The month of July kicked off in New York City with two showy stories of couples disrupting life to celebrate their love. On July 1, extreme climbers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus announced their engagement by scaling the Empire State Building and unfurling a banner from its famous antenna that proclaimed the healing power of love. A few days later — and just two avenue blocks west — pop singer Taylor Swift wed Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in front of what appeared to be nearly every celebrity imaginable. Outside the arena, digital billboards proclaimed “JusT&T Married!”
Both stunts caused trouble for everyday New Yorkers just trying to live their lives. Police were called out to deal with Nikolau and Beerkus, who put themselves and the people below in physical danger with their trespassing. Swift and Kelce’s midtown nuptials caused major traffic headaches, with street closures around the arena, along with cancellations (and rescheduling issues) for train passengers, all made worse by the wedding’s overlap with the World Cup, which brought more visitors than usual to the crowded city.
