High, higher, the Empire State Building
The Empire State Building was peerless after its completionuf A in 1931 - until the 1970s it was the tallest building in the world and the first with over 100 floors. After that, it remained at the top of New York for a long time until the World Trade Center was built - after the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and until the construction of the new World Trade Center, the Empire State Building was once again Manhattan's tallest building. Today it is mainly used for commercial purposes, apart from the tourist observation decks.The Empire State Building in Blockbusters
Hardly any film scene is more famous: The giant ape King Kong terrifies all of New York as he ascends the mighty Empire State Building under attack from fighter planes. But beyond that, the iconic skyscraper was an important backdrop for numerous feature films, such as James Bond or Sleepless in Seattle. In one of the most famous scenes of the 1990s, in the film Independence Day, aliens even blow up the building.
The Empire State Building from the air | Photo: Unsplash, Bryan AngeloAnnual Stair Race
Once a year, the stairwell, which is usually closed to guests, opens. This is for the annual stair-climbing competition, where professional athletes, celebrities, and participants selected by draw complete the 1,576 steps to the 86th floor as quickly as possible - always for a good cause - the proceeds go to disability sports. The men's record is 9 minutes and 33 seconds by the Australian Paul Crake, the women's record is 11 minutes and 23 seconds by the Austrian Andrea Mayr.
The Empire State Building: A very popular motif | Photo: Unsplash, Magnus AnderssonEmpire State Building as Artwork
The huge New York building has not only served as the setting for countless blockbusters. Andy Warhol, probably the best-known representative of pop art, shot an silent art film called Empire, in which the titular skyscraper can be seen in slow motion for eight hours - unbearable for film fans but famously infamous as a Warhol artwork.Unusual transmission tower
Since the 1980s, the antenna on top of the Empire State Building has served as a transmission tower for radio and television stations. However, this was not originally planned. In fact, zeppelins were to be able to dock here, as the skyscraper was equipped with an anchor hook. But after a one-time test with a small airship, this never happened.