When in New York City: Embrace the Empire State (Building) of Mind

It is what it is. In NYC, there’s nothing you can’t do. So goes the popular hit song that conquered the airwaves across the globe. But long before Jay-Z & Alicia Keys rapped and belted their tune about "the concrete jungle blazing with lights that will inspire you," the denizens of the city that doesn’t sleep already knew that about their town.

As early as the 1930s, NYC had built the tallest landmark. It is the battle for the “world’s tallest building,” and New York City was part of this intense competition. In their city alone, three projects were in for the running—the Empire State, 40 Wall Street, and the Chrysler buildings. The latter two held the title for less than a year. The Empire State Building surpassed both after finishing construction in only 410 days at the cost of $40,948,900.

Although the skyscraper’s peak can be seen from any point in the city, standing on the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street will put you in awe of the renowned 1,250-foot structure. The Art Deco-inspired 102-story structure derived its name from the city’s nickname and has been named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

The Empire State Building stood as the world’s tallest building for more than forty years since its completion. Not until the World Trade Center came along in 1972 and losing the title. However, it regained the honor following the 9/11 catastrophe; the Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in New York City, currently the third in the USA and the fifteenth in the world.

The Empire State is now undergoing a $550 million renovation. This National Historic Landmark will soon be transformed into a more energy-efficient and eco-friendly structure.

More than a tourist spot, the Empire State Building is one of the busiest edifices in NYC. Housing 1,000 businesses and shuttling approximately 21,000 employees (as of 2007) to all 85 floors of commercial and office spaces in its 73 elevators each day makes it the second-largest single office complex in America, after the Pentagon. Truth be told, the multipurpose building even has its own zip code—10118.

Ever wondered about the changing colors of the floodlights bathing the top of the building at night?

It was in 1964 when this feature was added. The colors would match the season and events. It’s red and green this Yuletide season, red for Valentine’s Day. It donned special hues on specific occasions: it was blue on Ol’ Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra’s birthday; red, white and blue after the 9/11 WTC tragedy, and the list goes on.

WIth the city milling with tourists, getting to the top is always a challenge (perhaps this also applies to career moves as well). Imagine queuing in all of five different lines—the sidewalk line, the lobby elevator line, the ticket purchase line, the second elevator line, and the line to get off the elevator and onto the observation deck. It's no wonder the expression "as legendary as the building itself" to describe the lines was coined. However, your extra bucks can get you to the front of the line. Take the Express Lane to the top for extra dollars. 

But once you are on the elevator ride, it’s a quick ride to one of the world’s busiest outdoor observatories, which is visited by at least 110 million people yearly and counting.

The 360-degree panoramic view the skyscraper's observation deck presents is not just breathtaking and unforgettable but also worth every cent and every second of queuing spent. Then the tune dedicated to the NYC skyline will start playing in your mind on repeat. The vision is now pasted to memory and may just give you another sleepless night in the city that never sleeps. Call it the Empire State of mind? Don't you just ♥NY?