only the usage was plural: "You call those monstrosities 'buildings'?"

City skylines change. Chicago's skyline was changed by a disaster, the Great Fire. San Fransisco's skyline was changed by its Fire, caused by the 1906 Earthquake. This change was caused by a tragedy, which was itself caused by a crime. Putting up replicas doesn't raise the dead. It would be an extremely high-budget sentimental gesture.

It can't remain vacant. Since something has to go there, why not this? In Chicago and San Francisco, disaster and tragedy were looked at as an opportunity for change, for a fresh new start, not a directive to reproduce what was destroyed.

We will get used to the new skyline. As it is, the present skyline is the one I remember from when I was 8, before there was a WTC.

People thought the original towers were ugly when they were new. I'm old enough to remember the discussions: trust me on this. You, talking about the present design, sound like my Great-aunt Rose, the Manhattanite, talking about "those ugly boxes". The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Regards--
Mary Anne