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Tuesday 10th September - Empire State Building New York
I could talk forever about how wonderful this building is. Perhaps the only buildings anywhere that are more stunning to look at are just down the road, The Chrysler Building, or the lesser-known Chanin Building which is simply the most stylish piece of architecture ever. But, there is something so magnificent about the Empire State that just gazing up at it from the pavement takes your breath away. Perhaps it has something to do with a big monkey climbing up it; perhaps it is because it is the biggest thing I have ever seen, I’m not sure. It is so beautiful it almost makes you want to cry.
Alright, I’m an Art Deco fanatic and this is a Kleenex moment, but even the numbers over the door look so goddamn stylish. The lobby, the elevators, even the signs for the elevators… my God… This is what heaven must look like.
Alright, I’m an Art Deco fanatic and this is a Kleenex moment, but even the numbers over the door look so goddamn stylish. The lobby, the elevators, even the signs for the elevators… my God… This is what heaven must look like.
Now, Fish, he was not happy about this 86 floor ride to the top of the world. But, unlike Usher and Chig who are plebeian philistines of the highest order, Fish did join Gash and me. Ush and Chig elected to drink beer in a bar at the base of this marvellous structure, rather than take a trip to the top. Some folks you just can’t reach…
We paid our $9 (the best $9 I have ever spent, by the way!) and got into an elevator. The doors close and you cannot help but look at the readout of the floor numbers. You know that these are express elevators to the 80th floor but even so when you see the floors going up in 10s, you have to blink to make sure you’re not seeing things. In less than a minute you are on the 80th floor and being shown to another elevator for the trip to the 86th floor Observation Platform. Apparently, it is something technical, but you can not physically make an elevator that can go above about 80 floors in one go. Something to do with loads and cables and some other stuff that, quite frankly, was beyond my limited knowledge of maths and physics.
Anyway, when you exit the lift, you walk out and follow everyone else and before you realise it you are outdoors, 86 floors above 34th Street and 5th Avenue
We paid our $9 (the best $9 I have ever spent, by the way!) and got into an elevator. The doors close and you cannot help but look at the readout of the floor numbers. You know that these are express elevators to the 80th floor but even so when you see the floors going up in 10s, you have to blink to make sure you’re not seeing things. In less than a minute you are on the 80th floor and being shown to another elevator for the trip to the 86th floor Observation Platform. Apparently, it is something technical, but you can not physically make an elevator that can go above about 80 floors in one go. Something to do with loads and cables and some other stuff that, quite frankly, was beyond my limited knowledge of maths and physics.
Anyway, when you exit the lift, you walk out and follow everyone else and before you realise it you are outdoors, 86 floors above 34th Street and 5th Avenue
South
Looking due south, in the middle distance are the skyscrapers of the Financial District, where we had been only an hour or so earlier.
Beyond, in the haze, you can make out the impressive span of Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
Just to the right, to the west, in New York Bay you can see The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and to the left, in the east, if you look carefully, you can just make out the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.
In the centre foreground is the Flatiron building and right at the bottom left of the picture, the clock tower of Metropolitan Life Insurance Building.
Looking due south, in the middle distance are the skyscrapers of the Financial District, where we had been only an hour or so earlier.
Beyond, in the haze, you can make out the impressive span of Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
Just to the right, to the west, in New York Bay you can see The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and to the left, in the east, if you look carefully, you can just make out the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.
In the centre foreground is the Flatiron building and right at the bottom left of the picture, the clock tower of Metropolitan Life Insurance Building.
West
Turning to the west, the black spike that dominates the foreground view is One Penn Plaza, which rises above Madison Square Garden. The New Yorker Building is to the right, Macy’s department store can be seen, just in front of Madison Square Garden.
Across the Hudson lies New Jersey, stretching to Newark Airport and the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania in the far distance.
Turning to the west, the black spike that dominates the foreground view is One Penn Plaza, which rises above Madison Square Garden. The New Yorker Building is to the right, Macy’s department store can be seen, just in front of Madison Square Garden.
Across the Hudson lies New Jersey, stretching to Newark Airport and the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania in the far distance.
North
The northern view is probably one of the more familiar views of New York, where so many famous high rise buildings dominate the skyline. On the left, in the distant northwest, lie Connecticut and Massachusetts, which are visible on clear days. At the top left you can just make out the George Washington Bridge, linking New York and New Jersey.
Coming closer you can make out the vast expanse of Central Park and, in the middle of the view, the buff limestone magnificence of the RCA Building (now the GE Building) which rises 70 storeys above Rockerfeller Plaza. Moving east along 5th Avenue, to the right, the distinctive Pan-AM Building (now the Met-Life Building). Behind this, the sloping Citigroup Center stands out strikingly on the skyline. In the right foreground stands the shimmering, silver Chrysler Building, surely the most stunning building on the planet.
In the close ups: the incredible detail of William van Alen’s magnificent Chrysler Building; the black building, topped with gold, is the American Radiator Building; 30 Rock, or “The Slab” as it is lovingly termed, the art deco GE/RCA Building; the last two closeups, I cannot be sure which biuldings they are; so, if you know,email me.
The northern view is probably one of the more familiar views of New York, where so many famous high rise buildings dominate the skyline. On the left, in the distant northwest, lie Connecticut and Massachusetts, which are visible on clear days. At the top left you can just make out the George Washington Bridge, linking New York and New Jersey.
Coming closer you can make out the vast expanse of Central Park and, in the middle of the view, the buff limestone magnificence of the RCA Building (now the GE Building) which rises 70 storeys above Rockerfeller Plaza. Moving east along 5th Avenue, to the right, the distinctive Pan-AM Building (now the Met-Life Building). Behind this, the sloping Citigroup Center stands out strikingly on the skyline. In the right foreground stands the shimmering, silver Chrysler Building, surely the most stunning building on the planet.
In the close ups: the incredible detail of William van Alen’s magnificent Chrysler Building; the black building, topped with gold, is the American Radiator Building; 30 Rock, or “The Slab” as it is lovingly termed, the art deco GE/RCA Building; the last two closeups, I cannot be sure which biuldings they are; so, if you know,email me.
East
On the far left, we can still see the Chrysler Building standing out in stark contrast against its neighbour the black glass, Trump World Tower, the worlds tallest, residential-only building.
To the northeast, across the river, lies Long Island.
Moving further east, towards the centre, is United Nations Plaza and, by the water’s edge, the United Nation’s General Secretariat building.
Due east, is Queens and to the southeast, on the far right, is the Williamsburg Bridge joining Manhattan to Brooklyn, with its wide variety of communities.
On the far left, we can still see the Chrysler Building standing out in stark contrast against its neighbour the black glass, Trump World Tower, the worlds tallest, residential-only building.
To the northeast, across the river, lies Long Island.
Moving further east, towards the centre, is United Nations Plaza and, by the water’s edge, the United Nation’s General Secretariat building.
Due east, is Queens and to the southeast, on the far right, is the Williamsburg Bridge joining Manhattan to Brooklyn, with its wide variety of communities.
And, just to prove that I did take these photos myself and that Fish didn't turn chicken, here are the pics to prove that we did go all the way to the 86th floor.
OK, so Fish did cry like a girl all the time we were up there and had to be sedated, but at least he did it and didn't just sit in a bar on 5th Avenue drinking beer. I think Ush and Chig were just too scared to make the trip.
Gash, as always, looks as cool as a polar bears nads, in spite of the unbelievable heat.
Click here for the next bit
OK, so Fish did cry like a girl all the time we were up there and had to be sedated, but at least he did it and didn't just sit in a bar on 5th Avenue drinking beer. I think Ush and Chig were just too scared to make the trip.
Gash, as always, looks as cool as a polar bears nads, in spite of the unbelievable heat.
Click here for the next bit
