NEW YORK | The Empire State Building | 1,472' Pinnacle | 103 FLOORS | 1931

[NYguy]

When it comes to iconic symbols of cities, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, London
has Big Ben, other cities are know by distinguished landmarks. The Empire
State Building, completed in 1931, takes its place as arguably New York's
greatest icon. Holding the title of world's tallest for four decades - still a
record - the tower has become a symbol of the city around the world. Made
famous from movies such as the classic "King Kong" and countless others,
there's hardly anything "New York" you can pick up that doesn't portray the
Empire State Building. Currently serving a second tour of duty as the city's
tallest skyscraper, it's popularity only seems to grow. Any visit to the
building will confirm it as a place to see and be seen in New York, a must on
any tourist's visit (from below, or above).

I've been to the top of the building many times over the years, but after a
couple of years off, it was time to get back to the top.

APRIL 12, 2008

1. The Empire State is currently undergoing a renovation,
returning some of the glory lost over the years...



2.


3.


4.


5.


6.Still majestic...



7.


8.


9.


10.


11.


12.


13.

[NYguy]

Other than being a symbol of the city worldwide, one of the attractions of
the building is the observation deck at the top of the tower, once againg the
city's highest. With decks on the 86th and 102nd floors, the building offers
great views of the metropolis from east to west, north to south.

14. Looking east over the east river to Queens...



15.


16.


17. The Williamsburgh Bridge, Stuyvesant Town



18.


19.


20. The Manhattan Bridge, Downtown Brooklyn



21. The magnificent Chrysler Building, the Queensboro (59th Street) Bridge, Trump World Tower



22.


23.


24. The mass of skyscrapers that make up Midtown



25. Call it Met Life, Pan Am, its still a big one. That's the Triborough Bridge in the background.



26.


27.


28.


29. New York style.



30.


31. The Bloomberg, Citigroup towers



32.


33.


34. Some of the newer additions to the canyons that make Manhattan

[ethereal_reality]

I LOVE those shots of the antenna and transmission equipment NYGUY.
It has a bladerunneresque feel to me....layers of adjustments and solutions for evolving needs (if that makes any sense).

compared to the pristine

they're both beautiful in their own way.

[M II A II R II K]

They sure don't build them like they used to.

[NYguy]

35. Mixing the old with the new and the renewed...



36.


37.


38.


39.


40.


41. The 1,200 ft Bank of America spire



42.


43. Soon to be completed. We hope.



44. Currently second tallest behind the Empire State



45. Another recent addition to the city's skyline



46. Not all of Manhattan's big buildings are skyscrapers.

[NYguy]

47. Looking south, to the canyons of Lower Manhattan.
The Verrazzano Narrows Bridge is in the background.



48.


49.


50. The Goldman Sachs and Trump Soho under construction.
The Statue of Liberty and Staten Island in the background.



51.


52. Goldman to Goldman.



53. New construction around Madison Square



54.


55.


56.


57.


58. From here, you can look down on the streets that make Manhattan



59.


60.


61.


62.


63. The Hotel Pennsylvania. For now.



64. Massive development awaits.



65. Always room for more.



66. Macy's flagship store, also on 34th.



67. The Herald Square shopping district

[ethereal_reality]

^^^
WOW...they're all great. Thanks for posting.

I had no idea Goldman Sachs would be that prominent...
also..I had no idea the new tower in the Flatiron area was
already at that height.

I get to see it all in person May 4th/5th.....I can't wait.

[NYguy]

68. Larry Siverstein gets to put up new "twin towers" near the Hudson



69. New Jersey booms to the west



70.


71. Rejoining the Empire State as an icon and magnet for tourists looking
to gaze down on and over the city, the GE Building offers its own
observation deck, also with magnificent views.



72.


73.


74.


75. But not matter how many decks open or reopen around town, the Empire State
will always hold its own as a favorite among favorites.



76.


77.


78.


79.


80.


81.


82.


83.


84.

[NYguy]

85. For a more intimate and peaceful view of the city, (and an extra $15),
head to the 102nd floor observation deck. From there you get a similar, yet
unique perspective on the metropolis.



86.


87.


88.


89.


90.


91.


92.


93. King Kong was here....



94.


95.


96.


97.


98.


99.


100. So while it may not reign as New York's, or even Midtown's tallest forever,
it will forever reign as an icon of icons, a draw to millions and generations of people,
from all over the world.

[JACKinBeantown]

Nice shots! The last ones remind me of the time my friend and I snuck up to the top when it was closed on during the summer of 1994. We had the 102nd floor to ourselves and saw the WTC get struck by lightning during a thunderstorm.

[ElChancho]

thanks for the great tour!

The density of NY is simply astounding, no matter how many times I see it I can never get enough

[GioFX]

The King... and I'll be there in 10 days time!

Great tour, NYg!

Btw, what's the best hour of day to visit? I currently have it planned the day we do the Fifth, northbound, with Bryant/NYPL, Rockefeller Center and the MoMA (our hotel is just 2 blocks away to the south).

I'd like to visit the Top of The Rock too, and I read one of the best moment is dusk or night. Mmmh, hard choice!

[NYguy]

Originally Posted by GioFX

The King... and I'll be there in 10 days time!

Great tour, NYg!

Btw, what's the best hour of day to visit? I currently have it planned the day we do the Fifth, northbound, with Bryant/NYPL, Rockefeller Center and the MoMA (our hotel is just 2 blocks away to the south).

I'd like to visit the Top of The Rock too, and I read one of the best moment is dusk or night. Mmmh, hard choice!

It's probably better to go to the ESB later at night, that's if you want to avoid some of the crowding (it's been insane lately). But its worth the wait for the daytime view. The Top of The Rock can be done at anytime, its never really a long wait there, and its a more pleasant experience (3 decks, and not as crowded). But both decks complement each other, its worth seeing both.

[StatenIslander237]

An excellent photo tour. I was truly captivated.

[mmmatt]

Beautiful! The density of NYC is insane!! I hope to go sometime

[10101000]

Yeah me too, never been.

[America 117]

sorry to be off topic but is there a thread on time warner center

[Amanita]

Empire State, I love you!
My next excursion to the US may well be to NYC..As long as I can find somebody to split the hotel fees with me, they're freaking expensive.

[CapitalCity]

i LOVE that building!! and the views from the deck are awesome!

[M II A II R II K]

Yea no matter what that is one kick ass building with kick ass views.