Dusk at the Empire State Building

I was a bit discouraged today after another painful post-op weekend. But I have a wonderful physical therapy team now. After a good two-hour PT session, I felt a lot better. I decided to check off another item on my NYC to-do list after the requisite post-PT rest period at home. It was a beautiful, crisp fall day.

I took a jaunt to the Empire State Building, something I've been anxious to do since I arrived in NY eleven months ago. At 1,250 feet, this Art Deco masterpiece is still one of the world's tallest buildings. Prior to 9/11 (and post-Chrysler Building construction in 1930), it remained the tallest building in NY until the Twin Towers were built downtown in the mid-70's.

I bought my tickets online before I headed out. I highly recommend you get your tickets prior to visiting this NY attraction at the core of the City; otherwise, the typical wait is 90 minutes. And that's on a weekday. Weekends are worse. I've seen the line wrap around the block -- and 34th Street has what we call long blocks, like most of the east-west roads in the City.

I bought and printed a ticket to the 86th-floor observatory as well as a ticket to NY Skyride, which is a simulated aerial tour of the City narrated by Kevin Bacon. It takes place in an IMAX-type theatre on the second floor of the ESB. The moving seats come complete with locking safety bar. (Mom, this roller-coaster ride isn't for you! I was glad I hadn’t eaten anything before getting "on board" this thing.)

The line to the observatory elevators wasn’t too bad, thanks to having a ticket in hand. We rode rapidly to the 80th floor. At that point, you can have your photo taken in front of a fake ESB backdrop for purchase after your visit. I skipped the photo. Then you can either take the stairs up to the 86th floor, or wait another 20 minutes for the elevator.
At the observatory, it was wall-to-wall people, both indoors and out. Most folks were either speaking a foreign language or had foreign accents. Outside, it was a clear day but extremely windy and therefore much colder than the 59 degrees it was supposed to be (down below). I checked my watch – it was 30 minutes before sunset. Perfect. I wanted to stick around for that.
I went around the platform, visiting all four sides, snapping photos, and dodging folks hurriedly trying to take pictures of a significant other before a stranger walked blindly into the frame.

There was frequently a wait to get to the viewing wall at the edge of the platform, with people two to three deep in some spots. But it was worth the wait. It is just beautiful up there. Breath-taking. I felt like I was on top of the world.

Well, if you think about it, I sort of was on top of the world. After all, Times Square is the crossroads of the world, and I was looking down on it. The more time I spend in NYC, the less I want to leave.

I’m glad I finally got to do this. It was reminiscent of the Seattle Space Needle, except much more spectacular. I was so utterly exhausted afterward that I didn’t think I’d make it to the subway. I look forward to the day that my body regains its usual stamina. I had to head home and rest with an ice pack on my back, and that’s where I’ve been since. Since my surgery seven weeks ago, I can’t seem to last more than two or three hours doing anything at all. I really don’t know how I can possibly make it back to work at my 60-hour-a-week, 24x7 availability, high-stress job just two weeks from now. Well, we’ll see what my doctor has to say about that tomorrow.

In the meantime, below you'll find some ESB photos I took with the Sony digital. Click on any photo to enlarge it.