It’s difficult talking New York without talking about one of the worst tragedies in New York’s history, as well as modern day American history. However, if New Yorkers are anything, they are resilient.

Sixteen years later, New York City’s Lower Manhattan is reborn. One World Trade Center is on its feet and attracting more visitors than ever. There are two reflecting pools and an oculus where two towers once stood each commemorating the nearly 3,000 people that lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. In addition, two upscale retail malls have been added to the area, several new hotels and restaurants have opened for business, both Conde Nast and Time, Inc. have relocated their headquarters to One World Trade, downtown residential and commercial real estate continues to boom and somehow (not overnight) Lower Manhattan has become a destination for both work and play.

The revitalization of the city’s downtown area continues and is no accident. Soon after 9/11, government funding for disaster relief began to pour in, as did private investments, driving a massive rebuilding effort that continues to this day. Nearly $30 billion powers the reconstruction we see years later, along with the spirit and will to breathe life back into an area devastated by loss. Furthermore, a vibrancy that was not there before was born from the ashes and continues to also fuel much of the change we see today.

Now, there are more than double the dining options, world-class shopping, luxury real estate, chic hotels and cultural exhibitions and events than there were twenty years ago. Lower Manhattan is now cool and hip and, while New York will never forget 9/11, there is clearly a continual commitment to rebuild and to keep this part of New York moving forward and into the future.