So, when I was in New York, I wanted to be where King Kong was. I want to see for myself, the scene that King Kong would have seen from where he was ..right at the top of the world.
The Empire State Building - truly an icon of the USA
Construction of the Empire State Building commenced on March 17 1930 (exactly 33 years before I was born) and was completed in May 1931. With a total 102 story, standing over 1454 feet, it was the tallest building in the world between 1931 till 1972. At the height of her construction, 4.5 levels of framework were completed every week.
Since the building was completed during the Great Depression, much of the offices were left untenanted. The building only turned profitable in 1950.
The building has two observation deck. The open observation deck is located on the 86th floor while the upper closed observation deck is located on the 102th floor.
The price for tickets to the 86th floor observation deck is USD23 for adults and USD40 for the upper observation deck on the 102nd floor. Be prepared to queue for the lifts especially on weekends and public holidays. If you do not want to wait in line, you can always opt for the express line an be prepared to pay USD47.50 to the 86th main deck and USD64.50 to the main deck and top deck.
The view from the top is simply magnificent. You can experience a totally different view depending on the time of day of your visit. On a clear day, you get to see the entire Manhattan from above. You can also witness some spectacular sunset over Manhattan if your visit is during the evening. Or, you can witness a spectacular night scene of Manhattan if you choose to time your visit at night, just like we did.
A view of Chrysler Building, Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn beyond ..
A view of the streets below from the main deck on the 86th floor of The Empire State Building
