As one of the most famous buildings in New York City, you can find the Empire State Building located in the heart of Midtown. This iconic structure is a must-see for millions of travelers. With observation decks high in the sky, it is a great spot for seeing the New York skyline. While many people focus on the view, there is so much more to learn about this long-standing building.
1. It Has 73 Otis Elevators
When the building was constructed, there were 64 elevators. Today, there are 73 Otis elevators providing vertical transportation within the building. To operate these elevators, there are 1,172 miles of elevator cable. There are also eight escalators.
In the original building design, four express elevators connected the lobby with several landings throughout the building’s height and the 80th-floor observation deck.
In 2011, during a $550 million renovation project, the elevators received a significant upgrade from mechanical to automated. The other passenger elevators operated as “local” elevators. They connected smaller groupings of landings throughout the building. In total, 58 elevators were for passengers, and eight were for freight.
The additional elevators were added when the building’s additional floors were added. There is also one elevator that connects the two observation decks.
2. 1,860 Steps to the Top
There are 1,860 steps from street level to the 102-floor observation deck. Thankfully, you don’t have to walk up those steps to get to the observation deck. However, each year, the building hosts the Annual Run Up. It is one of the world’s most famous tower races. Participants in this foot race start at ground level and make their way up to the 86th floor. This race has been held since its inaugural race in 1978. In total, competitors ascend 1,576 steps. The current record holder completed the race in nine minutes and 33 seconds in 2003.
3. Most Photographed
This famous building is one of the most photographed buildings in the world. Cornell University did an analysis of millions of photographs in 2011. Its study confirmed that the Empire State Building is one of the most popular subjects for professional and amateur photographers.
4. Built in 410 Days
The construction crew built the Empire State Building in record time. It took 410 days, or 13 months, to complete the building. Construction began on the building in 1930 and was completed in 1931. This is record-setting construction, requiring 3,400 workers to accomplish the feat. At one point, they were completing four and a half floors a week. To make this even more impressive, the building was completed faster than the initial timeline, and the project came under budget.
The building’s foundation has a depth of 55 feet, 8 inches. There are 20 pillars providing much-needed support. The steel frame core has 365,000 tons of concrete and bricks covering it to create the building.
5. Pencil Inspiration
Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon was the design firm awarded with the honor of creating the now iconic design of the Empire State Building. The chief architect, William Lamb, used inspiration from two of his previous design projects, the Carew Tower in Cincinnati and the Winston-Salem (the Reynold’s Building) in North Carolina. He also used the shape of a pencil as part of his inspiration. You can see this when looking at the outside of the building. Its design has long, straight sides with the top tapering to a point. This pencil shape aligns with the Art Deco design of the building.
When Long designed the building, it had 85 floors for commercial office space. Then, it would have an indoor and outdoor observation floor on the 102nd floor.
6. Hollywood Famous
This iconic building has appeared in several Hollywood movies and TV shows. Here are just some of the most well-known movies in which you can see it.
● King Kong (1930)
● King Kong (2005)
● Elf (2003)
● Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
● Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
● Spiderman films
7. 4 Million Visitors
The Empire State Building is one of the most popular tourist destinations in New York City. About four million visitors from all over the world visit the building annually. All of those visitors help the building generate over $80 million a year in tourism revenue.
8. Uber’s Top Destination
In 2018, Uber decided to analyze its data to learn its users' habits. One interesting metric uncovered in their analysis was that the Empire State Building was the most popular destination among its 75 million users.
9. Lightning Rod
It should be no surprise that, as one of the tallest buildings in New York, it gets struck by lightning. The large metal spire on the top acts like a lightning rod. The building averages 25 lightning strikes annually. It used to be more, but with taller new construction, the number of strikes has declined.
10. Has It’s Own Zip Code
The Empire State Building is so large that it has its own zip code. There is more than 2.8 million square feet of rentable space. Some famous companies have offices in the building, including Shutterstock, LinkedIn, Expedia Group, Global Brands, Boy Scouts of America, and Qatar Airways.
11. See for Miles
You can see for miles from the observation deck on a clear day. Some say you can see six states from the Empire State Building.
1. New York
2. New Jersey
3. Pennsylvania
4. Connecticut
5. Massachusetts
6. Delaware
12. Meant to be a Mooring in the Sky
At the time the Empire State Building was built, sky travel was an innovative technology. The designers of the building wanted to be forward-thinking, so they added a mooring to the upper mast. It was thought airships would moor off to the mast, and then passengers could disembark and embark on the airship at the top of the building. Obviously, airships turned out to be a failed technology, and the mooring was never used. It was also discovered that the wind at the top of the building would have made mooring challenging.
Explore the Empire State Building
A visit to New York City is incomplete without a trip to the Empire State Building. This iconic building has been a comforting part of the Midtown skyline for decades. It has been featured in Hollywood movies and TV shows. It welcomes millions of people annually. If you would like to visit the Empire State Building, book a room at the Concorde Hotel New York. At a mile away, it will take a short 10-minute taxi ride to see the Empire State Building for yourself.
Book your stay at The Marmara Park Avenue and stay just around the corner from the Empire State Building.
