New York has long been nicknamed the Empire State, dating back to 1787 when George Washington referred to it as the “seat of the empire.” In 1931 the nickname became official with the construction of the then-tallest building in the world—the towering Art Deco monument known as the Empire State Building.
The building’s ground floor is home to Bank of America and a number of retailers, ranging from Men’s Wearhouse to Walgreens. If you’re hungry you can always grab a burrito at Chipotle Mexican Grill, or snag breakfast or a sandwich at Europa Café. There’s both burgers and beer at Heartland Brewery and given that this is half a city block in NYC, there’s obviously also a Starbucks. Only about two thirds of the building’s office space is rented out, to companies as diverse as LinkedIn and the Chinese newspaper People’s Daily. Though its iconic spire was originally intended to serve as a zeppelin dock, today it’s the broadcasting tower for most of the city’s TV and radio stations. For most people, though, the building is really just there to get on top of.
You can enter the tall front doors and get a glimpse of the recently-restored 1930s lobby in all its multimillion-dollar grandeur for free, but beyond the first few feet is a velvet cord that keeps out all but employees and paying tourists. How much you want to pay depends on what you want to see. The main deck on the 86th floor has an entry fee of just $27. On your way up you can hit the gift shop or stop by the “Dare to Dream” mini-museum on the 80th floor to learn all about the building’s construction, and if you’re on the observatory after 10PM on Thursday, Friday or Saturday you’ll be serenaded by a live saxophonist. You can double the price to skip the lines, but if you’re spending more money you might as well just go higher. $44 will take you all the way up to the 102nd floor, the highest point in the Big Apple.
Given the Empire State Building’s enormous popularity as a tourist attraction, you won’t be alone—the lines are generally between 15 minutes and half an hour long. Buying express tickets can be worth it, but if you’re short on both cash and time, you simply have to tour smart. If you buy your tickets online, travel light and ascend the tower either early in the morning or late at night you can greatly reduce the wait.
Millions of visitors agree that the view from the top is worth the hassle, however, in both its beauty and informative impact. “Part of the geographical education of every child within 50 miles of New York,” once recommended NYC governor Al Smith, should be “at least one geography lesson from the top of the Empire State Building. Under the guidance of his instructor he will see States, Cities, Rivers, Islands and Mountains laid out in one grand map.” The building’s website continues Smith’s dream with a collection of lesson plans for teachers and parents.
But sometimes you get a better view looking at the tower than from it. The Top of the Rock is a popular location that also includes the appeal of elevation but has the added bonus of having the Empire State Building in its skyline. Even from the street the building is worth a long look—particularly in the evening, when its upper stories are brightly lit by thousands of LEDs. Usually they’re white, but the tower is illuminated in different colors for various occasions, and on some holidays there are impressive music-synchronized light shows.
The building can be found at 350 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10118.
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