The Empire State Building was opened on May 1st, 1931, just thirteen months after construction started. It is still the fastest building ever built that was over one thousand feet. It is located literally in the middle of the city, at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street.
This building was the tallest building in the world, from when it took over the Chrysler Building in early March of 1931, and held the record until 1970, when the North Tower of the World Trade Center was completed. After 9/11, it became the tallest building in New York City, until the New One World Trade Center overtook it as the tallest building in the city, and the Western Hemisphere in 2015.
The building has been featured in almost every movie ever made in the city, and has been the subject of so many films. Of course, its first silver screen debut, was in 1933, with the famous King Kong movie.
It also was famous for surviving a B-25 airplane crash back in 1945. It crashed right near the 86th Floor Observation Deck, but it was easily repaired within a few weeks. I will put a photo down below, on how it looked back on July 28th, 1945.
The building is now known worldwide for its lights at the top floors of the building. From their inception in 1976, they used to be spotlights that one man would go out on the ledge, and change the paneling on the lights to change the colors. Now, in 2012, they are using an LED system, that can produce 16 million colors at once, and that change at any time. Now they use the lights to link them up to songs sometimes over the radio, and moving color schemes now.
And of course, there is the world famous observation deck. I wrote about the observation deck for Turnstile NYC Thursday XII, so check that out if you want to read more about that. But not a lot of people know that there is a second observation deck on the 102nd Floor, all the way up in the spire. That has some really impressive views too. Basically all I am going to say is that they both are great and I strongly suggest everyone go up and see the views from there.
So that is the Empire State Building, I hope that you really enjoyed this post, and that you consider going to see the Empire State Building, and also, an early happy birthday to this great building!
Have you ever seen the Empire State Building in person? Have you ever been up in the observation deck(s)? Would you want to go up and see the views in this incredible building?
DGS
Quotes of the Day: "In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd." - Miguel de Cervantes
"Work is much more fun than fun." - Noel Coward
"The heart is forever inexperienced." - Henry David Thoreau