“The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. Its name is derived from the nickname for the state of New York. It stood as the world’s tallest building for more than forty years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center’s North Tower was completed in 1972. Following the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building again became the tallest building in New York City and New York State.
The Empire State Building has been named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The building and its street floor interior are designated landmarks of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and confirmed by the New York City Board of Estimate.It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. In 2007, it was ranked number one on the List of America’s Favorite Architecture according to the AIA. The building is owned and managed by W&H Properties.”
“The Background
The 1931 landmark was the result of a competition between the head of the Chrysler Corporation and General Motors to see who could build the tallest building. GM won, but the Chrysler building got the looks. The Empire State Building has changed hands several times since then, but the 86th-floor observatory has weathered it all.
The Experience
Cinematic, particularly at night, the city is never quite as beautiful as when it’s awash in electric light. But night or day, the view from what is again NYC’s tallest building is equally astounding–just make sure to go when the sky is clear. Shoot for warm-ish weather, as it can get cold, and expect hordes of tourists. An hour between getting your ticket and reaching the top is part of the deal.”
“The Empire State Building has been featured in popular culture and movies throughout the years, most notably in the original King Kong, where the giant ape was shown clinging to the top and spire of the building. Fascinating Empire State Building facts and trivia abound. In 1945 at the end of World War II, an Army Air Corps B-25 twin-engine bomber plane crashed into the 79th floor of the building in dense fog, and, from its very beginning up through today, The Empire State Building has acted as an “Ambassador to New York” to many of the world’s best-known political and entertainment figures, such as Fidel Castro, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, The Duchess of York, Nikita Krushchev, and the King of Siam. Among the more intriguing Empire State Building facts is that the original intent of the building was that it was to be used as a mooring mast and depot for zeppelins. That proved both impractical and dangerous due to the sizable updraft from the building itself.”
