A New Flag Flies Above Asser Levy’s 9/11 Memorial

Ever since the Asser Levy Park 9/11 Memorial was first dedicated in 2005, the community has slowly added new features: A plaque honoring neighbors who perished at the World Trade Center, colorful flowers planted around the site, and this spring the families of the fallen planted a sapling seeded from the single pear tree that survived the collapse of the towers.

The Asser Levy memorial, tucked in the corner of Surf Avenue and West 5th Street, was created to be an accessible space where the close-knit seaside Russian community could honor friends and family members whose flames were extinguished on September 11.

“It’s not easy to go all the way to Manhattan to pay tribute to those we lost,” said Valeriy Savinkin, president of the September 11 Family Group. “Now we have a place near our homes where we can support those who suffered most.”

Savinkin’s son, Vladimir, is one of the 18 names on the memorial’s bronze plaque.

Earlier this week, the parks department completed another addition to the park. A pole flying the American and POW MIA flags, which flap restlessly in the ocean breeze. The parks department also added a new bluestone pathway leading up to the flagpole.

“The flag means a lot. It symbolizes the whole nation and shows that it’s not just the families who are mourning. The whole country is with us in honoring our loved ones,” said Savinkin.

City Councilman Chaim Deutsch allocated funding, which was combined with money from the mayor’s office, to build the flagpole and walkway.

“This means a lot to families who lost loved ones during 9/11 and it means a lot to the community. It’s a place where people can always come back to,” said Deutsch. “The American flag is a symbol of our nation’s strength and unity. As New Yorkers, we are always strong. And as Americans, we always rebuild.”