Manhattan's new way of thinking

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Bruce Rusoff still worries that New York will be the target of

another terrorist attack, which perhaps isn't surprising. Mr. Rusoff is an elevator mechanic at the Deutsche Banc Building. A central stop on the guided tour of the city these days, it stands still shrouded in black at the edge of the trade center site because it's caught in an insurance dispute.

Two years ago, Rusoff was 400 feet from the south tower, about to call his wife, when it imploded in a "tornado of metal and glass." "If I didn't dive into a three-foot door frame, I don't think I'd be here," he says.

He was back at work 10 days later. Today, leaning against one of the ubiquitous metal police barricades, Rusoff is anxious about the future even as he still struggles with the past. He thinks the city needs to do more to prevent another attack, though he's imbued with New York pragmatism. "This area was beautiful," he says. "Now take a look. Of course it bothers you. But you don't lose sleep over it. You've got to go to work in the morning."

Rusoff's sentiments, though intense, do reflect common views: Though security precautions have reassured many New Yorkers, 68 percent still fear the city will be attacked again, according to a recent New York Times poll. More than 30 percent say their lives have not retuned to normal.

Many also harbor a greater sense of solidarity with other victims of terror around the world. Sokolow, for instance, visited Israel four months after 9/11. He, his wife, and two daughters were injured in an attack by a suicide bomber. "[You] can be a victim of terror anytime, anywhere," he says. "We have to be more vigilant in our fight against the terrorists."

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Three blocks from ground zero, in Battery Park City, a thriving neighborhood has reemerged. With the sun glinting on the Hudson, and a fresh breeze sweeping across the promenade, it's a symbol for the city's embryonic resurgence and natural resilience.

Despite the dire predictions of a mass exodus, New Yorkers have shown a surprising dedication to community. And while the overt camaraderie that marked the city immediately after the attacks has faded, it hasn't disappeared - as evidenced by the many block parties during the August blackout.

Another indication of the renewed sense of community can be found in a flourishing real estate market. Within months of 9/11, condos and co-ops were selling at record prices. The rental market has softened somewhat, but one reason is that so many people have opted to buy.

"Rather than fleeing the city, people fell in love with it all over again," says Pamela Liebman, CEO of the Corcoran Group.

Bond trader Niall Lawlor's affections never wavered. He and his 4-year-old son, Liam, are taking in the promenade. Like almost 50 percent of the original Battery Park City residents, the Lawlors returned here after the attacks.

"It's more of a tightly knit community among those that stayed," says Mr. Lawlor. "We all know each other much better now than we used to."

The vibrancy has attracted thousands new people, too, like Seth and Zoë Elliott. "We had a strong desire to support downtown," says Mr. Elliott, an investment banker who decided to run for City Council to help ensure downtown keeps going. For Elliott and all New Yorkers, there is a strong desire to remember 9/11, but also to move on.

"We can't forget the past," says Sokolow. "But we need to move on. We need to look to the future."

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