More recently, tourists have flocked to “The Edge” at Hudson Yards and “Summit One Vanderbilt” high above 42nd Street. Then in 2015, the glassy new One World Trade Center opened its sleek indoor deck, drawing long lines for months. But in 2005, it was joined by “Top of the Rock,” the long-shuttered roof deck at Rockefeller Center. For a brief period, after the loss of the original World Trade Center, the Empire State Building was New York’s only public observatory. Prior to 2020, the Empire State Building welcomed roughly 4,000,000 visitors per year to its 86th- and 102nd-floor observatories.īut the nonagenarian tower is no longer alone on the skyline. With tourism rapidly recovering from the throes of the pandemic, there are millions of dollars up for grabs among the city’s countless cultural attractions. Relevance is an important word when considering the Empire State Building’s seniority on the New York skyline. It’s the same view as the 102nd floor, but the excitement of being outside, enveloped by the wind and sky, is impossible to match. On a clear day, visitors can see as far as Connecticut and Pennsylvania. The city unfolds in every direction, the rivers and bridges melting into the curvature of the horizon. Leaning over the waist-high railing (not recommended for those with a fear of heights), tourists on the 86th floor observatory look like ants. Through a locked metal gate and up a set of stairs so steep as to be hardly more than a ladder, we emerged onto a circular open-air platform at what certainly felt like the top of the world. To be inside the shaft of undulating glass, such a recognizable piece of the New York skyline, was enough to give me chills.īy far the greatest experience of the day was being allowed up onto the 103rd floor. We also were able to halt the elevator midway between the 86th and 102nd floors, stepping out onto metal gangways inside the tower’s spire. Our guide seemed giddy to show us some of the inner workings of the tower, such as the open-air deck from which its pinnacle is illuminated by an impressive array of LED beacons. There is an inimitable thrill in being taken to places no one is supposed to go. The secret passageways, the private elevators, and the uniformed tour guide lend a luxuriousness visitors may not expect from such a tourist mecca in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.įor me, the most thrilling moments of the tour were when I was granted access to avowedly off-limits spaces. There’s an old-fashioned sort of intimacy to the whole experience. You’ve got questions about the building’s history? They can tell you all about it. You want to visit the 102nd floor observatory first? No problem. You want a glass of champagne? Sure thing. There’s even a makeup room for last-minute primping for photo shoots.Īll-Access guests can generally choose the nature of their visit, with their guides happy to oblige virtually any request or timetable. For that price, VIP guests are paired with their own tour guide who escorts them to a private lounge for drinks, snacks, and introductions. It’s a tip-to-tail experience crafted for visiting celebrities, but accessible to the general public for a fee: $500 for groups of up to 4 people (according to the building’s website). On a recent Friday afternoon, I was given an all-access VIP tour of the Empire State Building. Its streamlined silhouette remains a symbol not just of New York City, but of a whole bygone era. Even so, nothing captures people’s collective imagination quite like the Empire State Building. In recent decades, a host of taller towers has risen all around the globe, from Shanghai to Dubai and beyond. It was finally dethroned in the 1970s, when glassy boxes like the original World Trade Center and Chicago’s Sears Tower soared to new heights. ![]() The Empire State Building remained the world’s tallest for more than 40 years. The opening of the new tower “has brought to an end, for the time being at least, a friendly contest for skyscraper honors.” But would there ever be such a behemoth? “Rivalry for height is seen as ended,” said The New York Times. ![]() In theory, some future tower could rise higher than the Empire State. The previous world record holder, the 1,046-foot Chrysler Building, topped out some 200 feet short of the Empire State’s pinnacle. At 11:30 a.m., President Hoover pressed a button in Washington, D.C., illuminating the new building’s lobby and kicking off a day of speeches and celebrations.Īt 1,250 feet, the Empire State Building so completely towered over every other building that any discussion of superseding it was mere conjecture. The grand opening ceremonies were attended by Mayor Jimmy Walker and Governor Franklin Roosevelt. The tower was officially opened on May 1, 1931, barely a year after its first steel beams were installed. The Empire State Building, arguably New York’s most iconic skyscraper, celebrated its 90th birthday last year.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |