A milestone in Lower Manhattan. For the first time since the building of the Twin Towers a half century ago, pedestrians have a much easier time of getting where they want to go.  NY1's Michael Herzenberg filed this report.

Officials unchained a fence and for the first time since the 1960s, Greenwich Street was fully reopened to pedestrians.

Commuters accustomed to taking an around-about route around the World Trade Center site needed a little coaxing.

"It is really exciting to be able to access the financial district through this new opening rather than dealing with the crowds up on Barclay street," said one pedestrian NY1 spoke with.

Pedestrians can now walk on Greenwich Street from the Path train station at Vesey Street to alongside the 9/11 memorial and then on to the edge of the Financial District without having to make a turn.

"It used to coming out of the world trade center take the radius of the circle right to the corner two blocks, I'm at the office, instead of going around and around and around," said another pedestrian. "It's good for my health it's good for exercise but i can do that on my own"

After the Twin Towers came down on 9/11, the city was forced to rethink the space. 

Greenwich Street had been closed by design in 1965, under the plan for the World Trade Center complex.

"That was specifically done to build the towers as they conceived it which basically made it a super block and the community spoke loud and clear to the port authority and the port authority responded," said Steven Plate, World Trade Center Director. "They wanted a community that would be integrated into the full community of residential people that are here today, so we're enjoying ourselves."

So these are the first members of the public to stride down this street in 50 years, a change not lost on commuters or tourists.

"It's a great chance to visit this memorial, I feel privileged," said one man.

"I think it's a big, important part of Lower Manhattan beginning to heal," said another person NY1 spoke with. "It's beautiful architecturally, it's exciting to see this new space open up and it's very well done. It's really beautiful down here."

The only two streets that remain closed because of the rebuilding after 9/11 are Dey and Fulton.