Empire State Building’s eerie tribute to first responders spooks New Yorkers
The Empire State Building lit up in tribute to the first responders on the front lines of New York’s battle with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
But while the intentions were good, the execution struck some as a little bit off.
New York has become the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States with nearly 40,000 sick and more than 1,200 dead.
In honor of emergency workers, the Empire State Building broke out what it called a “heartbeat of America” display. The upper floors are pulsing red, like a heartbeat, while the mast is flashing like the lights atop an emergency vehicle:
The Empire State Building was lit up like an ambulance tonight in tribute to first responders and medical workers battling COVID-19.
The top of the iconic skyscraper was lit red, with revolving red and white lights circling the mast to resemble a siren. https://t.co/mTykFLCwlZpic.twitter.com/rqiAEdCb6T— ABC News (@ABC) March 31, 2020
Users on social media seemed to like the heartbeat.
The emergency light effect? Not so much:
I mean, if the hospital in Central Park wasn’t stressing you out enough....the Empire State Building is now red like blood, you know.
— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) March 31, 2020
A little on the nose, Empire State Building. pic.twitter.com/kixDjTU4lk
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) March 31, 2020
Me: I think I’m finally learning how to keep my late-night coronavirus anxiety under control
The Empire State Building: https://t.co/DkZnp9dwwa— Matt Ford (@fordm) March 31, 2020
love to have the glowing red beacon of doom on the skyline
— Mask wearing and still pretty distant Tom Tomorrow (@tomtomorrow) March 31, 2020
They've lit up the Empire State Building red with a flashing siren as a tribute to emergency workers and the effect is (appropriately?) terrifying.pic.twitter.com/OY9g1Vby6f
— Richard Chambers (@newschambers) March 31, 2020
I’ve never seen them do that to the Empire State Building, that’s terrifying
— The Terror of Dublin🎃#WearAMask😷#BidenHarris2020 (@taradublinrocks) March 31, 2020
like a christmas ambulance penis
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) March 31, 2020
Turning the Empire State Building into a massive flashing siren was either a stroke of artistic genius or a seriously intense way of panicking people.
Both? pic.twitter.com/GH407ArT2S— Raheem Kassam (@RaheemKassam) March 31, 2020
Cool very normal times with the Empire State Building turning into a blood red siren https://t.co/wyVG1gyPGl
— Laura Hudson (@laura_hudson) March 31, 2020
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.