Happy Birthday to the Empire State Building
May 22, 2009 by Mary Jo Manzanares
Filed under Home & Living
This month the Empire State Building celebrates its 78th birthday. With its 103 floors, and its antenna on top, the 1,454 foot tall skyscraper is one of many iconic buildings in the New York City skyline.
The building is located at Fifth Avenue at 34th, and is a popular spot for tremendous views of the city. It’s been featured in numerous movies, including the classic An Affair to Remember and the more recent Sleepless in Seattle.
Beneath its art deco facade, the building houses floors and floors of offices, a 3-story lobby, shops, restaurants, a variety of services, and one of the most popular outdoor observation decks in the world. Located on the 86th floor, the observation deck offers 360-degree views of the city. The observation deck is open 365 days a year, from 8 am – 2 pm. The last elevator goes to the top at 1:15 am. Scheduling a romantic rendezvous at midnight at the top of the Empire State Building is as much a reality as a theme from the movies, and the view at night is just as spectacular as during the day.
An additional observation deck is located on the 102nd floor as well, but it is enclosed and much smaller than the lower one. It is open daily, 8 am – midnight, with the last elevator going up at 11:15 pm.
On the 2nd floor, you’ll find the NY Skyride, a simulated aerial tour over the city of New York, that has become nearly as popular as the observation deck.
Tickets for the observation deck are $18.45 for adults (ages 18-61), $12.92 for children (ages 6-12), and $16.51 for seniors (62+). Prices do not include tax or a $2 surcharges. An express pass, which allows you to go to the front of the line (and the lines can get lengthy), an observatory and skyride combo package, and a ticket to the 102nd floor observatory are also available. Purchase Empire State Building tickets online to help cut down on line time.
Because lines and wait time can be lengthy, plan to visit on a day when you have time to get through the queue and enjoy the spectacular views. After all, you haven’t really seen the city till you’ve seen it from the top of the Empire State Building.
Photo credit: wikimedia
