Windows on the World, situated atop the 107th floor of the World Trade Center North Tower, earned a reputation as one of New York City's premier dining establishments. In its final operational year, it claimed the title of the highest-grossing fine dining restaurant in the United States. Its multilingual staff, proficient in over 60 languages, affectionately referred to themselves as the "U.N. of restaurants."
Back in 1976, a New York magazine cover story titled "The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World" featured restaurant critic Gael Greene's words: "Every view is a fresh spectacle - nothing short of miraculous. From the Statue of Liberty Lounge,
the majestic expanse of the harbor bestows upon you the sensation of ruling over an extraordinary universe. The restaurant's promenade offers vistas of all the bridges connecting Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Even New Jersey appears picturesque from this vantage point. Below lies the entirety of Manhattan, with helicopters and clouds drifting peacefully.
All the negatives, the sources of hatred and fear, remain concealed. Pollution becomes a mere wisp of a cloud. A fire raging below Washington Square seems like a silent, almost surreal dream, despite the visible arc of water quelling the flames. Worries about financial default appear as trivial nightmares. There's no trace of urban litter. Even garbage becomes an illusion."
However, the tragic events of September 11th claimed the lives of 79 Windows on the World employees. It is believed that one of the individuals captured in the haunting photograph known as the "Falling Man" was a worker from this renowned restaurant, recognizable by his uniform.
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