A Bite of the Big Apple
by Barbara Barton Sloane
Majestic skyscrapers as high as the sky abound in New York City. However, there are three iconic towers that stand above all the others:
From the observation deck of Top of the Rock, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, you’ll have a thrilling experience as it offers sweeping, panoramic views of this great city from 850 feet above the street. First opened in 1933, it was renovated and reopened to the public after 20 years in 2005. Top of the Rock offers state-of-the-art features such as multi-media exhibits, an indoor viewing area and transparent safety glass panels which allow completely unobstructed, open-air views encompassing some of New York’s most prominent landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, Central Park and the Hudson and East Rivers.
There are numerous attractions here to create an exciting visit. To get to the 69th floor Grand Viewing Deck, you board a glass elevator which allows you to watch your ascent as you zoom toward the clouds in a somewhat heart-stopping and totally memorable experience! Top of the Rock is situated in famous Rockefeller Center which was designed by Raymond Hood. This plaza complex is where 350,000 people walk through each day and is home to the world’s most famous Christmas tree. Seeing New York City from Top of the Rock is a most heavenly experience.
www.TopOfTheRockNyc.com
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco masterpiece which stands 1,047 feet tall. It was the world’s tallest building for 11 months, before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. It is considered by many contemporary architects to be one of the finest buildings in the city. In 2007, it was ranked ninth on the list of America’s Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.
Designed by William Van Alen as a project for Walter P. Chrysler, it was modeled after Chrysler automobile products and its architectural details include the building’s gargoyles which simulated the hood ornaments of the Plymouth, exemplifying the machine age of the 1920s. The building is also well known for its terraced crown composed of seven radiating arches, and its lighting allows the very top to be lit in many colors for special occasions. The Chrysler Building has been featured in several TV programs and movies, including the film Armageddon, in which the tower was shown being struck by a meteor that caused its spire to come crashing to the ground. John Julius Norwich, in The World Atlas of Architecture, said “Art Deco in France found its American equivalent in the design of the New York skyscrapers in the 1920s. The Chrysler Building was one of the most accomplished essays in the style.” From the observation deck on the 61st floor one can see the building’s eagles, replicas of the 1929 Chrysler hood ornaments.
www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Chrysler_Building
Last, but of course not least, the best known among all skyscrapers in the world: The Empire State Building. Portrayed in countless movies, the most famous was undoubtedly “King Kong.” One also thinks of poor Deborah Kerr who, due to being hit by a taxi, failed to keep her date with Cary Grant on the observation deck in “An Affair to Remember” and we cheered when, on that same deck in “Sleepless in Seattle,” Tom Hanks and son met Meg Ryan, presumably to live happily ever after.
This 102 story landmark derives its name from the state of New York, the Empire State. Designed by William F. Lamb and standing 1,454 feet, it was the world’s tallest building for more than 40 years from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center in 1972. Following the WTC’s destruction in 2001, the Empire State Building once again became the tallest in New York City and New York State. The building has been named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and is designated a City Landmark. In 2007, it was ranked number one on the list of America’s Favorite Architecture.
The Empire State Building’s history is full of interesting facts: in 1945, at the end of WWII, an Army Air Corps B-25 twin-engine bomber plane crashed into the 79th floor in dense fog. Also, from 1931 to present, the building has acted as “Ambassador to New York” to many of the world’s renowned political and entertainment figures such as Fidel Castro, Queen Elizabeth, Nikita Krushchev and even Lassie! The 86th floor Observatory, with its 360-degree view of the Big Apple, is reached by high-speed elevators and has both a glass-enclosed area and spacious outdoor promenades on all four sides of the building. High-powered binoculars are available as well as an audio tour and corresponding signage, so visitors will know exactly what they’re seeing.
Recalling “An Affair to Remember,” when you next visit the city, don’t do a Deborah Kerr. Be careful crossing the street so you’ll safely arrive at the Observation Deck and take advantage of that impossibly stunning and forever view which gives the Empire State Building its most iconic status.
www.esbnyc.com.
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