The destruction of human lives was a terrible tragedy.

The destruction of these two eyesores wasn't.

The greatest buildings I have ever known. There being two of them is what made them truely iconic. The "Fear Tower" can never hope to replace these babies.

I was a kid when the towers were being built. Since my school often went on "field trips" into  NY (my town was about 15-20 minutes away), and I was there even more often with my parents, I was constantly aware of the construction as they went up alongside the age-old landmarks like the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, etc., establishing themselves gradually but forcefully against the clouds until they seemed an ineradicable part of the NY skyline. Ironically, I only entered them once in the late 70's with my parents (my mother got sick as we took an escalator to one of the upper stories). For me, my favorite NY structural landmark was always the Empire State Building (or the old Jefferson Market Courthouse down in the Village), which just seemed so much more historic and aesthetically pleasing (and also the place where King Kong had been shot down to his doom). On the morning of 9/11, I was on vacation and talking on the phone with a friend who lived down at the Jersey Shore, and who I was going to visit later that week. I was still half-asleep when she told me that a plane had just flown into the World Trade Towers. My initial thought was that she had to be talking about some tiny plane from a place like Teterboro Airport, which immediately seemed to me to be tragic if a pilot died but it was inconceivable to me that any substantial damage could have been inflicted, and we ended the conversation with me still waiting for the coffee to brew. When the guy on the radio said that one of the towers had collapsed, I came instantly and fully awake. Still difficult to believe all these years later that it happened or that the guy responsible for masterminding it is still free as a bird (thanks, Dubya). I was to visit my parents later that day and I remember driving toward the Garden State Parkway and staring in a daze at the immense and toxic black cloud that had become the horizon over NY.

I had never had the chance to see the World Trade Center in person, but I know what I seen on TV and in pictures was a beautiful sight. What a tragedy in all ways, loss of lives and the beautiful building that you know took years of design and hard work.

Had Bill Clinton done his job 9/11 would not have happened.  The same pieces of trash that commited the bombing in 1993 of the WTC are the same ones who plotted and carried out 9/11.  They dwelled in and planned the 9/11 attacks  in the United States while Clinton was in office.  Had he done his job by searching for and finding them, they would not have had the chance to follow through with 9/11.  Thanks Mr.Clinton!!!!

I remember when I approached Manhattan for the first time after 9-11. I almost was sick thinking about the innocent lives lost there and all the grieving people without loved ones. Architectually they did nothing for me (had no soul), but I rate them a 5 because of their meaning to the American psyche.

The new building to be built there, the tower of freedom will be spectacular and it will beat out the sears tower as the tallest building in the world.

I feel the way most Americans do about the WTC and what happeneed there. However, looking at it in a purely aesthetic sense they were not very attractive buildings. They looked like two boxes of saltines set on end. They did define the NYC skyline, though. Just doesn't look the same without them.

Hard to say when the old ones aren't there anymore and the new ones aren't up yet. After seeing the possible design ideas for the future complex, though, it'll be interesting to see what they put up.

I give it two points because of 9-11, but other than that they were really ugly, utilitarian buildings.

I hate to point this out to everyone, but these buildings have been completely destroyed.