This could turn out to be the most eye‑catching tree found in New York City this holiday season.
Last week, a couple from Greenwich Village was decking out their spruce, and they realized they didn’t need a conventional angel or star topper. Instead, the glow of the Empire State Building, visible from their apartment, became the centerpiece, perfectly aligned to sit atop the tree.
The iconic skyscraper’s lights seem to fall into place over Regina Molina and her boyfriend Ryan Snyder’s sprig, which graces the front window of their fifth‑floor flat on West 8th Street. They positioned the tree right in the middle of the pane, and when they stepped back they saw how the building’s illuminated silhouette completed the picture.
Snyder, a 30‑year‑old financial analyst, told The Post, “It just happened organically. We placed the tree for the best view, and it turned out the Empire State Building was just on cue.”
Molina, 31, shared a video on her TikTok account that showcased the unexpected topper. The clip quickly exploded onto the platform, gathering two million views in only three days.
The craze didn’t stop there. New Yorkers, the popular Instagram handle with 1.1 million followers, reposted the clip to their feed, giving it even more visibility.
Both people – a San Francisco native and a Portland‑born lawyer – have been delighted by the flood of comments on their post. Fans have sent wishes such as “Congrats on winning Christmas,” “Officially jealous of a Christmas tree,” and “The most expensive tree topper ever made.”
Many viewers praised the city‑themed ornaments they hung on the tree, including a miniature rat with a pizza slice, a MetroCard, and the classic blue coffee cup. One comment even read, “Now THIS is Christmas magic.”
Molina added that she’s happy to offer a few neighbors a look in the comments, “A few people have asked to come over and see it.”
Images of the pair posing beside the tree, with the Empire State Building in the background, were posted alongside a photo of Molina collecting a mix of felt ornaments—some featuring iconic New York symbols—to embellish their spectacular spruce.
Even people who weren’t in the city felt astonished. Some left remarks like, “Every now and then I’m reminded New York City is real and people actually live here.”
Others joked about the lavish view, noting “That’s another level of rich” and “I don’t even know what tax bracket this is—just sure I’m not in it.”
Snyder and Molina explained that the higher rent that would normally accompany such a view isn’t the case. “It’s just funny, like we can see the top of a skyscraper?” Snyder chuckled. “People think that we have the best penthouse in Manhattan or something.”
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