The only place in New York City where taking a selfie with a smile on your face is absurd (or frowned upon by me) is the 9/11 Memorial, former site of the city’s World Trade Center Twin Towers.

For a solemn visit, I think the best time to visit 911 Memorial is in the evening when the crowd is lesser and the noise is lower. During the day, the crowd can be a bit annoying by taking smiling selfies/photos that give the creep out of your intestines. Also, there’s still so much construction going on around the area–and the noise can be frustrating for someone who expects that the 911 Memorial site is quiet and devoid of dusts.

The 911 Memorial Museum is already open—but I didn’t go there. Everytime I was there (twice in three weeks), the queue was long and I don’t want to be outside long enough due to biting winter wind. I’ll check it out in my next visit, for sure.