Foundation walls of a home built by Chinese miners are all that remain after the timber walls and roof have rotted away. (Bill Chu)

New Yorkers Celebrate Election Night

By Cary Dunst and Christine Lin

November 5, 2008 Updated: November 5, 2008

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A view of the Rockefeller Center ice rink where a map of the United States lit up in red or blue to correspond with the state by state electoral votes. (Tim McDevitt/ The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—Rockefeller Center and Times Square were screaming “Obama” after polls closed Tuesday night as New Yorkers put an end to a long two years of Presidential campaigning.

A U.S. Map on the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center was colored in blue or red as each State's results are announced for either candidate.

On the side of 30 Rockefeller Center banners were raised to mark each Electoral vote made toward the 270 needed for either candidate to win the Presidency.

People cheer the win of Barak Obama as President-Elect in New York's Time Square. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Out in Times Square, big sections of the streets were fenced off for thousands of revelers. Strangers hugged, laughed, and cried. All the screens featured B-roll shots of President elect Barack Obama. Cab drivers honked and high-fived from their cab windows.

Tiffany Smith, who works at Toys “R” Us, stopped by Times Square on her way home. “I'm so happy! I'm ready for the change!” she said amidst screams.

“It feels like a movie or something,” said one woman, who is not a U.S. citizen. “It's so wonderful.” Her friend, Emily Newstadt, waited an hour and 45 minutes to cast her vote. She said that her top issue is getting out of the war.

Artelle Walcott from Brooklyn went to Times Square to experience the vibe. “This is a very historical moment for the United States and the world as a whole,” she said. “Now people can come together and realize that [they can] live as one people. I wanted to be out enjoying the energy and to share in everything that everyone is feeling at this time.”