New York State Of Mind

When I came to New York in 1994, I felt a little lost in this large place, coming from a tiny village in the hills of Austria. From the get-go, the Empire State Building was a beacon for me, an anchor. Living in a loft on the Lower East Side with anywhere from 3 to 7 roommates at any given time (no walls, just curtains - very authentic LES living for the time), life could get a bit crowded, I could get a bit overwhelmed, I might drown a little bit in sensual overload. But the Empire State Building was always there, like a light tower in the vast sea of humanity, guiding me home.
Today I have a recording studio practically in the shadows of the building. I get to see it every day, in all its moods and colors, cloudy, stormy, or radiant. Always there. And I look up from the struggles of my day, and can't help but grin a little.