NY, NY - 3. The View from the Top

The Empire State Building (ESB) was on the list of ‘things to see’ in NYC, and it didn’t disappoint. We were there in March, pre-tourist season, so there were virtually no lines at all, but I can imagine if one were to visit in the Summer months, the wait (even in the pricier ‘fast-track’ lanes) would be lengthy. I can see now why ‘King Kong’ just lost it, and climbed up the outside!

There were cattle grids lining all of the halls into the building: First to get up the escalator to the ticket lines; then to wait in the ticket lines; then to wind around an exhibit on ‘greening the building’ (which no one was interested in at all, but it took about ten minutes just to walk straight through); then to wait in line to the elevators to the 80^th floor.

There was a couple in front of us who had purchased tickets from a vendor out front, and lost their money on bogus tickets as it turns out. The lesson: Buy tickets online or from the ESB themselves.

There are two observation levels: the 86^th floor which, like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, you can walk outside and view the city; and the 102^nd floor, from which the city view must be observed inside.

The 86^th floor has several elevators going up, but you have to stop at the 80^th floor first to read the history of the building of ESB. I think they should display the history of the ESB along the cattle grid so that the lines of patrons have something to read as they wait. It is wonderful to see that the ESB still retains all of the original art deco features – copper and marble designs both in the lobby and in the hallways. Gorgeous.

The preservation of the historic buildings makes New York a fabulous city to walk. Everywhere in Manhattan, the small details on the corners and windows of buildings hark back to a glorious age of women in fashionable dresses in horse-drawn carriages, and men in suits and hats.

At the observation levels, you realize the sheer volume of people crammed onto such a tiny island. How do they squeeze an 80-floor tower into the puzzle of high-rises that is Manhattan? Looking down on NYC, there is not an inch to spare.

All the more remarkable when you see Central Park from the top. There is one fifth of NYC covered in green! It is a good thing the Park is there too – at least all of that concrete has some relief.

There must have been 20 different languages heard at the top of the ESB as everyone tried to get their ‘Affair to Remember’ or ‘Percy Jackson’ shot of the NYC skyline. Our little amateur phones hardly did the view justice, but one thing we certainly could illustrate were the tired legs at the end of six sets of stairs, and an hour worth of standing time in lines.

A drink, a café, in a small quiet square (I’ll never say where) at the end of our day allowed us to contemplate the size and history of this diverse city.