one another. This gave us more comfort than being alone in our apartments. We stayed there until it got dark.” — Allegra, 33
The head of the school said to our class, ‘As 4th graders, you are old enough to know a plane has hit the World Trade Center.’ I was shocked. Days before, my mom and I had gotten lost driving. She told me to look for the twin towers because they’ll guide you back home. — Kyra, 29
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“After teaching yoga I walked across Central Park. The buses were running free and I found one going downtown. People were trying to figure out how to get home or where to go. I made it to my rooftop on Saint Marks Place where I could see smoke rising on the skyline.” — Sadie, 44
My dad had just started a job in the south tower. All I heard was he was helping someone down the stairs, but he never made it out. I got to read his name on the first anniversary. But it didn’t really hit me until I saw a photo of us at the memorial when it opened. — Jessika, 31
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“My best friend’s dad came to pick us up from school. He had walked uptown from Wall Street and was covered in dust. He took us for pizza. For a couple of days, New Yorkers looked each other in the eye and held doors for each other — real, genuine caring.” — Rebecca, 37
I was in third grade going to PS 150 on Greenwich Street, six blocks from WTC. I find there’s a sense of familiarity among people my age who grew up downtown: a shared trauma that makes things feel comfortable in a way because we all went through something together. — Tara, 29
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