NYC Rebuilds After 9/11, Responds With Freedom Tower

The events of September 11, 2001, left New York City's financial district in ruins. Rubble filled the World Trade Center and surrounding area, and cleanup was the next step in recovering.

But simply cleaning, of course, wasn't enough. New York City had to rebuild.

It has taken more than a decade for what was ground zero to become what it is today -- a remarkably beautiful and touching tribute to the lives lost, while still functioning as the hub of the United States economy.

The Freedom Tower went into construction in 2004 and has since endured numerous hiccups and legal battles.

Now, the Freedom Tower is nearly complete and is expected to open in 2013, functioning both as an office building and, on the ground floor, a museum for 9/11. It became the tallest building in New York earlier this summer.