Even the Empire State Building said the observation deck was right there.
Angela Nikolau and Ivan “Vanya” Beerkus have reportedly climbed the Empire State Building with a Jimi Hendrix-linked peace banner, a proposal, and absolutely no shortage of questions.
Mainly: how do you even start climbing the Empire State Building?
On Wednesday, July 1, the pair were seen above the public observation deck and up on the building’s antenna spire, where they unfurled a banner reading: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
The line is widely attributed to Jimi Hendrix, though its exact origins have been debated for years. Either way, seeing it hanging from one of New York’s most famous buildings is a pretty surreal image.
Reports say the pair made their way into a restricted part of the building and spent around half an hour above Manhattan before climbing back down to a platform.
That is when the stunt reportedly turned into a proposal.
So, somehow, this story became equal parts protest, engagement, stunt, and a major NYPD situation.
Both were later taken into police custody, while authorities continue to look into how they accessed the restricted area. The building’s antenna was also reportedly shut down during the incident due to possible radio-wave exposure risks.
The Empire State Building later confirmed the incident was unauthorised and resolved with help from the NYPD.
A spokesperson also pointed out that the observation deck offers a much more conventional place to propose, which is hard to argue with.
The building’s own social media account also made light of the timing, joking that it had stolen Madison Square Garden’s thunder amid the week’s Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding rumours.
Which, haha, feels about right. Even in a week of celebrity wedding speculation, the Empire State Building somehow found a way to become the bigger story.
So, in the end, we have a Jimi Hendrix quote, a skyline proposal, an NYPD response, and a reminder that there are much easier ways to get engaged.
