Spotlight: NYC - The Empire State Building

Spotlight: The Empire State Building is quite possibly the most famous skyscraper in the world. With a height of 102 stories, and 1,454 feet (including its antenna spire), it held the record as the tallest building in the world from 1931 until the completion of the original World Trade Center's North Tower in 1972. Nearly 85 years after it's completion, it remains one of the 25 tallest buildings in the world, and one of the top 5 in the U.S. Named for New York's nickname as the Empire State, the Empire State Building has been named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Built in the Art Deco style, and designed by William F. Lamb, it was ranked #1 on the AIA's List of America's Favorite Architecture (2007). The limestone used to build it came from the Empire Mill in Sanders, Indiana.
     On Saturday, July 28, 1945, a B-25 Mitchell bomber crashed into the north side of the building, between the 79th and 80th floors. One engine shot through the opposite side of the building and landed on a rooftop a block away, causing a fire that burned down a penthouse. The other engine fell down the elevator shaft starting a different fire that took 40 minutes to put out. Fourteen people were killed in the disaster, but elevator operator Betty Lou Oliver survived a 75-story plunge in an elevator - making the Guinness Book of World Records.
     The Empire State Building was the world's first building with more than 100 floors. It has 6,500 windows, 73 elevators, 1,860 steps (from street level to the 102nd floor), 71 miles of pipe, 2,500,000 feet of electrical wire, 9,000 faucets, 2,768,591 sq. feet of floor space, and houses 1,000 businesses with more than 21,000 workers. Original building costs totaled $40,948,900. In 1964, floodlights were added to illuminate the top of the building at night. The color of the lights often reflects seasonal holidays, sporting events, or commemorate the deaths of significant celebrities. The 203-foot pinnacle on top is covered with broadcast antennas and is capped by a lightning rod. The ESB is so big, it has its own zip code.

     The Empire State Building has been featured numerous times in Hollywood movies or TV shows, including: An Affair to Remember, On the Town, Love Affair, Sleepless in Seattle, King Kong, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Fail-Safe, The Producers, Independence Day, The Time Machine, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Enchanted, Dr. Who, Fringe, MythBusters and I Love Lucy.

Location: The Empire State Building is located at 350 5th Avenue in Manhattan.

Cost: Observation Deck (86th floor): $32/adult, $29/senior (62+), $26/ child (6-12), kids (under 6) are free; add on the 102nd floor observation deck for an additional $20/ticket
- New York Skyride: $42/adult, $32/child (12 and under), $37/senior (62+)
- NY Skyride & Observation Deck combo: $64/adult, $49/child (12 and under), $56/senior (62+)
- The Observation Deck (86th floor) is included in several other combo packages including the New York Pass and the New York CityPASS

Time: open from 8:00 am - 2:00 am daily; allow 2-3 hours for both observation deck and NY Sky ride

Description: The main indoor/outdoor observation deck is located on the 86th floor and offers a fabulous 360-degree view of the city. Multi-media handheld devices (included in ticket price) teach visitors about the various places you can see in every direction. High-powered binoculars offer a close up view of the sights. A second, smaller, indoor observation deck is located on the 102nd floor.
     The New York Sky ride is a motion simulator attraction located on the 2nd floor. It is a simulated air tour of the city and lasts about 30 minutes. The original ride, hosted by James Doohan (Star Trek), was redone in 2002 following the World Trade Center tragedy of 9/11. The new host is Kevin Bacon, and the ride has more patriotic overtones. My initial reaction was Sourin' Over California (New York style) meets Star Tours.

NYC at night

NYC - The city that never sleeps

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - The observation deck has been visited by more than 110 million visitors. The building makes more annually from observation deck ticket sales than it does from renting its office space.
- If you plan to visit the observation decks of both the Empire State Building and the Top of the Rock, I suggest that you visit one during the day, and the other at night to get two distinct views of the city.
- Be prepared to wait in line. The typical visitor to the observation deck has to wait in five lines before finally reaching the top. The least crowded times are between 8:00-11:00 am. Or you can buy express passes ($65) online and skip the lines altogether.
- The last elevator up leaves at 1:15 am.
- Guests may only climb the stairs as part of the annual Empire State Building Run-Up in February.
- We thoroughly enjoyed both the observation deck and the Sky ride, but I don't think that the Sky ride is worth the price unless you can get major discounts in some sort of combo package. When we went, it was included in the New York Pass, but it doesn't look like it is included any longer.

The Chrysler Building

Nearby: Madison Square Garden, The Morgan Library & Museum, Macy's Herald Square, Penn Station, the Chrysler Building