Midtown Manhattan No. 1

Midtown Manhattan No. 1

With a respectful nod to the great American Musical Theater lyricist Alan Jay
Lerner, I think of this view as "On a Clear Night You Can See (almost) Forever."

And with apologies to any new "stars" of the ever-changing midtown/downtown Manhattan skyline for non-inclusion
here, I offer this panorama from June 2014, taken from the upper level of the observation terraces at "Top of the Rock."

Naturally, with all of its motion picture tie-ins, the Empire State Building (*) is the more iconic Manhattan skyscraper
and thus usually the first place the visitor considers for views of Manhattan and the surrounding landscape.

But, for me, the favorite has always been the roof of the 70-story Art Deco skyscraper 30 Rockefeller Center (**), for its unencumbered sight lines from outdoor terraces - and the very fact that the iconic spire of the ESB is part of the view downtown.

Speaking of iconic destinations in Manhattan, the concentration of lights to the right of the
H&M tower (the Condé Nast Building) is erupting from the canyon of Times Square. (***)

And, to the right of the ESB, way downtown, the building with
the tall mast is the Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center),
which was nearing completion when the photo was taken.

Apropos of "always," no matter how many names this building will carry as results of corporate take-overs
(it is now the Comcast Building, after many years as the GE Building) for me it will always be the proud
RCA Building, which I first visited as a child with my parents on many a thrilling trip to New York City.

Photo, Design, Narrative ©2014/2016 Steve Ember
(*)