The iconic Empire State Building has been a symbol of the Big Apple since its completion in 1931. NYC's former tallest star has been featured in around a hundred films and countless skyline snapshots, and heading to the top is as quintessentially New York as pastrami, rye and pickles. Built on the site of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, the Art Deco limestone tower cost a mere $41 million, using seven million hours of labor, 10 million bricks, 60,000 tons of steel, 6400 windows and 328,000 sq ft of marble. Many of the workers were members of the Mohawk nation who came to New York from Kahnawake to ply their trade and earned the nickname "skywalkers" due to their affinity for heights.

The Empire State Building stands 1454ft from top to bottom and boasts two observation decks: the open-air 86th-floor deck and the enclosed 102nd-floor deck. Both offer spectacular views of the five boroughs, four neighboring states, and up to 80 miles in the distance on a clear day. Sunset is especially beautiful from the top, as the city dons its nighttime cloak in dusk’s afterglow. Over the years, the Empire State Building has been scaled by King Kong, drawn lovers together in films, and lit up in tribute to front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains the queen bee of the New York skyline and is recognized by Manhattanites and visitors all over the world.