In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “TRIO.”

Right after work on Friday, November 20th, I dropped by Macy’s Herald Square to pick up my online order. While waiting at the Pick Up Counter, I was surprised by “Ms. G! I know it’s you who ordered this.” It was Yvette, my former high school student who now works at Macy’s. What are the odds of meeting someone you know in an island that serves approximately 4 million people on a typical weekday? Believe. 

As I egressed through the store’s 34th St. exit, I was mesmerized by the Empire State Building’s green tower light. Amidst the hustle and bustle of rush hour, I could not help but pause, admire, and capture the view using my iPhone. 

The Empire State Building is New York City’s emblem as the ‘seat of empire,’ heart of the wealthiest American City, and beacon of colors of America’s melting pot.

SEAT OF EMPIRE: New York has been notably known as the Empire State. What could be a more fitting symbol of this nickname than the Empire Sate Building? The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets.

HEART OF THE CITY. The Empire State Building’s 86th and 102nd floor observatories provide breathtaking 360° views of New York City and beyond. Hence, the building is also known as the heart of The City of New York – ‘the most American of all the country’s cities’ and deemed as the largest and wealthiest American City for the past two centuries.

TOWER OF LIGHTS. The international icon of the New York Skyline, the Empire State Building’s Tower of Lights has maintained a unique and symbolic lighting displays, since 1976, to recognize various occasions and organizations throughout the year. I’d like to view the Tower of Lights as a cultural symbol – a beacon of colors – with New York City being the most ethnically diverse urban center in the country. The tower’s colors could mean a call to action, a celebration, or thanksgiving for both residents and visitors alike, in this concrete jungle of a city that is widely recognized as America’s melting pot.

Views of New York City from the Empire State Building's 86th Floor Observatory

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