Last sunday, my second one in this land took me to a place where a resident New Yorker is supposed to be baptized. After a sprawling morning in the warmth of the Central Park...it was very warm indeed, we trudged our way to the 86th street subway. At this point let me clarify, we have two types of subways here - one that you can find at almost every corner serving footlongs and six inches (America's love for fast food) and the second one which you more often here whoosh past below the 'Made in India' manhole covers. I am talking about the second one.
It took us to the Times Square station at 42nd street - the pip of the Big apple. Its glitzy to the least, gives one a taste of quintessential America. A sip at Starbucks and a movie opposite Regal theatres (that's the name I remember as that brought back fond memories of a white broken building in a distant land that was quite close till yestermonth), I was geared up to visit the 86th...floor. The corner of 34th street and fifth avenue houses the 86th floor of New York City. It's the observatory of the Empire State Building. One of the world's most referred, photographed, filmed and hence famous skyscraper. It overlooks most of the Manhattan Borough with extensive glimpses onto the other boroughs, giving a brief idea about their geographical sizes. The Empire State bears a silent domination over the whole city. In spite of the facts stated above, the feeling that drives a tourist to the 86th is a desire to be on top of the world. One can witness the sprawling Central park and the serene Hudson & East making way to the Atlantic. The miniscule yellow cabs and black limos, Times Square lighting up the NYC sky, the quite Madison gardens, The Rockefeller and Cornell universities...but there were three sights that made me wonder; was Empire State destined to be on top of NYC if not the world!!
The first is a tiny building with its characteristic shape leading to its nomenclature as the Flatiron building. It is famous for housing the offices of fictional superheroes - Batman & Superman, but its long forgotten claim to fame was as the world's first skyscraper. It was built at a time when a twenty storey building was commendable by the contemporary construction standards in the early twentieth century. Three decades later in 193os Empire State set out to conquer. The whole process of building it up was a competition with the Chrysler building which had already started to be built. It was JJ Raksob, who had the last laugh as it not only stood taller than the Chrysler on completion but for the next 41 years as the tallest building in NYC.
The North tower of the WTC inched to a higher glory in the 70s. But as all of us now know, the future that it had in store; one is but obviated to devote a thought to the playings of fate. Was the Empire State destined to be forever crowned as the top of NYC or as a mere observatory for these other three, for the map sold for tourists talks only about what all one can see from the 86th except for the Empire state herself??
The first is a tiny building with its characteristic shape leading to its nomenclature as the Flatiron building. It is famous for housing the offices of fictional superheroes - Batman & Superman, but its long forgotten claim to fame was as the world's first skyscraper. It was built at a time when a twenty storey building was commendable by the contemporary construction standards in the early twentieth century. Three decades later in 193os Empire State set out to conquer. The whole process of building it up was a competition with the Chrysler building which had already started to be built. It was JJ Raksob, who had the last laugh as it not only stood taller than the Chrysler on completion but for the next 41 years as the tallest building in NYC.
The North tower of the WTC inched to a higher glory in the 70s. But as all of us now know, the future that it had in store; one is but obviated to devote a thought to the playings of fate. Was the Empire State destined to be forever crowned as the top of NYC or as a mere observatory for these other three, for the map sold for tourists talks only about what all one can see from the 86th except for the Empire state herself??
A piece of cloud that had wandered from across the Atlantic ran a chill and got me back to my senses. The Chrysler had just lit up...(top right)
Carbide
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