Comptroller William Thompson: Manhattan Still Needs To Financially Recover From 9/11

The September 11 attacks had a devastating financial impact on New York City. Comptroller William Thompson reflects on how the city has rebounded since that day and what still needs to be done.

Seven years later, Comptroller Thompson believes that the city has bounced back to some extent. "I think that more than just recovered, we've changed. We've evoloved. If you look at Manhattan, it was a business district and really the third largest business district in the country," said Comptroller Thompson.

"But if you look, there has been a lot of residential growth in lower Manhattan over the years," said Comptroller Thompson, "It's more of a 24 hour community now as opposed to what was seven or eight years ago."

However, the city still has ways to go. According to Comptroller Thompson, completion of the World Trade Center memorial and Freedom Towers, and development of the entire ground zero area are necessary goals and benchmarks for the city, and specifically the Financial District, to truly continue to be a 24 hour community.

He prescribes more transparency on Wall Street in order to restore confidence "get the credit markets churning."

WATCH THE INTERVIEW AFTER THE JUMP...