A few weekends ago I stopped by Bayonne, New Jersey to see the 9/11 Tear Drop Memorial donated to the U.S. by Russia a few years after the attack.  This was created by a Russian artist by the name of Zurab Tsereteli.

Zurab spoke with friends and colleagues who were in NY during the attacks. He heard stories about how boats and ferries were used to shuttle survivors away from the Twin Towers. He also learned about the New Jersey residents who worked in the towers. Zurab decided to look for a site in New Jersey, where the monument could be on the waterfront and settled on a never before seen area of the peninsula at Bayonne. Here, the World Trade Center was the backdrop to the waterfront, and so, the backdrop of life. The site had been a military instillation, and the town had decided to convert the land into public park-space.

From this vantage point, the Twin Towers looked almost as if they were in fact one building. His bronze monument reflects that image with a jagged Tear through the center, and a 4-ton nickel tear hanging from the top. The tear represents not only the sadness and grief over the loss of life on 9/11 and previous attacks on the World Trade Center, but also hope for a future free from terror.

Tear Drop Memorial
Harbor View Park
51 Port Terminal Blvd., Bayonne, NJ 07002
201-823-0333 | 800-542-7894

Enjoy…

The monument is 100 feet tall and really a sight to see in person.

I wish I had a better camera. The Memorial is located directly across the Statue of Liberty

This piece of steel from the World Trade Center was added in September 2011.

Please visit if you can. It was an amazing experience.