An elegant beauty towering over Manhattan, stylish and imposing, self-assured and captivating the attention of visitors to the city for decades. We are talking about the Empire State Building, one of the world’s most famous skyscrapers.

The Empire State Building stands 103 storeys tall, and its majestic Art Deco architectural style is so characteristic of New York.

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The building was named after the nickname of the state of New York: The Empire State.

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The height of the Empire State Building

The building, including its antenna, stands at a heightof 443 metres, whilst the roof is at a height of 381 metres. From the time of its completion in 1931, it was the world’s tallest building for more than 40 years. It was not until 1972 that the North Tower of the World Trade Centre took the title.

Following 11 September 2001, when the terrorist attacks took place and the World Trade Centre collapsed, the Empire State Building did not regain its position as the world’s tallest building, but it became the third tallest in the USA, behind the Willis Tower and the Trump International Tower in Chicago.

Admission to the observation deck

The Empire State Building boasts two observation decks. It is open daily from 8.30 am to 10.00 pm (last admission at 8.45 pm)

• 86th floor – Main Deck: the main observation deck with an outdoor terrace wrapping around the entire skyscraper and offering 360° views
• 102nd floor – Top Deck: an indoor viewing deck with floor-to-ceiling windows; this is the highest possible floor, but there is no outdoor terrace

Tickets for both viewing platforms must be booked in advance; they are not available at the venue. Please use only the official website: esbnyc.com/buy-tickets.

Prices vary depending on the time of day. You can expect lower prices on weekdays in the morning and afternoon, whilst prices are highest at sunset and at weekends.

The website initially shows the price excluding tax. You will only be informed of the final amount just before payment.

	During the day and in the evening	At sunset
86th floor	from 55,52 usd	from 68,59 usd
86th + 102nd floor	from 93,63 usd	from 111,05 usd

Children and senior citizens are entitled to a small discount of between $2 and $4.

Is the view from the ESB the best?

Many travellers swear by the views from the Empire State Building, but we wouldn’t agree with that statement.

Sure, thanks to its central location, you’ll have the whole of Manhattan at your fingertips, but the view will be missing one of New York’s most beautiful skyscrapers. The Empire State Building, of course.

We would therefore recommend a slightly cheaper option – but, more importantly, a viewpoint from which you can see Manhattan, including the Empire State Building, spread out before you at nearby Rockefeller Centre.

Personally, however, I was most captivated by the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observation deck, which offers not only stunning views but also unique architecture and interactive exhibitions.

The ESB’s night-time lighting

Since 1976, lighting has been installed at the top of the building, and for many decades now it has defined the Manhattan skyline.

The default lighting on the top of the skyscraper is white, but it is very often changed to mark significant events or public holidays; companies can even pay to have the building lit up in their own colours. And, for example, on days when one of New York’s major sports clubs is playing a home match.

For example, on St Patrick’s Day, the tower glows green; on major American public holidays or election days, it lights up in red, white and blue – the colours of the American tricolour; and in 1995, for instance, the spotlights were lit up in Microsoft’s colours.

The lighting changes very frequently, usually several times a week, and when there happens to be no special occasion, it glows white.

You can view the night-time lighting calendar, which provides information on how the Empire State Building will be lit on any given day, on the official website:esbnyc.com/about/tower-lights.

Hotels near the ESB

Given its location in the heart of New York, expect hotel prices in the Empire State Building area to start at 450 usdper night. In the immediate vicinity of the tower, we would recommend the following hotels, for example:

• Hilton Garden Inn West 35th Street
• Martinique New York

History and construction

The Empire State Building was completed in record time, despite being built during the difficult period of the Great Depression. The architectural firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon produced the construction drawings in just two weeks.

Originally, the building was to have just 80 storeys, but following an increase in the planned height of the rival Chrysler Building, the project was revised to 102 internal storeys plus a 103rd external storey.

Work began in 1929 and the pace of construction was truly dizzying: on average, 4.5 storeys were completed each week, and so the Empire State Building was officially opened on 1 May 1931.

An interesting fact is that the top floors were originally intended to serve as a mooring point for an airship; however, after several attempts, this idea was deemed extremely risky and was abandoned.

How do you get to the ESB?

This iconic New York landmark stands on the corner of the famous 5th Avenueand 34th West Street, almost right in the centre of Manhattan.

Nearest underground station:

• 34th St/Herald Sq (approx. 200 metres) – yellow lines N, Q, R, W and orange lines B, D, F, M
• 33St(approx. 200 metres) – green line 6

The following bus routes also stop directly outside the building: M1, M2, M3, M5, M55, M34, QM10, QM12, QM15, QM16, QM1, QM18, QM24, X27, X28, X37, X38, BM5

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