Today is the 21st of April. It's a day that holds special significance for me. For it was on this day in 2012 that I took my first ever trip to New York City. 6 years ago today. Now, at the time I was really, really obsessed with skyscrapers, and had never been to any big cities with skyscrapers aside from Philadelphia, where I live. Also at the time I was dealing with depression and the loss of my grandfather, two separate events. My first trip to New York was unforgettable. My parents took me. We did, in order, Empire State Building observation deck, Times Square, New York Public Library, Grand Central Station, St. Patrick's Cathedral (pre-renovation), Top of the Rock, took a look at 1WTC, and Battery Park. It was perfect. I was a middle schooler obsessed with skyscrapers. It couldn't have been better. And what better way to mark April 21 than by revisiting New York once again?
Now today, I did the High Line and the Whitney. Honestly, I found them both underwhelming. Especially the High Line. Why is it so popular? The Whitney was enjoyable enough, although the collection wasn't nearly as good as it could be. Hell, almost all of the works in the travel book aren't actually there. What's really great about the Whitney is the views. Halfway between ESB and 1WTC. Then I walked over to Washington, Union, and Madison Squares. I got a crapload of pictures of the Empire State Building, so here are a few of my favorites.
Now, back 6 years ago, the Empire State Building was still New York's tallest. One World Trade Center was halfway there, or somewhere around there. April 21, 2012 was also a fairly cloudy day in New York. Usually, when you see the skyline coming from the south, you get Lower Manhattan in the foreground and Midtown in the background, but at once. On this day, with the clouds, it didn't work like that. When I got my first glimpse at New York City, skyscraper lover's paradise, I was looking right at the Empire State Building. I'll never forget it.