It took 60,000 tons of steel, 10 million bricks, 2.5 million feet of
electical wire, 120 miles of pipe, and 7 million man hours to build, king
kong climed it in 1933. A plane slammed into it in 1945. The World Trade
Center superseded it in 1970 as the island's tallest building. And in 1997,
a gunman ascended it to stage a deadly shooting. On that horrific day of
september 11, 2001, it once again regained its status as New York city's
tallest building, after 31 years of taking second place. And through it all,
the Empire State Building has remained one of the city's favorite landmarks,
and its signature high - rise. Completed in 1931, the limestone and
stainless steel steamline decodazzler climbs 102 stories and now harbors the
offices of fashion firms, and in its upper reaches, a jumble of high tech
broadcast equipment Always a conversation piece the Empire State Building
glows every night bathed in colored foodlights to commemorate events of
significance red, white, black, and green for Martin Luther King day, blue
and white for Hanukkah, even lavender and cohite for Gay Pride Day. The
Familar Silver spire can be seen from all over the city. My favorite view of
the building is from 23rd street, where fifth Avenue and Broadway converge.
On a lovely day, stand at the base of the Flatiron Building and gaze up
Fifth the crisp, gleaming deco tower jumps out, soaring about the sooty
office building that surround it. But the views that keep nearly 3 million
visitors coming every year are the once from the 86th and 102nd - floor
observatories. The lower one is best you can walk out on a windy deck and
look through coin operated viewers over what, on a clearday, can be as much
as an 80 mile visible radius. The citywide panorama is magnificent. One
surprise is the flurry at roottop activiry, an aspect of city life that
thrives unnoticed from our everyday sidewalk vantage point. The higher
observation deck is glass enclosed and cramped.
Hours: MOn to Fri 10am to midnight,
Sat to Sun 9.30am to midnight,
tickets sold until 11.25pm Phone: 212/736 - 3100 |
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