More than 1,000 people gathered in Washington Square Park Saturday afternoon to mourn those killed in the attacks in Paris on Friday.
Mayor Bill de Blasio arrived with the French Counsul General in a show of support for the city.
"We feel such deep sorrow, we feel such a sense of loss with the people of Paris, our two cities are so close, and we feel so much together," de Blasio said.
"You feel a bit powerless here. What can we do? We can be kinder to each other, but I don't know if that's gonna last," one mourner said.
"People who, when they saw the updates yesterday, were calling all their families, and we all went through the same thing, and we all call each other, all my friends, everyone who knew I was French —feeling the support, just feeling that warmth," said another.
A growing memorial at the French Consulate on the Upper East Side is accompanied by a stepped up police presence.
City officials say there is no specific credible threat to the city but they are taking every precaution.