Manhattanhenge – The semi-annual event where the sun perfectly lines up with the grid of the city streets – hit for the first time last night. While there were big hopes, the grand finale didn’t pan out as planned (thanks, cloud). Click below for a few SHOTS from my viewpoint at 23rd and 5th avenue:
The photographers circled around Madison Square Park at about 7:45 to set up for Manhattanhenge 2012.
While we waited around, I captured some shots of the surrounding scenery…
…including the famous Flatiron building. You’ll notice the sun was peaking through the buildings as it hit the top part of the Flatiron.
Soon enough, the sun started moving toward 23rd street just before 8pm. You’ll notice how it started creeping in from the left as the buildings on the north side of 23rd street felt the first light.
Here’s another angle just before the sun is about to pop out. But if you follow your eye down the street, do you notice that dark cloud in the horizon on the very bottom? That’s where the sun is headed.
Just about to come out from behind the building and align with the street view.
But just as the sun should have kept descending toward the center of the street, it met that cloud in the horizon….
…and just like that, the show was over before the grand finale. Thanks, cloud.
At least we still had the moon!
So, I’m assuming that if 23rd street didn’t get the payoff we were looking forward to, no one on 34th or 42nd streets got anything better. I’ve been looking at some photos people have been posting online and no one seems to have the full sun – but some great partial sun pictures as I posted above.
Aside from the immediate disappointment, you just can’t argue with a sunset like that on a warm Manhattan evening. Manhattanhenge will be back for the second time this year on July 12th.
