NYC as seen from space on 9/11/01 (nasa.gov)

I was nearby under the dust cloud as well -- living in our loft/office in Chinatown where we were still folding our startup up after the market collapse a year prior. I was taking a shower when I heard the first plane hit. I thought it was a construction accident until my roommate knocked on the bathroom door and told me that the world trade center is blowing up or something. I remember thinking, "Again?"