Windows on the World

Windows on the World

Windows on the World was a special set of dining and entertainment places on the top floors, the 106th and 107th, of the North Tower of the old World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. It had a big restaurant named Windows on the World, a smaller one called Wild Blue, a fun bar named The Greatest Bar on Earth, a wine school, and rooms for private events. All of this was created by a restaurant expert named Joe Baum and first designed by Warren Platner. It covered a huge space of 50,000 square feet (4,600 m²) in the North Tower. There was also a smaller dining area called the Skydive Restaurant on the 44th floor for office workers, which was also run by the same team.

The restaurants opened on April 19, 1976. They were destroyed during the September 11 attacks. Everyone who was working there that day did not survive.

Operations

The main dining room at Windows on the World faced north and east, giving guests nice views of the Manhattan skyline. Men had to wear jackets, and if they forgot, the restaurant would lend them one. Many parts of the restaurant were designed by Milton Glaser.

There was a smaller dining area called Wild Blue on the south side. The bar offered great views of southern Manhattan. From there, you could see where the Hudson and East River meet, as well as Liberty State Park, Ellis Island, Staten Island, and the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge. The kitchens and meeting rooms were on the 106th floor.

Windows on the World closed for a time after damage in 1993. It reopened in 1996 after repairs. In 1999, the smaller area called Cellar in the Sky became a steakhouse named "Wild Blue." By 2000, it was earning a lot of money, becoming the most successful restaurant in the United States.

The restaurant had several executive chefs, with Michael Lomonaco being the last one.

September 11 attacks

Main article: September 11 attacks

Windows on the World was destroyed when the North Tower collapsed during the September 11 attacks. The restaurant was full of people having breakfast and a meeting when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower. Everyone inside could not escape because the ways out were blocked.

Sadly, everyone who was in the restaurant that day did not survive. There were many staff members and guests there, including people from a company called Incisive Media.

The person who owned the World Trade Center, Larry Silverstein, usually had breakfast meetings there but was not there that morning because he had a doctor's appointment.

Impact

Reception

Windows on the World had mixed reviews in its last years. A food expert from the New York Times said that even people with very small appetites could enjoy eating there. She gave the restaurant two out of four stars, meaning it was “very good” but not “excellent.” A writer in 2009 said, “At Windows, New York was the main course.” In 2014, another writer compared the restaurant’s food to its new home at the One World Observatory.

Legacy

After the attacks on September 11, a fund was created to help families of workers in food, drinks, and hosting who were hurt. The chef and owner of Windows on the World helped start this fund. In 2006, some former staff opened a new restaurant called Colors in Manhattan to remember their coworkers. The original place closed in 2017 but opened again in 2019. Plans to reopen Windows on the World at the new One World Trade Center were canceled in 2011. Instead, the new building has places to eat called ONE Dine, ONE Mix, and ONE Café.

Cultural influence

Some people thought a famous photo from September 11, called The Falling Man, showed an employee from Windows on the World, but we do not know for sure who the person was. Books and a video game have talked about the restaurant. A novel from 2005 tells the story of two brothers and their father in the restaurant on September 11. Another book from 2012 imagines what life was like for the staff and visitors that morning. A book for younger readers from 2021 is about a boy and his father who were in the restaurant on September 11, 2001. A video game planned for 2025 has a mission to stop a crime that happened early on September 11 in New York City, and the player visits Windows on the World.