The Roof Garden Comments

It was cool on the roof- breezy and empty.

They got off the elevator at the 17th floor and walked down a hall
to a door marked 'Roof Garden'. Beyond the door was a stairway with steps leading up to a landing. More steps led to another door that opened on the roof garden, its floor a maze of topiary under the sky. The roof was picketed round by a sort of parapet, tall enough to rest your elbows on. The building stood in mid-Village, surrounded by blocks of low, dark old neighborhoods. Across from it in three of four directions, rose the lit-up spires of the famous sky-scrapers. To the north, was the Empire State, awash in irid light. As was the Chrysler, to the east. Unimpressed, the Metropolitan Life Building sported traditional red, white and blue. Above loomed a sky colored two parts ash, one part rust, almost close enough to touch.There were no stars. To west, the river, a mirror of watery chroma, ran unhurriedly to sea. Snakily, it upheld the division between New York and Hoboken.
...
Read full text