Author Topic: BBM-ers at 75th Anniv. of Empire State Building  (Read 7464 times)

Will-U

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BBM-ers at 75th Anniv. of Empire State Building
« on: May 01, 2006, 02:14:21 pm »
What does the milestone 75th anniversary of the famous Empire State Building ("ESB") in New York have to do with BBM?  More than U think!

Yesterday, after a great outdoor Sunday bruncheon on Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, native New Yorker Will-ABC took our visiting Pipedream Anke to another treat.  On the eve of the much-publicized anniversary and all the pending whoopla as shown on New York City television stations last evening, that was "King of the ABCs at Brokeback Mountain" Will and "P" is Princess Pipedream atop the world famous Empire State Building in mid-town Manhattan!  Yes, they traveled up to the big outdoor 86th floor observatory.  Then Will & Anke did the optional (additional fee) visit of also going up even further on a sole private elevator with its own elevator operator to the much smaller equivalent of a 102nd floor solarium inside of the ESB sphere!  What an all-around incredible view!  Yes, they took pix.  Look for Anke to post 'em.


=news= ESB!!!
Look for the Empire State Building's 75th anniversary tribute in all of the newspapers today -- and post-event tomorrow -- and on all of the television news shows this evening.  May 1st, 1931 is when the ESB opened!  It is exactly 75 years old!!  Will & Anke also viewed the special "King Kong" at the ESB movies display.  Yeeee-haw!!!

Yet more proof that BBM can and does bring people together..........

Will (NYC) & Anke (she'll post her review after she's back at a computer in Germany)
« Last Edit: May 02, 2006, 02:49:31 am by Will-ABC »

Offline Lumière

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Re: 75th Anniversary of Empire State Building
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2006, 03:01:59 pm »
Willi & Anke - Wish I was with you two yesterday ...  :D
Can't wait to see the pics when Anke gets back...

Ciao!  ;)



Offline sparkle_motion

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Re: 75th Anniversary of Empire State Building
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2006, 03:03:11 pm »
I LOVE the Empire State Bldg. Every time I visit NYC, that is one place we always stop. The views at night are beautiful but the day time views are breathtaking.
We went on Dec. 1, 2001. 2 1/2 months after 9/11. It was very very disconcerting (and cheap! when we went back in 2002, the prices had gone back up) but we vowed to not let the terrorists keep us from our favorite building. You could still see the smoke rising from the WTC while we were atop the ESB.
Let's see those pictures, Will.
...then you ask me about Mexico and tell me you'll kill me for needing somethin' I don't hardly never get.

dmmb_Mandy

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Re: 75th Anniversary of Empire State Building
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2006, 06:09:05 pm »
Wow, that's amazing Will! I love hearing about BBM bringing people together, especially people we know here on the forums. Can't wait to hear Anke's story of her trip, and can't WAIT to see the pics!  ;D
Be sure to keep us posted!

Offline David

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Re: 75th Anniversary of Empire State Building
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2006, 06:31:22 pm »
Hi Will !

    Sorry we didn't get to see you Saturday  :'(

    I'm glad you got to meet Anke and take her around the City.

    I love the ESB.   I have been up there a few times.    In fact, just this Saturday as I was walking back to Penn Station, I had to walk around to the North side of Madison Square Garden so I could look east and up and admire the ESB!     

David    :)

Will-U

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75th Anniversary of Empire State Building
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2006, 01:14:56 am »
Follow-up BBM-er greetings from the Empire State!

Thanx for the nice comments from all of the BBM-ers above.  I just watched a local New York City television station's tribute to the 75th anniversary of the Empire State Building.  I promised to send some news articles to Anke.  She enjoyed her entire trip to NYC and the BBM-ers events for 3 of the 4 days.  Her first eve was solo at the opera.  We both spoke separately with Lucise on the phone before and then later that night for over an hour together! 

Sparkle, your words are poignant as it was the first time that I went to the observatory of the ESB since September 11, 2001, which U appropriately mentioned.  This was also special to me as I was treating someone to the thrilling ESB who had never been there!  We planned this via phone, e-mail and PMs before Anke arrived in America -- her first time in 20 years!  BTW, at the ESB, we were on the "equivalent" of the 102nd floor.  There is no "floor" per se.  It is more like the head of a needle.  It's like the very top of a lighthouse.  Look at a pic of the ESB.  We were in the top part of that silver sphere.  Anke got a BBM-ish guy to take pix of us together on both of our cameras.

Mandy, I'm glad U seconded our emotions.  When Anke & I were at that fantastic height in the ESB observatory, Anke also 'observed' that it's incredible that we met because of the movie BBM and directly through a game about it -- the "ABCs of BBM" -- at the original board and nourished here at the BetterMost Forum.  Pix will appear via digital Anke! 

BTW, Anke called me today after she had her last margarita b4 departing for JFK Airport and back to Germany.  God safely speed "Pipey"!  Meanwhile, that reminds me, I'll go play a "G" for Germany and BBM's premiere there!  ;)

Will-ABC         
« Last Edit: May 21, 2006, 03:57:47 am by Will-ABC »

Offline Pipedream

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Re: BBM-ers at 75th Anniv. of Empire State Building
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2006, 01:47:57 pm »
Wow, Will! What a description of our little tour to the Empire State Building! Actually, I've been up there once as a kid but that doesn't diminish the experience of that extraordinary weekend in the slightest. Now that I am back home again it really seems all like a dream. I can't believe it was only hours ago that I walked along the Broadway and bid farewell to Meryl and Sarah whom I had lunch with in Little Italy on Monday.
Tausend Dank (a thousand thanks) to all of you: Jenny who offered me to stay at her place, Meryl who recommended a nice hotel and showed me and her friend Sarah around Downtown Manhattan, all the nice people at the Brokie Brunch who made me feel one of them and not "foreign" in their company (special greetings to HobokenJeff at this point: he speaks German!!) and of course: special thanks to Will (absolutist monarch of the "ABC-Game") who took me out for brunch on Sunday and showed me the world from a higher point of view!! This was a hell of an enjoyable weekend, and right now I don't want to think about the fact that it was probably a "one shot thing" we had goin' on there. Thanks also to dear Lucise and DeeDee who called me at the hotel in New York!! What a nice surprise! Thinking of all those phone calls in NYC - that must have been the most I spoke in a year...
What a wonderful, intensive, pleasurable and carefree time I had! I'll never forget that, that's for sure.



« Last Edit: October 12, 2006, 07:01:08 am by Pipedream »

Offline Lumière

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Re: BBM-ers at 75th Anniv. of Empire State Building
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2006, 02:19:02 pm »
Cheers for sharing Anke!  :-*
I can see that you had a fabulous time! Yeehawww!!!  :D

p/s:  When are you coming to Alberta, Canada?  ;D


Will-U

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Will & Anke pix at ESB
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2006, 02:26:53 pm »
How did I know that the ESB pix of Anke & I were up?

Sweet Anke just called me from Germany to tell me!  Now that I see the pix of us in the sky, it reminds me that it's good that we also had our Sunday brunch drinx b4 going there.  In fact, Pipedream had two!! 

The photos look a little dark in our the faces because of our positioning and the shadows all the while that the sun was in our eyes -- not so much room to play up on the ESB observatory with "moving the sun".  Interestingly, we were laughing so much of the day but in this shot I look much too serious for me. Besides, Anke will tell U that she was more interested in photgraphing my hair -- with which the wind also had fun.  :-*

After the ESB was mid-town shopping on West 34 Street incl. Macy*s!

Gamemeister (named by Anke) Will

P.S.  Anke's trip from Germany to NYC took about 8 long hours and about 6 1/2 hours on the 'with-the-wind' return flight to Germany.  What a determined and proud BBM trouper is Anke!
« Last Edit: May 02, 2006, 06:29:31 pm by Will-ABC »

Offline Lumière

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Re: Will & Anke pix at ESB
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2006, 02:30:48 pm »

P.S.  Anke's trip from Germany to NYC took about 8 long hours and 7 hours on the with-the-wind return flight.  What a proud BBM trouper is Anke!

She is a major BBM trouper!!
I am still amazed at how this movie has managed to bring us together from different continents!
What an amazing experience we got going on here!  :-*


Offline sparkle_motion

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Re: BBM-ers at 75th Anniv. of Empire State Building
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2006, 03:32:48 pm »
Great pictures, guys! I love it.
So jealous.  :-\
...then you ask me about Mexico and tell me you'll kill me for needing somethin' I don't hardly never get.

Offline David

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Re: BBM-ers at 75th Anniv. of Empire State Building
« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2006, 03:36:10 pm »
Time for an Ennis quote: "That's sounds like some high class entertainment"    LOL 

For what it's worth!      ;D

Great pics!      Going to NY without visiting the ESB is like seeing Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower!   


David   ;)


dmmb_Mandy

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Re: BBM-ers at 75th Anniv. of Empire State Building
« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2006, 05:08:12 pm »
Wow, awesome pics! You two look like you're having fun! The view from up there is beautiful, isn't it? I was there in 2000; loved it!

 :-*

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: BBM-ers at 75th Anniv. of Empire State Building
« Reply #13 on: May 02, 2006, 05:44:19 pm »
Fabulous photos, thanks for sharing! Ever notice how whenever these foreigners come to the U.S. they make us realize what a great country we've got here? First Ang Lee, then Anke!!
"chewing gum and duct tape"

Will-U

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BBM-ers at 75th Anniv. of ESB
« Reply #14 on: May 03, 2006, 02:17:52 am »
Fabulous photos, thanks for sharing! Ever notice how whenever these foreigners come to the U.S. they make us realize what a great country we've got here? First Ang Lee, then Anke!!

Right U are, Lee!

I told Anke that not only was I taking her higher to the top of the ESB but it got me to go, too.  Neither one of us had been there in exactly 20 years. 

Anke overlooked mentioning that Will also (re-)introduced her to the New York City subways and bought her a 6-trip Metro card (also a nice souvenier)!  Ironically, on the train we met people from where?  Berlin!  After our brunch on the Upper West Side at Time Outdoor Cafe on Broadway, we took the local #1 subway from West 86 Street to West 34th Street.  We then walked over to the ESB.  After that, it was midtown Manhattan shopping! 

Reporting from NYC,
Will-helm!
 
« Last Edit: May 03, 2006, 12:25:34 pm by Will-ABC »

Offline amh

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BBM-ers at Empire State Building
« Reply #15 on: May 04, 2006, 08:49:18 pm »
These ESB pics and your stories are great!  What a blast you two had - thanks for posting! 


 
« Last Edit: May 07, 2006, 01:43:16 pm by Will-ABC »
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Will-U

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BBM-ers at Empire State Building
« Reply #16 on: May 07, 2006, 01:42:02 pm »
Thanx, Ann Marie and others for ur appreciation of reading about the Empire State Building (ESB) trip.  Pipedream & I really had more fun than we could describe.  It's an entire process to get to the top of the ESB.  Many lines -- not "LINES =U= WON'T HEAR in BBM" -- and it was all handled efficiently and fast-moving.  The visitors are from all around the world speaking many languages.

Remember, AMH, U have a standing invitation to do likewise to visit NYC including the ESB, as U know.  Just let me know when.

Gamely,
Will-ABC
« Last Edit: May 07, 2006, 01:45:12 pm by Will-ABC »