Empire State of Mind

The lines of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys 2009 Grammy nominated hit song "Empire State of Mind" best capsulizes what New York City is truly all about.

"Concrete jungle where dreams are made of 

There's nothing you can't do 

Now you're in New York! 

These streets will make you feel brand new 

Big lights will inspire you

Let's hear it for New York, New York, New Yooork!

On the avenue, there ain't never a curfew, ladies work so hard 

Such a melting pot, on the corner selling rock, preachers pray to God 

Hail a gypsy cab, takes me down from Harlem to the Brooklyn Bridge 

Some will sleep tonight with a hunger for more than an empty fridge."

The tip of the Empire State Building

The first time I set foot in New York City was on December 2010 and it was a dream come true for me! I thought I would only see New York City in the movies. So when I landed at the airport, I was overwhelmed with so much joy and excitement! 

Flags Rockefeller Center 

"I love New York" was the visible signage that warmly welcomed me upon my arrival at JFK airport. Soon enough, in just a few days of exploring around the streets of New York, the more i fell in love with the city. It's just so vibrant and has a very unique character. And those could possibly be the very reason why it attracts approximately 55 million visitors per year. 

New York is the most populous city in the United States and a global power city. New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural and financial capital of the world.

On one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which is a county of New York State. The five boroughs includes the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island—These boroughs have a combined population of 8.5 million distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles. New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.

I will be featuring a series of blogs about the famous tourist spots in New York! You watch out for it:-)

A Different Kind of "High"

A trip to the City of Chicago, Illinois won’t be complete without experiencing “The Ledge”. At 1,353 feet in the air, the Ledge’s glass extend out 4.3 feet from the Skydeck located in 103^rd Floor of Willis (formerly Sears) Tower.  For some, it takes some balls to step outside the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.  

entrance to Willis Tower         

Just the thought of it can be nerve-racking, I myself is not afraid of heights having used to climbing tall trees in our backyard as our playground during my childhood days but once I 

was there, the experience gave me a different kind of high! I felt I was superman for a while. Looking down at  the clear glass floor, the structures below it look really tiny and 
the view of Chicago skyline when you look at the glass walls was just marvelous.

The Ledge

I learned that they actually offer dining on the Ledge but reservations is necessary. I 
imagined it would be a perfect setting for marriage proposal. Don’t you think?

dinner is ready

View from the top

great view of Lake Michigan from the top