During our previous visit to NYC we had a chance to enjoy the view of Manhattan from the Top of the Rock, so this time we decided to experience it from the top of the Empire State Building. Everyone knows that the Empire State Building is an icon of New York City, as well as the United States of America. Located at 350 Fifth Avenue (between 33rd and 34th Streets) in New York City, the Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper. The height of the building to the top of its lightning rod is actually 1,454 feet or 443.2 meters. We obtained Main Deck & Top Deck Express tickets online, which allowed us to skip the lines, except a security line, to both observation decks. The Main deck on the 86th floor and the Top deck on the 102nd are marked in the following picture.
While visiting the Empire State Building (ESB), I was curious about some of the building’s details, such as: “Why is the Empire State Building called the Empire State Building?” or “What’s inside the Empire State Building?” After some research I found out the following facts about the ESB.
The precise origin of the the Empire State Building’s name probably cannot be determined with certainty. Some sources place the origin with George Washington, who referred to the state in December 1784 as “at present the seat of the Empire.” The other sources place that the name comes from one of the nicknames of New York City: The Empire State.
The Empire State Building inside is a fairly typical office building serving many different companies from around the word and is mostly filled with rentable space for businesses. No one lives in the building (inadequate bathing facilities). The Empire State Building has its own zip code: 10118 to accommodate its numerous businesses. The only larger office complex in the USA is the Pentagon. The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports all major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market.
We are at the Main visitor’s entrance of the Empire State Building.
When the Empire State Building opened on May 1, 1931, it was the tallest building in the world – standing at 1,250 feet/381 meters tall. The ESB was completed in New York in 1931. And, perhaps most impressive, it was completed in record time: 410 days. There were 3400 workers who could work at the same time. Four and half floors were built each week. It was the tallest building in the world and it held that title for more than forty years, until the first of the World Trade Center’s towers were built.
Even though the Empire State Building is no longer the tallest building in the world, it still holds the title as the best-known architectural landmark. The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects and outranked the White House and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
This iconic landmark has been the central focus for over 250 epic movie scenes. This is the building that was scaled by a giant ape in “King Kong”, was destroyed in “Independence Day” and featured in some of the most heart-wrenching love stories with “An Affair to Remember” and “Sleepless in Seattle” among them.
Here are some pictures of the panoramic view from the Main deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building.
A close-up of the famous Chrysler Building on the left.
Manhattan’s Downtown from the observatory. The Statue of Liberty is seen on the Hudson River far away.
The Main Observatory deck on 86th floor. It was extremely windy out there.
More skyscrapers viewed from the Empire State Building.
Observatory on the 102nd floor.
Inside the enclosed observatory on the 102nd floor.
More panoramic views of Manhattan from the Top observatory deck.
The Flatiron building is seen close to the center in the middle of the picture.
A close-up of the Flatiron Building.
The Flatiron building from the street.
Exiting Empire State Building through Empire: the Store, gift shop.
Empire: The Store is located on the 80th Floor. It features upscale gifts, exclusive Empire State Building items and a nod to the building’s famous Art Deco design in its 3,000 square-foot space.
Beautiful display is on the way down.
The Seasons Greetings display during Christmas time.
The Empire State Building celebrates many cultures and causes in the world community with iconic lighting. This tradition started in 1932, when a simple searchlight was used to announce the election of New York-born Franklin Delano Roosevelt as President. To honor the United States Bicentennial, the Empire State Building installed colored floodlights to illuminate the building at night, lighting up red, white and blue, leading to today’s very popular Lighting Partner program. Here are the Tower lights during Christmas time 2012.
The view of Empire State Building from the Rockefeller Center from our previous visit.
