New York City, February 22, 2016

★★★★ Globs of light gleamed at irregular intervals on the shiny diagonals of the Hearst Tower, like an electrophoresis gel result. Old gray tatters of filthy plastic waved gently in the fourth-floor treetops. The food smells on the breeze were appealing. The faintest of blue hazes shimmered against the otherwise perfect clarity. High-contrast black-and-white Adidas gear marked the convergence of teens. The light was an invitation to skip the train change at Times Square and walk the extra distance crosstown. Baby gear showed its tacky spots of color inside a dull glass box. A lion’s head roared or yawned up on a cornice, its canines green against the depths of its mouth. The three silver caps atop the Empire State Building’s center columns of windows gleamed like tinfoil wrapped tightly around a sandwich.