B (6:09)

It's a balmy evening in New York City. The sky is turning a deep shade of purple as the sun begins to set. It's that magical time of day when the skyscrapers turn on their lights, giving the Big Apple a futuristic comic book glow. You're standing on a beautiful rooftop terrace between Battery park and the South Street Seaport at the southernmost tip of Manhattan. It's one of your favorite spots in the city. From here you can see across the east river to Brooklyn. To your left is the famous Brooklyn Bridge and the Seaport, and to your right is Governor's island and the Statue of Liberty. Behind you is Manhattan, a 23 square mile island of skyscrapers. Thousands of buildings in varying colors, shapes and sizes neatly slotted together. The rooftop terrace has reinforced glass panels around the perimeter so as not to detract from the view. With the exception of a door in the center to reach the lower floors and a canopied bar area, the terrace is open to the air. Strings of light bulbs casting a warm yellow glow are draped between posts, creating a fairy tale atmosphere. Giant ceramic pots hold small trees and shrubs with pink and orange flowers blossoming on them. There's a small garden area, a tranquil oasis with a water feature, lounge chairs and large sculptures. To your right, an all weather corner sofa with plush cushions offers uninterrupted views of the East River. Draped across the back of it are a few cozy blankets. You walk over to the sofa and sit down. From here, you can see lines of New York's iconic yellow taxicabs. They drive slowly across the Brooklyn Bridge, transporting people home after a long day of work in the city. This bridge was built in the late 1800s. On its opening day in 1883, thousands of people walked across it in celebration. It was the first structure to connect the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Before that, only ferries made the journey across the water. It's easy to tell the Brooklyn Bridge apart from all of the other bridges in New York City because of its gothic suspension towers. They look a bit like old church windows without the stained glass. As you gaze down at this marvelous feat of engineering. As if by magic, twinkling white lights begin to illuminate the bridge. From one side to the other.

A (10:42)

They.

B (10:42)

Sparkle and shine brightly like hundreds of tiny stars reflecting their light onto the source of the water below. Across the river in Brooklyn, joggers run in pairs along the promenade of a riverside park, and nearby, a vintage carousel slowly turns, painted horses bobbing up and down. The burrow unfurls before you like an intricate woven blanket, a blend of colors and textures with traditional brownstone buildings, urban green spaces, and modern hotels with restaurants and people sitting outside. On the east river, speedboats and sailboats navigate the waters with ease, leaving foamy white trails behind them. You notice one elegant yacht gliding by. It stands out from the other boats with large, billowing white sails and an impressive blue flag at the stern. You hear the faint sound of a foghorn as a ferry departs from the dock at the nearby South Street Seaport. As you glance down, you see groups of people gathered on the deck, many snapping pictures of the famed New York City skyline. At dusk, seagulls circle above the ferry as it moves away from the shore. They hover in the air before gracefully swooping down onto the pier. A few birds peck at the wooden posts and surface of the dock, seeking out any tasty morsels that commuters and tourists may have left behind. Next to the pier, the rotor blades of a helicopter whirr as it prepares to take off from a big H symbol painted on the tarmac. The helicopter slowly begins to ascend, lifting higher and higher until the pilot is almost at eye level with you. Then it tilts its nose slightly downwards and flies into the distance. You find yourself wondering if it's transporting a business magnate home after an important meeting, or if it's filled with tourists taking a sunset tour of New York City. You allow your eyes to follow the path of the helicopter as it travels along the East River. It slows down, lingering in front of the Statue of Liberty. Lady Liberty stands resplendent at 151ft tall and 305ft if you include her pedestal. She's cloaked in mint green, and the peaks of her crown are illuminated with lights. The statue was a gift from France to the United States, and it's surrounded by grassy lawns and trees on the island on which it stands. Made of cast iron, stainless steel and copper, its original color was reddish brown, but the copper has oxidized over the years, which is why it's now a soft green. The metal framework was constructed by none Other than Gustave Eiffel, the man who designed the iconic tower in Paris that bears his name. After a few moments, the helicopter continues its journey along the river towards the Empire State Building and an area of New York known as Midtown. You can just about see the rooftop of the Empire State Building from where you stand. It's a prime example of 1930s Art Deco architecture, standing 102 stories tall, a classic amidst a sea of mirrored glass skyscrapers and brick properties from the Gilded Age. You notice that this evening, the observation platform is changing color from red to blue to white. You pause for a moment, catching the scent of the flowering plants on the rooftop, drifting upon the gentle breeze, inhaling the sweet fragrance. The scent lingers and dances, activating all of your senses. In that moment, you realize that the city sounds are different up here. There's no chatter and no filler noise, just the distant sound of horns and sirens. You find them strangely comforting, familiar and distinctive to New York. The skies are almost completely dark now, and the buildings of downtown have all turned their lights on. Thousands of tiny white squares, many with people in them, each with their own unique stories to tell. In one window nearby, several floors below, you see two women dancing around an apartment while singing into microphones. A few stories below them, to your left, you notice another roof terrace. This one is decorated with banners and flags for a celebration. Several people are standing next to circular tables holding gifts as a figure in chef's whites carries a huge cake towards them. You can barely see the people on the streets below as you're so high up, they look like tiny dots moving north, south, east and west, like they're in some kind of video game. You can't make out specific vehicles, just red tail lights, beaming white headlights, and the longer rectangular shapes of buses. You imagine that this is what it must be like if you were seeing the earth from the windows of a spaceship. Millions of tiny dots and lights randomly moving around. The temperature is cooling slightly now. You walk to the canopied area to make a warm drink, and while sipping from the mug, you listen intently. You realize that the city sounds like white noise blended with a gentle, whispering breeze. You notice the different architectural styles of the buildings and try to spot the recent additions amidst the more historical structures. Some of the houses in the South Street Seaport area are older brownstones, like the ones you see in the movies. Residences with extending escape ladders and stairs attached to the facade. As you look towards the financial District and Wall street, you notice that many towers are new, glitzy, and constructed from glass they are punctuated by Grecian style halls and buildings with fluted columns and steps leading to grand entrances. Familiar logos are splashed across the rooftops and sides of the buildings. They promote the latest fashion brands or media outlets. On other buildings, moving advertisements are projected onto the exteriors. They showcase exotic travel destinations and promote beauty products or television shows. It is at this moment you realize that New York City at night reminds you a little of a computer server center. The dark skyscrapers and linear grid system is combined with intermittent flashing lights. It almost feels like the city is trying to show you a complex piece of code. A code that would help you unlock all of New York's history and mysteries. You smile at the thought as you place your now empty mug back on the counter and walk towards the greenery on the rooftop. Clustered in one corner are pretty plants, fragrant flowers and small trees in large ceramic pots. There are comfortable loungers with cushions and a patch of turf that looks like a tiny piece of a lawn spread out on the rooftop floor. It's like your own personal oasis. A small water feature stands in the center, carved from white marble. On top of it, there's a beautiful angel with outstretched wings. You admire the craftsmanship as the water trickles slowly, droplets falling into the shallow pond below. With the soft blanket draped around your shoulders, you lie back and relax on a lounger between the trees, gazing up at the sky. You can see the lights of an aircraft in the distance preparing to make its descent into a nearby airport. And you find yourself wondering where in the world it began its journey and where it is going to next. The sound of the water is so relaxing and so different from the white noise of the city that you decide to spend a little more time here. After several moments, you remember the real reason that you came to the rooftop this evening. It wasn't to see the illuminated skyscrapers or the fairies on the water. It was to watch the light display. It's an alternative to the fireworks that the city is used to. And you've read that these drones can make all kinds of patterns while being operated from a console. It's set to be the largest display in New York City's history, and tonight you have a front row seat. You slowly get up from the lounger, leaving the tranquil rooftop oasis behind, and walk around the terrace back towards the sofa. There's a kind of silence that you've never known in New York City. A sense of anticipation as everyone awaits the event. Even the white noise appears to have disappeared. The air is still. Many people have gathered by the South Street Seaport, along the harborfront and on Brooklyn Bridge. Boats and ferries are stationary on the river and across the water. People on picnic blankets lounge on the grass in the riverside parks. You make yourself comfortable on the sofa and look up at the sky. Ambient music fills the air, A soothing, ethereal soundtrack perfect for this time of the evening. You hear the faint sounds of clapping and cheering coming from the promenade below. Then slowly, from between the boats, the shape of a huge humpback whale appears to emerge from the depths of the river. In sparkling ice blue lights, the whale ascends into the sky, moving slowly, flicking its tail back and forth. Beneath the whale, even more lights make rippling patterns in the water. A sea creature hovers for a few seconds before appearing to dive back into the murky depths as the lights disappear once more. It's the most incredible sight you've ever seen, and you find yourself wondering how the lights can be arranged to create such distinctive shapes. A few moments later, your eyes are drawn across the river. In front of of an old warehouse building. By the water's edge, a giant oak tree appears to sprout from the ground. The tree forms slowly with the lights, First a brown trunk, then the branches, followed by dozens of green leaves. You observe as birds created by even more lights fly from across the river to land and perch on the tree branches. A fairy honks its horn in approval, and people in the parks and by the harbor let out a huge cheer as the lights fade into nothingness once more. Your attention is captured by those appearing on Governor's Island. Around the perimeter, giant flowers are formed by the drones, and bees, equally as large, hover around them. You realize that all of these elements symbolize the wonders of nature. The wildlife, birds, flowers and trees. As the ambient music fades, the lights slowly dim before disappearing back into the night once more, the next light show appears above the skyscrapers of New York City. Behind you, the drones fly into the sky before forming the shape of a giant red heart. The word love is spelled out above it on a wavy banner in the air. You find the display mesmerizing and the message heartwarming. The shape folds in place, then begins to spark with brilliant white fireworks from the sides. The fireworks jet high into the sky, sizzling and dazzling like bolts of electricity, followed by showers of stars. You wrap the blanket around you, nestling down in the sofa. You can imagine in the office buildings all across New York. People will have stopped working to gaze out the windows at the spectacle. As the lights fade into the night. Sky A new piece of music begins as the most complex display of the evening starts. Your eyes are drawn above the river once more as our solar system appears bit by bit. The sun in a bright orangey yellow, followed by Mercury, Venus, and blue and green tones to represent the land and oceans of planet Earth. A little further along is the red planet of Mars, the giant Jupiter, followed by the familiar rings of Saturn. You can see the outer planets of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto in the distance too. It's a breathtaking sight, and you are truly grateful that you have such an amazing view. This grand display. This time, the planets don't disappear. Instead, after a few minutes, the lights rearrange themselves into all of the constellations of the night sky. The air is silent and still. It feels like everything has stopped. As you see the entire universe unfolding before you, you attempt to spot the different constellations as they are mapped out. Ursa Major, the Big Bear, the Archer, Sagittarius. You can even make out the shape of Cygnus the Swan. Usually, you can only see certain constellations and planets at different times of the year from this geographical location in the northern hemisphere. But tonight, during this drone light show, you can see everything, every constellation, all at once. The lights remain in the sky for several minutes before disappearing. The music stops, and soon after the boats resume their journey along the river, the city returns to normal. As people begin to maneuver themselves once more to where they need to be. You smile, hugging the blanket around you, glad that you got to experience such a wonderful event. The spectacle has left a positive energy lingering in the atmosphere. You realize that you don't wish to leave the terrace yet, preferring to immerse yourself in the harmonious vibes. You place a pillow beneath your head and a gentle breeze caresses your face as you curl up on the sofa. As you begin to relax, slowly closing your eyes, you remember the entire evening. The way the city streets and the lights of the cars looked from a bird's eye perspective. The way the skyscrapers lit up like a computer server as darkness fell. You recall the natural wonders of the light show, along with the giant heart planets and constellations displayed above the river. And you smile to yourself with only the city's familiar white noise as company. Once more, you think that you begin to realize the event's true message. It's that although technology may exist in the world today and can do amazing things, only nature and love are constant in the grand scheme of the universe. As sleep overcomes you on the 70th floor of this rooftop in downtown New York City, you feel a sense of positivity about the future. And drifting off to sleep, you look forward to tomorrow and all the magic joy and happiness that life will bring.