| Empire State Building tips and photos posted by real travelers and New York City locals.
350 5th Avenue
• 641 Photos
• 427 Reviews
See all New York City Things To Do |
 | New York City Empire State Building Reviews | 1 - 10 of 427 |  |
 Manhattan at approx 1000
ft. by madamx
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
|
Visiting New York City?
Read reviews about New York City Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
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/
|
 | |  |
 View @ Night by tomhoward
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
|
| | |
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/
|
| | |
 The ESB honors the
Jamaican flag, Aug. 7,
2004 by 10028Leave 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/
|
Visiting New York City?
Read reviews about New York City Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
 Sara and me on the 102nd Floor
observatory by travelfrosch, 4 more photos
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
|
| | |
One of the things we just HAD to do in New York was go up to the top of the Empire State Building.
We queued from quite early on, about an hour before it opened, but we were already round the block. The queue moved steadily though, and about an hour later, we had tickets in hand. Security was understandably tight, but it moved along quickly.
We later realised we had misunderstood the ticket lady, as these tickets would only take us to the second highest point, not the actual top.
It’s quite a windy way to get to the elevator that takes you up to the (near) top. They were doing renovations at the time, so I am not sure if this is always the case. But we finally got to the second highest point. We spent about 20 minutes here, it was very crowded and viewpoints were scarce.
We then decided to go to the very top, so had to get further tickets. I had cash but they insisted on a credit card payment. Not happy to do this, we had no choice, so they swiped my credit card. (This proved a bad move though as a couple hours later we realised my card was cloned!!!).
Anyway, we were blissfully unaware of this and went to the top… it was freezing cold, but the view over the city was absolutely spectacular!!!
We spent about 45 minutes up at the very top, taking photos and enjoying the views, then started the trek down.. more winding and queues, although these went quickly. Needless to say, the queue outside was now incredibly long, we couldn’t actually see where it ended.
Well worth doing - it gives you a fantastic rooftop view of this splendid city :) 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/
|
| | |
 Me at the Empire State
Building. by irishgalmtl
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/
|
| | |
 by Custodyspice
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/
|
If you like standing in line and paying an extraordinary amount just to see the city from up above... then Empire State Building, the 381 meters high - (overall height with the 68m long antenna is 448 m) - Art Deco skyscraper is great. Its name comes from the nickname for the state of New York. Since its opening in 1931, it has been visited by 120 million people from Queen Elizabeth of the UK to Fidel Castro and even the soccer star Pele.
Time your visit for early or late in the day -- morning is the least crowded time -- when the sun is low on the horizon and the shadows are deep across the city.
When entering the building you must go through the security check. This consists of a walk-through scanner and baggage check system. You should have a picture ID too.
The major attraction is the 2nd-floor virtual tour simulator, the skyride techno journey.
It is a fun-filled presentation of movie, motion, and sights.
This visual and motion simulation experience allows you to “fly over” 30 sights, New York is famous for, lifting off from the top of the Empire State Building, soar through the Manhattan Skyline, glide past the Statue of Liberty, play in traffic at Times Square, "zoom" through Wall Street and ride the stomach-crunching Coney Island Cyclone. The half hour complete experience includes 2 pre-shows called “I am New York”, on the history of the Building and “Top 10 Things to do in New York”. No photography allowed.
The 86th-floor observatory, 320 meters, is open to the air, but has also an air-conditioned, glass-enclosed area. The 102nd-floor observatory is closed when crowds are too large.
On a clear day you can see approximately 130 km far in five US Federal States (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts). The top of the building is lit up every night in different colors.
The conquest of the stairs of Empire State Building is organized in every years. 1576 stairs of 86 floors wait for the candidates, who undertake to climb up under the possible shortest time onto the peak. The present record is 9 minutes and 33 seconds set up by an Australian professional cyclist in 2003.
Admission: Adult (18-61) $20, Senior (62+) and Youth (12-17) $18, Child (6-11) $ 14 but younger than 6 free, 102nd Floor Observatory is an additional $15.
Express Pass $45 (you will automatically be moved to the front of each and every line.
Lobby: free to the general public.
Observatory hours: Daily 8am - 2am next day. Last elevators go to the top at 11:15pm Phone: (212) 736-3100Directions: Fifth Avenue and 34th Street 1, 2, 3 or 9 (Seventh Avenue Lines), A, C or E (Eighth Avenue Subway) to 34th Street/Penn Station. Other: http://www.skyride.com/Website: http://www.esbnyc.com/index2.cfm?noflash=1
|
| | |
More New York City Tips Overview
| Hotels and Accommodations
Tips: 1,449 - Photos: 985 | Things To Do
Tips: 6,286 - Photos: 8,895 | Nightlife
Tips: 1,019 - Photos: 759 | Transportation
Tips: 1,208 - Photos: 889 | Restaurants
Tips: 3,061 - Photos: 2,389 | Shopping
Tips: 850 - Photos: 621 | Off the Beaten Path
Tips: 1,167 - Photos: 1,257 | Tourist Traps
Tips: 391 - Photos: 201 | Warnings or Dangers
Tips: 491 - Photos: 269 | Local Customs
Tips: 518 - Photos: 415 | Packing Lists
Tips: 222 - Photos: 98 | Sports Travel
Tips: 179 - Photos: 205 | General Tips
Tips: 1,725 - Photos: 1,539 | Flights
Tips: 81 - Photos: 0 |
 |
|
- 346 Inn
346 East 51st Street, Suite 1R, New York City, NY - Hilton Times Square
234 West 42nd Street, New York City, NY - Westin New York Times Square
270 West 43rd Street At 8th Avenue, New York City, NY - Hilton Garden Inn Tribeca Hotel
6 York St, New York City, NY - The Waldorf Astoria
301 Park Avenue, New York City, NY - Howard Johnson Express Inn
135 East Houston Street Forsyth and Allen, New York City, NY - Hotel Elysee
60 East 54th Street, New York City, NY - Gershwin Hotel
7 East 27th Street, New York City, NY - Oakwood at Ocean 1 West Street
1 West Street, New York City, NY - Club Quarters Midtown
40 West 45th Street, New York City, NY - DYLAN HOTEL
52 East 41st Street, New York City, NY - Aka-Korman Communities-Central Park
42 West 58th Street, New York City, NY - W New York Union Square
201 Park Avenue South, New York City, NY - Sohotel
341 Broome Street, New York City, NY - Park View Hotel
55 Central Park North 110th Street & Lenox Avenue, New York City, NY
|
