Empire State Human

Time to visit the Empire State Building, that iconic tallest building in New York and star of so many movies.

It didn’t take too long to get to the top either. Ticket sellers on 5th Ave were selling combo tickets for the NY Skyride (simulated ride over New York) and then the observation deck. Okay, the Skyride was a bit lame, but it bypassed the 90 minute waiting time for the observation deck alone.

The view from the 86th floor observation deck is spectacular, even though it was quite hazy and also raining over beyond Brooklyn.

The 102nd floor observation deck was also open, so for a bit extra I went up there too. When The Ians first visited New York in 1995 the 102nd floor was closed. The room is quite small, but the views and just being there is worth it.

After that was a meet and greet session with Kevin Odekirk, who is playing Robert in the Kristina concert, in the foyer of Carnegie Hall.

He was charming and accommodating, told us a bit about his career and how he got the concert gig, answered any questions, gave photos and autographs and even showed off a photo of his baby on his iPhone. He loves the show and is really pleased that he gets to sing two outstanding songs, then dies.

Afterwards the group went to the nearby Hooters, which was an odd location for a group of ABBA fans who are mostly gay men and straight women. Still there was beer and food and fun times with everyone.