It seems like a wasted trip if you visit New York and don’t go to the top of a huge building. Still, we weren’t planning on climbing the Empire State Building last weekend. We were just walking south on 5th avenue and there were so many rude, arrogant, pushy, assholes trying to sell us Empire State Building stuff that we blew them off and then went into the building just to spite them. It was a great idea, of course, but it was so… effin’… cold… Actually, it was cold but not bad when we first stepped out onto the observation deck. It wasn’t until we turned a corner to look East that it hit us. The wind. Oh. My. God. The wind chill dropped the temperature from really cold to OH MY GOD ITS TOO COLD TO SURVIVE. That’s when we went back inside.

Looking south toward the only building in town that is taller than the Empire State Building. The Freedom Tower is supposed to have an observation level, but it’s not open yet.

The Statue of Liberty just looks so teeny tiny.

Psst… hey… all of these New York pics are using my new lens. How’s she doing?

There was a huge warehouse fire in Brooklyn that took about two days to put out.

The love of my life, on top of the world with me.

We made some feathery friends.

You can actually see the boats shooting water onto the fire.

The Chrysler Building is still my favorite of all the New York skyscrapers.

Rats with wings.

This is the Langham Hotel. Our room was on the 21st floor on the right corner.

Central Park.

Normally when you go to the top of the Empire State Building it is absolutely mobbed. On this day? You might have guessed, this corner was getting the worst of the wind. The word of the morning was, “Brr”.