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350 5th Avenue
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Its exact location is on Fifth Ave, bordering W. 33rd St. and W. 34th Sts. Its exact area is Midtown. Its borough is Manhattan. Its city is NYC. It is local.
However, mentioning Empire State Building and it is no longer local. It would be almost impossible to find one person on earth who has not heard of it, has not seen the picture of it, has not dreamt of seeing it, had not been in awe in its presence, or had not stared at the wonderful cities spread out and below when they were on its Observatory.
For most tourists, this is one of the two things they know about New York City -- Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty. For most people, this is the symbol of America. There is no other place and no other image that is more American than The Lady with the Torch, and The Spire that Reaches the Sky.
The history of Empire State Building, its facts and factoids can be read a million times over on the Net so I'm not going to bore you with it here. What I will tell you is although I don't consider myself a tourist, although I have been to Manhattan and have seen Empire State Building many times, although I have been up to the 86th floor so often I should have a season pass, there had not been one time when I didn't find my breath taken away when I caught the glimpse of it. Doesn't matter where I was, on the streets or in an airplanes, I have always searched for it.
It is not the location that counts. It is not the shape that counts. It is not the height that counts. What counts is its image, for it is the beacon for all to search, to feel that life will go on no matter what had happened. Leave a Comment Phone: (212) 947-1360Directions: Take the 1, 2, 3, 9, A, C or E to 34th Street/Penn Station.Website: http://www.esbnyc.com/
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The 86th floor Observatory is 1,050ft or 320m above NYC streets. That doesn't sound very tall for a mountain, even a small mountain. We have hiked to almost three times that heights. It took us a while to get to that point, and we had to wear hiking boots and brought along backpack of water and energy bars, but we still carried a conversation while trudging up.
The elevator to the 86th floor takes less than a minute. We don't need to carry anything except a wallet or a purse. We wear street shoes and we carry a conversation leisurely on the way up. Then we stop talking.
You would stop too, when you see the view.
From the West side of the Observatory, there are One Penn Plaza, Madison Square, Jacob Javits Convention Center, and Intrepid -- the WWII aircraft carrier and Air and Space Museum. Beyond the Hudson River are New Jersey with Newark Aiport and the Ramapo Mountains. Beyond that is Pensylvania with the Pocono Mountains.
From the South, there are Wall Street, Flatiron, and Woolworth. In the Upper New York Bay are Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Beyond the great bridges (Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Verrazano-Narrows) are Brooklyn and Staten Island.
From the East, it's Queens, with CitiCorp building and United Nations. There are the trio of bridges in Long Islands (Triboro, Bronx-Whitestone and Throgs Neck), La Guardia, JFK, and then Brooklyn with Williamsburg Bridge.
From the North, it's Chrysler, MetLife, CitiCorp, GE, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Plaza Hotel (which no longer is), and the majestic GWB. Beyond the Hudson are Connecticut and Massachusetts. Leave a Comment Phone: (212) 947-1360Directions: Take the 1, 2, 3, 9, A, C or E to 34th Street/Penn Station.Website: http://www.esbnyc.com/
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Construction began on the Empire State Building in 1930, soon after the stock market crash, and by 1931 was nicknamed "The Empty State Building" as space was extremely difficult to rent out. It's only saving grace were the observatories that financially carried the building for many years.
Now, line-ups for the 86th floor observatory can be endless, and nearly 110 million visitors have been to the building to see breathtaking views of Manhattan. There are usually shorter waits in the late afternoon, around 5 pm, and then you can stay to see Manhattan light up the night sky. Make your wait go even faster by purchasing the City Pass; you can bypass the line-up to get tickets and go straight to the elevator waiting line. Leave a Comment
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Bought two tickets for the Empire State Building on-line a month in advance and headed off with the printouts like the smuggest man in Christendom.
Two hours later, and still in a queue, I pondered to myself, "Why the f**k did I bother?".
I wasn't the only one who fell foul of the door Nazi either, as time and again people arrived at the front, internet tickets in hand, only to be shown to the back of the 2 block queue with a bemused look on their little faces.
Awesome building and view, but the wait is excruciating.
Also (and especially after 9/11), as the management clearly realise this is now in the top 3 "MUST SEE" attractions in New York, they have employed the surliest (ie underpaid) staff, and have left the inside go to rack & ruin. Parts of this dilapidated building actually look like the trash compactor from Star Wars.
Like all the big sights in New York these days, expect all but a rear end cavity search to get to the top.
If you've got time, it's worth coming twice (day & night) for two different experiences.
(I dont expect to convince any NY first timers, but The Top Of The Rock (Rockefeller Center) is a much better all round experience at any time of the day AND you can pre-book tickets properly).
DONT BOTHER with the appalling Sky Ride half way up... see my tourist trap tip for further details. Leave a Comment Phone: (212) 947-1360Directions: 1, 2, 3 or 9 (Seventh Avenue Lines), A, C or E (Eighth Avenue Subway) to 34th Street/Penn Station.Website: www.esbnyc.com
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I know that this isn't necessarily a universally held opinion but, for me, visiting the Empire State Building is one of those 10 things to do before you die activities. The view from the top is superior to Top Of The Rock as, being in midtown, you get a much clearer view in every direction. It is quite possible to see Shea Stadium to the east, Giants Stadium to the west, Coney Island to the south and, on a clear day you can even see the Tappan Zee bridge over the Hudson and that's in Tarrytown some 23 miles away! You also get a great view of the Chrysler Building which is obscured from view by the ugly MetLife Building if you're standing on Top Of The Rock.
Besides the view, there's the history and the wonderful films that have used the ESB. From "An Affair to Remember" to "Sleepless in Seattle". Stand at the top and I defy you not to be moved!
Now, don't get me wrong, TOTR should also not be missed. It has a wonderful view of Central Park and, of course, the ESB and the whole experience of getting to the top is so much more civilised although I noticed a decidedly more civil attitude displayed by the staff at ESB than I have noticed before. Perhaps they're getting the message that there's competition out there!
So, how do you achieve the impossible - get to the top of each without paying too much and not queueing for hours? Here's how we did it. Plan to visit the ESB first thing in the morning. We arrived at 07:45 and were third in line. They don't open the escalator up to the ticket office until 08:00 but we were at the top by quarter past (this was in May this year). If you buy online, you have to collect your ticket at the sales office and you need to be able to show your credit card that you used or else, like the person who was at the front of the queue when we arrived, you'll have to go back to your hotel and collect it! We bought our tickets there and then. There's no need to go for the CityPass or the express option and you definitely DON'T want to pay extra for the 102nd floor even if it is open. It's small, you have to look through fairly small windows and the view is actually no better than from the observation deck.
As for TOTR, plan to go about 30 minutes before sunset - that way you can watch as the city changes from day to night and thousands of lights in almost every building come on and transform Manhattan into a wonderland of twinkling lanterns! There is no problem with queueing and, if you go here: http://www.theatermania.com/extras/TopOfTheRock/ you'll get a voucher saving you $3 off each pass.
I've just come across a voucher scheme on offer from Expedia for the ESB that you might like to check out: http://www.expedia.co.uk/pub/agent.dll?qscr=tsdt&stat=5&flgc=0&loid=178293&ofid=4032&wtid=28 It looks good but I haven't read all the small print!
One final point (if I need to convince you!). One of my favourite guide books (Not For Tourists) has this to say, "Some New Yorkers think it's hip to have never been to the Empire State Building. These people are idiots" I absolutely agree. Leave a Comment Phone: (212) 947-1360Directions: 1, 2, 3 or 9 (Seventh Avenue Lines), A, C or E (Eighth Avenue Subway) to 34th Street/Penn Station.Website: http://www.esbnyc.com/ Other Contact: http://www.topoftherocknyc.com/
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A New York icon.
A image of the City that I grew up with.
How exciting to finally see it!
The Empire State Building (ESB) is fabulous - 443.2 metres high (to the top of the lightening rod). Even the art deco lobby is impressive.
But you have to be patient to get to the top........even with pre-purchased tickets (a must do!) we had to queue and queue and queue some more and an hour or so later we made it to the top observation deck.
But it sure was worth the wait! Imagine being on top of the ESB, with the city of New York below you.
Though it was freezing up there - blowing a gale. Glad I had my gloves.
And the funniest thing - I bumped into someone that I knew from London, on the top of the ESB, of all places!! LOL! Leave a Comment Phone: (212) 947-1360Directions: 1, 2, 3 or 9 (Seventh Avenue Lines), A, C or E (Eighth Avenue Subway) to 34th Street/Penn Station.Website: http://www.esbnyc.com/
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The Weather Lady said it was going to be a beautiful day, so we went to the Empire State Building.
The one thing you need to be prepared to do when you go: wait. You will need to wait in line to go through security, then wait to get tickets, then wait to get on not one but two elevators, to get to the 86th Floor Observatory. You also have the opportunity to go up to the 102nd Floor, but that involves an additional cost and another wait to get on yet another elevator.
Cost of a ticket to the 86th Floor (including taxes and "surcharge") is $21 for adults, $19 for Seniors and children 12-17 years old, $15 for children under 12. You can save a bit of time by purchasing tickets online and printing them out yourself. This allows you to skip the ticket line after you pass security. If you have more money than time, you can purchase an "Express Pass," which also allows you to cut in front of the elevator lines. Cost for this option is $49 for all ages, including taxes and "surcharge."
Despite all of the waiting, the view from the 86th floor is definitely worth it if the weather is good. You can also shorten your wait times a bit by arriving early in the morning. If you want to go higher, you can purchase tickets to the 102nd Floor outside the elevator on the 86th Floor (credit cards only, cost $15 per person). It's fun, but the observatory is enclosed in plexiglass marred by "scratchiti." As such, it's probably not worth the extra cost and time.
The Empire State Building is open 365 days a year, from 8AM to 2AM. Last elevator up is at 1:15 AM. Phone: +1 (212) 947-1360Directions: Enter on the corner of 34th Street and 5th Avenue. Closest subway is 33rd Street (6 train). You can also walk from 34th St/Herald Square (B,D,F,N,Q,R,V,W), 33rd St (PATH), Grand Central Station (4,5,6,7,S, MNR) and Penn Station (1,2,3,A,C,E,NJT,LIRR).Website: http://www.esbnyc.com
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Well, here I am, member 372'621 to advise you to go and visit the Empire State Building. My tip for this place is avoid it at the weekend or Saturday night, as it is raaather busy. Go during the week, if you can. The last lift goes up at 11pm. And what a lift it is too. 45 secs to the 86th floor - thats faster than my car.
Although you can obviously see more during the day, it's nice to go up at night and see all the lights of Fifth avenue, Broadway, and the Chrysler Building. It was about $10 when I went. You can pre-book tickets on the website. There is also a web-cam on the official web-site which is worth a look, I managed to zoom in on my hotel! Leave a Comment Phone: (212) 947-1360Directions: 1, 2, 3 or 9 (Seventh Avenue Lines), A, C or E (Eighth Avenue Subway) to 34th Street/Penn Station.Website: http://www.esbnyc.com/
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I had went at a cold time of the year and if its cold on the ground Imagine how cold it is 86 stories up on the outside of The building..lol
It was a great experience and I enjoyed the view.
They also offered a audio host which tell you were what is and info about the city and what you are looking at.(It was 6 US$ and you only need one for the entire family)
I recommend that It be done in the summer time or a at warmer time of the year.
Be prepared to stand in line as even on a cold day there were line ups....
They will also take your pic and give u a coupon so u can pic it up for a price at the end of your visit.
Once at the observation level there were a few gift shops.
Prices for DEC 2006 Observatory was:-
Adults (16-61) $16
Youths (12-16) $14
Children (6-11) $10
Senior (62+) $14
Military (with ID) $14
They also had a Skyride (which is a Imax Type of theather to watch on an 18 feet screen a simulation on the aerial view of the city.) Phone: (212) 947-1360Directions: 1, 2, 3 or 9 (Seventh Avenue Lines), A, C or E (Eighth Avenue Subway) to 34th Street/Penn Station.Website: http://www.esbnyc.com/
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You can't visit New York without taking a bird's-eye view from the Empire State Building. Remember "Sleepless in Seattle," where Meg Ryan walks into the building and takes an empty elevator to the Observatory? Ha! What fiction! Real life people have to wait on incredibly long lines for tickets and then wait on another line for the elevators. You can actually cut the wait time in half if you buy tickets in advance from the ESB's web site. I'd recommend you avoid the "Sky Ride" they try to sell you, I think it's a rip-off. Leave a Comment Phone: (212) 947-1360Directions: 1, 2, 3 or 9 (Seventh Avenue Lines), A, C or E (Eighth Avenue Subway) to 34th Street/Penn Station.Website: http://www.esbnyc.com/
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