“i get a little romantic about the old Empire State. Just looking at it makes me want to play some Frank Sinatra tunes and sway a little. I have a crush on a building. I'd been in there several times but never to work. I always knew there were offices in there but the face never penetrated, really. You don't work in the Empire State Building. You propose in the Empire State Building. You sneak a flask up there and raise a toast to the whole city of New York.”

“There's a weird fact that if you dropped a penny off the Empire State Building in New York City, you'd kill someone. I feel really bad, 'cause I dropped a nickel off it once.”

“You can see the most beautiful things from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. I read somewhere that people on the street are supposed to look like ants, but that's not true. They look like little people. And the cars look like little cars. And even the buildings look little. It's like New York is a miniature replica of New York, which is nice, because you can see what it's really like, instead of how it feels when you're in the middle of it.”

“...you could just tell that if Rosie couldn't romance her way to the top of the Empire State Building, she was prepared to climb it like King Kong.”

“Where am I going to grow a garden in a penthouse?”“Next time I visit I’ll fix you up a spot in one of the corners. You won’t even know it’s there until its time to harvest.”“Wonderful.” But then it occurred to her. “Jenny, next time you visit?” “What? What is it?” Jennifer asked. Christine half stuttered. “You have never been to my penthouse.”“Really?” Jennifer thought back when something came to mind. “Well, what was that great big building we went to the last time we visited? You know, we went all the way to the top.”“That was the Empire State building.”“No fooling? Huh, what do you know? Well you should move in there, it was beautiful as I recall.” “You can’t move into the Empire State building.” “Oh, that’s right,” Jennifer soon realized, “those mean terrorists tore it down. My, that was just awful.”

“The swim of things. I go on an airplane. I walk under the Empire State Building. I take the bus, and the subway, and am surrounded by strangers the whole time. I certainly have room in my life for caution, but I have no room in my life for paralyzing fear. There's always a risk. There always has been. But I'd rather live my life than die of negations.”