Brookfield Place is connected directly to the Oculus also known as the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, via an underground and climate controlled pedestrian walkway that is also known as the West Concourse.
The tunnel that connects Brookfield Place to the Oculus allows for an easy walk between the two and is often used to avoid weather, extending from the Winter Garden to the PATH train area.
The connection of Brookfield Place to the Oculus starts at the Winter Garden in Brookfield Place and leads to the PATH train area in the Oculus and the route is fully indoors and climate controlled and accessible for commuting and shopping and serves as a direct link from the Financial District to the Hudson River waterfront.
Brookfield Place was formerly called the World Financial Center and was also heavily damaged during the 9/11 attacks.
Located across from the World Trade Center, Brookfield Place, most particularly the Winter Garden Atrium sustained severe structural damage as well as shattered glass and debris impact.
The 10 story glass domed Winter Garden Atrial, had almost all of it's glass pane windows blown out and also sustained structural damage from the falling debris.
Several buildings in the complex of Brookfield Place, including World Financial Center 3 suffered major damage.
The Winter Garden also underwent extensive repairs and was later reopened in September of 2002.
And the site at Brookfield Place was also later rebranded from the World Financial Center to Brookfield Place.
Several buildings, including the Marriott Hotel (WTC 3), the South Plaza building (WTC 4), the U.S. Customs building (WTC 6), and the Winter Garden, experienced severe damage as a result of the massive quantities of debris that fell on them when the two towers collapsed.
Brookfield Place's most dramatic features include sixteen 40-foot tall Washingtonia robusta palm trees.
The trees grow about six inches per year in the atrium and are capable of reaching heights of over 80 feet.
Brookfield Place (previously named and still commonly referred to as the World Financial Center) is a shopping center and office building. It is located in the Battery Park City neighborhood, across West Street from the World Trade Center, and overlooks the Hudson River.
Several celebrities almost died in 9/11 and had close calls on 9/11, including Seth MacFarlane, who missed his flight (American Airlines Flight 11) due to a hangover; Mark Wahlberg, who changed plans last-minute to fly to Toronto instead of Boston; and Michael Jackson, who was scheduled for a meeting in the World Trade Center but overslept.
Other celebrities like Patti Austin, Rob Lowe, and Gabourey Sidibe were also in New York or scheduled to be in the towers but narrowly avoided tragedy.