Climbing To The Top Of New York’s Iconic Empire State Building

Last year I visited New York for the first time as part of my honeymoon and being a proper British tourist I decided to visit all of the key tourist sights. One of the main attractions was of course the Empire State Building, possibly the most iconic building of the New York skyline!

Built during a race to create the World’s tallest building it was re-designed several times due to competition with the construction of the Chrysler building which threatened to take its title. With designs finalised it was completed in a mere 20 months.

Standing at the base of the Empire Building it’s immediately apparent how tall it is – at 102 floors and towering over New York at 443m in fact – it’s a pretty serious structure.

Empire State Building

Sarah and I had bought a City Pass which allowed us access to the observation deck so we simply turned up, presented our ticket and walked straight in via the incredibly “in your face” lobby area.

The Empire State Building Lobby

Whilst walking through the building an effort has been made to make things a little more interesting.

The Empire State Building

Information boards tell you some of the history of the building along with plenty of movie posters, King Kong memorabilia and photos of famous celebrities who have been to the observation deck.

The Empire State Building King Kong Poster

You can also see the historic US Mail chute system however these are easy to miss so if you’re visiting, keep an eye out!

The Empire State Building US Mail

Once past all of this you make your way to the speed lifts which take you straight to the top in a matter of seconds.

The Empire State Building Elevators

The Observation Deck

Something they don’t tell you about but of course is incredibly obvious is how windy it is at the top of the building! As we stepped outside we were hit with a wall of wind, it was pretty fierce up there! It’s amazing to think that despite that sort of weather the top of the tower was initially designed as a docking/landing station for airships which at the time of construction were thought to be the next major advancement in air travel.

The Empire State Building Antenna

Despite the popularity of the Empire State Building it wasn’t busy at all when we went there despite it being the middle of the day. This was great as we could wander around the observation deck freely and see some amazing view of New York City including the Hudson River, Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center.

New York City from The Empire State Building

With the building being so tall you can also get great views of Central Park, the MetLife Building, the towering accommodation at 432 Park Avenue and the Rockafella Center which has a similar observatory (we visited the Top of the Rock observatory on another day of our New York trip).

New York City from The Empire State Building

The day I went it was pretty overcast so I imagine it’s even better on a clear day when you can see much further to the horizon. Despite that, the view from the top was incredible and well worth the visit.

New York City from The Empire State Building

And don’t forget to get a photo with one of the famous telescopes!

Empire State Building Telescope

I loved our time visiting the Empire State Building and would certainly recommend it to anyone who is visiting New York. If I had to rate this experience it would certainly get a good 8/10 and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back and see the city from this famous rooftop again!

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