From the ruins of that unthinkable day comes, at long last, a rebirth...

Soirées rarely come any more sizzling than the one thrown by Sports Illustrated February 12 in New York to celebrate the launch of the magazine's 2008 Swimsuit Edition. Heavy snow was blanketing the city outdoors, but inside was considerably warmer as numerous models -- including SI cover girl Marisa Miller -- paraded before the rapt crowd.

All the more breathtaking was the venue: the top floor of 7 World Trade Center. "People should be aware of the magnitude of this building," said swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker, who lives in Manhattan, "and if that means coming up here in skimpy clothes, I am more than ready to promote it."

Last to fall on September 11, 2001, some seven hours after the Twin Towers collapsed, 7 WTC was the first to be rebuilt. For now, the 52-story structure stands as a beacon of just how far Lower Manhattan has come in the ensuing six-plus years.

For developer Larry Silverstein, the office building, begun in 2002, completed in 2006 and currently three-quarters leased, is the prism through which downtown’s redevelopment should be viewed. "Six of our nine major tenants moved here from Midtown," he says. "And our tenant mix spans the business world, from design and publishing to financial and scientific. This is the beginning of the total transformation of downtown -- not just rebuilding the towers we lost, but creating a diverse business community in the heart of a dynamic, 24/7 neighborhood."

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