Empire State Building

Empire State Building - King Kong Ain't Got Nothin' On It

There's not much to be said about the Empire State Building that hasn't been said already, so I'll stick to the basic touring aspect of the ESB rather than the building itself. (Which is undoubtedly magnificent.)

There are good times to see the Empire State Building, and there are bad. I've had the fortune of standing atop New York's tallest building on crystal clear fall night, which was unforgettable. Then I had the misfortune of visiting the 86th floor of the ESB on a foggy morning. Obviously, pick and choose your visit to this iconic NYC attraction wisely because the weather can make all the difference.

Step-by-step, getting to the top of the Empire State Building is a bit of a proces.s However, considering the high demand by tourists worldwide to see one of America's signature buildings, the whole thing moves pretty swiftly. You'll have to walk through security to get in the door (And no, this isn't a plane so you don't have to take your shoes off - not that I did that.), and after that plan on waiting in line at least 15 minutes so that you can take your picture in front of a jumbo-sized ESB picture. (Embarrassing for everyone, but especially for tourists like me that were traveling solo.) From there, you'll endure just a bit more waiting before being herded on to one of several small-ish elevators taking you to the 80th floor. The elevators, while tiny, are a nice reminder to us NYC visitors that the ESB was actually built to serve a purpose, and quite a while ago at that.

There's a stop at the gift shop on the 80th floor before you're finally shipped to the observation deck which, if you haven't been up here, is nothing short of surreal. We've all grown up hearing that the Empire State Building is the king of American architecture, and once you're up here it's pretty impossible not to agree. Even when the weather doesn't cooperate, it's hard not to be crippled by just how high up you really are. (I don't have a fear of heights, but staring up at the antenna attached to the top of the building game me a temporary case of vertigo, and the kids next to me started pleading uncomfortably with their parents to get back to ground level.)

The observation deck itself is more narrow than you might expect, and with so many tourists up here daily you're likely to experience some pretty tight quarters. However, if you can sneak your way to the edge (guarded by tall, metal gates to ease any worries you might have had about falling off), the views are plentiful and make you really appreciate the architecture of America's finest city. 

For the record, I had the pleasure of visiting the Top of the Rock for the first time and, I have to admit, I preferred the views of Central Park to anything I saw on top of the ESB. That being said, Rockefeller is NOT the ESB; nothing is. The views are just part of the experience of reaching the summit of America's most famous building - it's an American (and probably global) bucket list item that MUST be checked off at some point in your life, if only to say you did. I've been lucky to go twice, and each time I saw (and experienced) something completely different.

If you're visiting NYC for the first time and you don't plan on visiting the Empire State Building, then allow me to tell you that you're doing it all wrong! (And, let's face it, do you really need ME to tell you to visit the most famous building in America? Didn't think so.)

This review was made by the www.nyctourist.com site editor based on personal experience. NYCTourist was not paid for this review, but we may receive compensation for placement of this travel provider advertisements on our site.

NYC Must See

As the tallest building in NYC, as a visitor to this big city, it’s one of those iconic markers that are really helpful when you aren't quite sure where you are or what direction you’re going.  To first-time and even multiple-time visitors, I suggest looking on a map and familiarizing yourself with the location of the Empire State Building, so whether you can see it clear in the day, or spot the pretty lights up top at night, you’ll have a familiar indicator of where you are.

Visiting the Empire State Building is something everyone should do once. The observation deck, as you can imagine gives an amazing and unique view of the entire City, and the ESB offers something that no other observation deck can – the 103 story outdoor viewing terrace – the highest view point in NYC.  It’s an almost $20 more, on top of the normal ticket price, so the very top is kind of like the VIP area of the ESB.  

There are a lot of history facts available to learn during your Empire State Building visit, and there are a few pit stops you can make to observe different levels of the City.  

One of the coolest things to me was learning about how the building has gone green, and after being re-touched, the historic Empire State Building is now up-to-date as far as being energy efficient and sustainable.