The Empire State Building
One of the most popular attractions on our itinerary is the Empire State Building. Built in 1931, the building has 102 floors and stands 1,250 feet tall. It is currently the tallest tower in New York City and the 2nd tallest building in the United States. A grandiose lobby galvanized with marble, granite, nickel and limestone is just the start of this amazing building. With 22 miles of telephone wire and enough elevator cable to stretch from Manhattan to Baltimore, one is marveled by the building’s size, height, and history. The history of the building is a wonder in itself. During the great depression, it was decided to build the Empire State Building in an attempt to create jobs and cause a catalyst for the American economy. It turns out they needed 7 million man hours for construction to complete the project. The most amazing fact is the time in which it took to complete Gotham City’s new tallest tower. In just 18 fast-tracked months, the Empire State building was completed. By comparison, the new World Trade Center/Freedom Tower with 110 floors will take 5 years to complete. Construction on The Empire State Building was around the clock 24 hours a day. They opted to fast-track the building’s construction because they really wanted to prove to the world that the American workforce and spirit was strong and citizens should not give up hope on America.
After it was completed, critics argued that the building was not structurally sound enough to occupy. Thus, when it was completed in 1931 the occupancy rate was a meager 20%.
There is a lot more history about the Empire State Building, and the New York Party Shuttle Tour Guides explain it every day. The line to go to the popular observatory on the 86th floor can be as long as 2 hours to get in. With this in mind, we have discovered that the best time to go to the observatory is around 6pm in the evening, and you should purchase your tickets in advance here. For those that are interested in going to the observatory, your New York Party Shuttle tour will end here at 6pm. For those that are not interested, we will drop you and your group off back at Times Square at 7th Avenue and 48th Street (the original shuttle pickup location).
Other interesting things we will cover about the Empire State Building….
1) Did you know what the Zephyr and the Empire State Building have in common?
2) What popular movies were shot there?
3) Do you know the details about a military plane crash in the 1940s.
This is New York City's Best Tour value.
