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Gosh! I work in New York City. I’ve spent lots of time in New York City! What have I not done while in the city?
Sometimes it’s hard to think of things to do. My son and I were in this exact predicament…we couldn’t think of a thing while in New York for an overnight visit!
What to do? Pull out your phone and Google Things To Do in New York City.
Statue of Liberty…yes, done.
High Line…yes, done.
Museum of Natural History…yes, done.
Empire State Building…NO! Not done!
With dinner plans in place for later in the evening, we opted to make the best use of our time. Calling Lyft, we were quickly on our way to the iconic art deco building on the east side.
Having heard tales of long lines, I was prepared for a bit of a wait, however, being four o’clock on a winter’s afternoon, it was not busy at all. Making our way through the maze of roped off areas and security to the ticket counter, we soon had tickets in hand and were on our way to the elevator and the long ride to the top.
Deciding to purchase tickets for both the Top and Main Deck, we ascended to the 80th floor and the Dare to Dream Exhibit, which chronicles the Empire State Building’s history, engineering and construction.
An engineering marvel, the Empire State Building, 1,250 feet high, surpassed the Chrysler Building as the tallest building in the world. Completed on May 1, 1931, it was built in only one year and 45 days.
Orig
inal documents, period photographs, architectural sketches, construction notes and photos walk visitors through the creation of the iconic skyscraper. It is here where you get your first glimpses of Manhattan from a bird’s eye view through the large windows that line this floor.
Taking the elevator, once again, we reached the 86th floor Observatory. When people imagine visiting the Empire State Building, this is what they think of…the wrap-around deck that gives 360 degree open-air views of the Big Apple.
Very windy and cold, we zipped up our jackets and donned our gloves so that we could enjoy the views of Central Park, the Hudson and East Rivers, the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty and everything in between and beyond. Because it was nearing sunset, we had amazing views of the changing sky to the west.
Finally, we boarded the elevator for the 102nd floor and the Top Deck. Instead of a manually operated elevator, this one shows the altitude rise instead of counting floors and we were soon at our destination. In short time, we were exiting onto this topmost floor, where sadly, nothing was much different than the 86th floor.
Same views, just a little higher.
When we had purchased out tickets, we had assumed that “the higher, the better”. Though warmer and protected, I must admit, we were a little disappointed. A very claustrophobic and small area, the windows were a bit higher up and a bit dirty. Honestly, I would have preferred to return to the 86th floor to enjoy the final moments of the sunset.
After a few pictures, to capture the fact that we paid an extra twenty dollars to visit the topmost floor, we were soon on our way, back to the bottom.
An impressive building, I would say that it is a must-see while in New York. That being said, skip the 102nd floor and spend your time on the Main Deck Observatory. After all, Hollywood has filmed many movies (An Affair to Remember, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, to name a few) up here. There’s a reason for that!
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Empire State Building
- http://www.esbnyc.com/
- Address: 17-25 W 29th St, New York, NY 10001, USA
- Hours: 0800-0200, daily
- Admission: Standard Pass Main Deck, includes Dare to Dream Exhibit (80th floor), Observation Deck (86th floor, indoor and outdoor), Adult, $34, Child, $27, Senior, $31. Standard Pass Top and Main Deck, also includes 102nd floor observatory (indoor), Adult, $54, Child $47, Senior, $51. VIP Passes also available to skip the lines.