"We have been so lonely here," Marianne Witherwas, a worker at the Unicef booth, said. "It's great."

When the terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Tuesday, September 11, the UN was evacuated. Then, according to Captain Clarence Clarke, the UN received a threat and the building was subsequently closed off to the public.

Visitors had a much different time going in to the UN than they did before September 11. A brand new tent is being erected in front of the visitors entrance on the 45th Street side. As one security guard put it, "We have to stay alive." The tent will be a security tent, where visitors will be frisked and scanned before they even reach the main building.

"Prudence dictates we have to take certain measures," Captain Clarke said. "Security has enhanced and enlightened. Even the delegates must supply their IDs and expired ID cards will be confiscated."

All packages at the visitors entrance will be opened, even after they are scanned. "We still have critics who say we're doing too much or too little," the captain said. "But anthrax has shown up in some real strange places and we can't afford to have that happen here."

Captain Clarke said in case of evacuation, the UN has fire wardens who might be issued bright caps so they will be easily recognized. There are, Captain Clarke said, many evacuation points already built in the UN. "The UN was built with foresight," he said.

Things were still far from normal. The normally packed-to-the-gills public concourse was reduced to a slight trickle of people. Traffic isn't allowed in front of the UN yet and Captain Clarke said he doesn't personally believe that there will be any until after the General Debate is over, which takes place from November 10 to 16. The debate will bring in Heads of State from all over the world. Security will be beefed up substantially.

"It's distressing," said Alfred Cohn, a visitor from Long Island. "I was shocked by all the security."

His two young nieces from Denmark didn't have a problem however. "I felt safe," said Mia Ritterband. "I would come back," said her sister Anina.

"It's great to be back," said Tamsir Gaye, who was in-charge of the Tour Guide counter. "For a whole month I stayed down in the Guided Tours office."

He said he saw people standing across the street, staring at the UN, seemingly wondering when the place would open. He said he received a lot of calls. "People were enthusiastic when they came in here," he said. "I was expecting it to be a bit slower, but it wasn't."

"It's so great to see them back," Witherwas said as she happily sold an item for $27.50 at the Unicef counter. "One day, we only sold six dollars!"

Welcome back indeed.