A Night in Manhattan

I lived in New York for three of my college years. During that time I naturally indulged in all the artistic and cultural offerings. But the most extraordinary visual image that I took away from those years was the bright New York skyline itself. I remember long nights sitting on my friend's roof with a bottle of wine just soaking in the crisp man-made beauty of our surroundings.

That is why, last November, I was concerned and curious to read a NYTimes article documenting the slowly dimming New York skyline. It explained,

"Gone are the days when cheap electricity, primitive lighting technology and landlords' desire to showcase their skyscrapers kept floor after floor of the city's highest towers glowing into the night. Now, rising energy costs, conservationism, stricter building codes and sophisticated lighting systems have conspired to slowly, often imperceptibly, transform Manhattan's venerable nightscape into one with a gentler glow."

I came back to New York this week to catch up with old friends and made sure to sit on the same roof, with a slightly better bottle of wine. The article was right, the city had changed, but in a very nice and soothing way. The dimmer lights made the textures of the buildings brighter, and allowed natural moon-lit shadows to emerge. The old water-towers were no longer engulfed in the lights behind them and therefore stood out more (as they should).

The whole experience felt, to me, much more soothing. Maybe it was the Bogle Syrah rather than the Yellowtail that made the difference, or the fact that I am a few years older. But either way, I don't think that any skyline will lose out from energy-efficient lighting.