Meet Me At The Top

I have always been fascinated with the Empire State Building.  I am terrified of heights, but the tallest buildings intrigue me the most.  Yes, I realize how odd that is, but I may be intrigued by my fear.  I have been in the building lobby but never in the elevator.  I viewed it from another building at night, but nothing was high inside it.  My grandparents took me to New York City when I was little, and my grandfather and I climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty.  He was so excited to see me and asked if I was ready.  Did I look? Nope.  Did I climb back down and never see the view? I sure did.  

The Empire State Building, a 102-floor art deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, was finished in 1931. Its name, "Empire State," comes from the state's nickname. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and took two years to build. There are three points of observation: the 80th, 86th, and 102nd floors. A little-known 103rd floor is not available to the public; this secretive floor can be seen on Taylor Swift's social media as she has toured it.  To access the building, you must make it through the same security as the airport, and tours are available from 10 am to 11 pm.  Can you imagine the view at night if you were able to?

The structure was the tallest in the world for many years, standing at 1454 feet.  From the observation decks, you can see five states; Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.  There are so many interesting facts about this iconic building, and I pulled my favorites to share. 

1.  The building displays real-time election results, and after the election, the face of the newly elected President is shown as a manner of honor. 

2.  Anyone getting married on Valentine's Day in the building is given lifetime access. 

3.  The iconic structure was built in just one year and is said to have been built in 4-5 floor increments each day by a crew of around 3000. 

4.  An annual race held inside the building is known as the Empire State Building Run-Up (ESBRU). Each year, the participants climb 86 floors, which equals 1576 stairs. Holy, no, thank you!

5.  A favorite for movies, you will see the building in many films, including two of the most iconic, Sleepless in Seattle and An Affair To Remember, not to mention King Kong. 

6. There are 6500 windows and 75 elevators, and the base of the building spans two acres.

7. The building has its own zip code, 10118.

8. The antenna was added to the spire in 1952. 

In 1964, floodlights were added to illuminate the top of the building at night.  The tower lights are generally white but illuminate in different colors for different events, seasons, and meanings. I found this schedule, which shares the meaning of the colored lights daily. You can also text CONNECT to 27416 to find out in real-time what the colors illuminated are honoring. I caught notice of the building recently with the death of James Earl Jones when the lights shined in red with a depiction of Darth Vader's helmet and a fantastic light show.  I began to wonder which other celebrities have been given such an honor. 

One of my favorite things I uncovered in my research was this fact.  Starbucks has partnered with the building to create a one-of-a-kind morning experience.  They offer a small number of tickets to watch the sunrise on the 86th floor on Saturdays.  The tickets are $135 each, providing an experience you won't soon forget. They sell only 100 tickets, so if you go you must plan ahead. If only I was brave enough. 

I may need to work on this fear; that sounds amazing!

Happy Thursday!