While being at the oculus, I noticed that many systems took place and interacted there. For example, the transit system, tourism, the way that locals interact with the area, and more. For my map, I decided to focus on how tourists and locals interacted with the physical space of the oculus in relation to the shopping system and transit system. Based on my observation, many of the tourists stayed around areas closer to stores, sections where photography might be considered more “Instagram worthy,” or by the ground zero memorial. However, unlike the tourists, the local New Yorkers concentrate more around the areas of public transit like the Mta or the path and only go to the stores when they are sure of what they want or are in a quick need of an item and the oculus is their easiest access. They definitely try their best to avoid any questions coming from tourists regarding directions or where to find the best food. When I asked a tourist what their favorite part about the oculus was, they told me that they loved it when they first walked in, where they could take pictures of the structure in its entirety. On the other hand, a local had very different opinions. Although they acknowledged the amazing architecture, they confessed that they try to stay away from tourists as much as possible and will usually stay on the mta areas. They definitely liked the easy access to transit at the location.
