In our new apartment my wife and I have a spectacular view of the Empire State Building.  We noticed over Labor Day weekend that the lighting atop the building was changed to red, white, and blue.  This was quite obviously a patriotic act for the American holiday.  It was a nice change from the white lighting that normally decorates the top of the building. 

The following Tuesday however, we were quite confused when the lights where changed to orange, purple, and red.  This color scheme was not nearly as obvious as the last but I knew it must symbolize some occasion.  I decided to Google “Empire State Building lighting” to see if I could solve this mystery.  Much to my surprise, the first result was the official internet site of the Empire State Building; more specifically, the lighting schedule page.  Here you can find out what lighting schemes are scheduled for what dates and what they symbolize.  The orange, purple and red colors symbolize the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. 

So if you ever find yourself walking down the streets of New York wondering why the Empire State Building is lit up in some funky color scheme, check out the URL below to find out.

Empire State Building : Official Internet Site