Milestones to Recovery is a far-reaching, photographic chronicle of the rebirth and revitalization of Lower Manhattan, which commemorated the 5th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Spearheaded by The Alliance for Downtown New York, the groundbreaking Milestones to Recovery public photo exhibition was held in New York City’s historic Battery Park where it was displayed outdoors for six months. The project celebrates the resilience of a neighborhood that overcame staggering obstacles. With the scars of 9/11 still visible on the landscape, the heroic people of this community defiantly set about rebuilding their lives. Revealed in the fleeting private rituals of the everyday, life in post-9/11 New York became once again, like life everywhere: children turn cartwheels, newlyweds rejoice, deals are brokered, dinner is served, babies are born. In New York, where sidewalks teem with those who have either made their name or have arrived hoping to do just that, the real miracle was the quiet return to the ordinary. It is what we do in the aftermath of the crisis that will ultimately define us.
Susan Watts Photography
