Trump’s White House North

The 58-story luxurious Trump Tower, located on the Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, has become a center of American authority. Some people start calling it “White Hose North” as Trump Tower sits above the White House in Washington D.C. A flood of parodies about Trump Tower and the White House are being posted online.

Trump and his family live in a penthouse at the top three floors, and Trump runs his transition office on the 26th floor. A crowd of media members are standing in the lobby, shouting out names for live footage of public figures coming to Trump Tower. Caught by cameras flashing in their faces, their names are revealed in real time once they enter the lobby. On which floor an elevator stopped or a possible encounter with Trump are reported. If someone hits a button of elevator riding to the top of Trump Tower, it creates a big buzz. The Los Angeles Times reported last Saturday, “The most important elevator in New York is in Trump Tower, and they are the elevators that scale the tower of power.”

Most of Trump Tower visitors hoping to meet Trump are people who want a bit of the new administration and join in the Trump administration. Trump interviews his candidates at Trump Tower. Trump has also greeted famous figures in the worlds of sports or culture to listen to diverse issues America has to deal with. For instance, Trump met with retired National Football League stars Ray Lewis and Jim Brown to discuss issues as to African American youth mired in gang violence.

While most of the visitors leave the building alone, Trump sometimes comes down to the lobby to escort his visitor, showing his highest courtesy of respect. For example, on December 6, at the lobby of Trump Tower, Trump held an impromptu press conference with Japan’s Softbank Chairman Son Jung-ui who pledged to invest 50 billion dollars in the U.S.

Trump Tower will continue to remain as a hot spot in New York. Trump moves into the White House on January 20, but his family will stay in New York for several months more. Trump has lived in Trump Tower for more than 30 years since it was built in 1983. As president, Trump plans to move back and forth from Washington D.C. to New York.

Secret Service, responsible for protection of U.S. president, rented empty spaces and set up offices near George W. Bush's residence in Crawford ranch in Austin, Texas and Bill Clinton's home in Chappaqua, New York. However, Trump Tower is located in a busy part of Manhattan and it is astronomically expensive to rent an office. A yearly rental fee of a nearby 10,000-suqare-foot office will be as high as 700,000 dollars.

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) blames the cost of security it has to provide around Trump Tower. NYPD is spending 500,000 dollars per day for security of Trump, adding strains to the budget. “If Trump comes New York every weekend or stops by on week nights, we cannot even gauge the long-term costs for protection of president,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner John Miller said.

In-Chan Hwang hic@donga.com