Empire State Building

I didn't think I'd be terribly impressed by the Empire State Building, but the experience ended up being thought-provoking for a number of reasons.

First, it was our first real taste of the security measures many of the major US attractions now have. I was kind of amazed at the process we had to go through - line ups, x-ray scans of all belongings, metal detectors, etc. I spent the whole trip expecting to be stopped because I had a metal water bottle in my purse/coat all the time, but no one ever even blinked at it. I guess I'm lucky that I don't 'look like a terrorist' (whatever that means).

Secondly, the style of architecture also really resonated with me. I think it's the Art Deco style and for some reason it just gives me a moment of pause. Seeing such a large building in real life done in that style was impressive.

Third of all, we unexpectedly got to have a 'behind the scenes' peek at what goes on with all the security. After seeing the view from the observation platform and heading back down, Kim had a moment of panic when she thought she had dropped her camera somewhere (inside the building). So we went to the nearest uniformed person to tell him what happened and he immediately began escorting us around the building, checking with the various places that it might have ended up. Everyone was very polite about it and it was kind of neat getting to stand in the hallway outside the main security office. In the end, Kim found her camera in her purse afterall.

Lastly, we got a bunch of neat tidbits of information about the building process when we went on the Circle Line Tour. The Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building were a kind of architectural pissing contest. The Chrysler building thought they had won it when the Empire State building pulled out all the extra building parts they had been storing inside the empty building to add on the final crucial stories to make it the tallest building in the city. They were both built by car manufacturing magnates. Oh how times have changed! I think the last thing car manufacturers are thinking of right now is erecting ostentatious buildings.