The Empire State Building, located at 350 5th Avenue at W 34th Street, is a must-see landmark for anyone visiting New York City. Every day, tourists from around the globe visit this iconic building to check out the stunning 360-degree views of the city from the observation deck located on the 86th floor. On a clear day, you can see Central Park, New Jersey, Manhattan and even Massachusetts. To get to the observatory floor, expect to pay $21 for adults and $14 for children. An additional $6 can be paid for the prerecorded audio tour as well.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vqZuzLBdl8 

Built in 1931 at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and W 34th Street, the 102-story Empire State Building was the tallest building in the world at 1,250 feet, plus the 203-foot pinnacle, until the World Trade Center's North Tower was built in 1972. It has been named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Engineers. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. With the attack on the WTC in 2001, the Empire State Building became New York City's tallest building once more. It is the third tallest skyscraper in the United States after Chicago's Willis "Sears" Tower and Trump International Hotel and Tower, and the 15th tallest in the world. 

The building was designed by William F. Lamb from the top down in the early 19th Century. Financing came from John J. Raskob and Pierre S. du Pont. Construction began on March 17, 1930 and involved 3,400 workers and iron workers. The ribbon was cut on May 1, 1931, 410 days after building started. It cost nearly $41 million to erect.

The Empire State Building includes 85 stories of commercial and office space. Excluding the observation deck, the other 16 stories represent the Art Deco tower. It has 6,500 windows and 73 elevators. About 1,000 businesses and 21,000 employees are housed within. It even has its own zip code - 10118.

The tower lights change often to celebrate different occasions. May 20-22, 2011, for instance, the Empire State Building will display blue and white lights on the North and South sides, while the East and West sides will sport blue and orange lights for the New York Mets and the New York Yankees "Subway Series." Earth Day and St. Patrick's Day have the building in green lights; red, white and blue for President's Day and Independence Day; and red, pink and white for Valentine's Day among many other celebratory days throughout the year. Visit the website to find out what color combinations are coming up for your visit.

On February 1, you could catch the Empire State Building Annual Run-Up where athletes from around the world come to race up the buildings 1,576 steps to the observatory floor. As of 2011, Thomas Dold of Germany took first place for the sixth year in a row with a time of 10 minutes and 10 seconds.http://www.esbnyc.com/current_events_esb_nyc.asp 

Among the famous and notable visitors to the Empire State Building over the years are Fidel Castro, President Bill Clinton, Emeril Lagasse, Cyndi Lauper, Harry Connick, Jr., Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Johnny Damon, Oscar De La Hoya, Celine Dion, Hilary Duff, Roger Federer, Calista Flockhart, Michael J. Fox, Whoopi Goldberg, Melanie Griffith, David Hasselhoff, Ethan Hawke, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sir Ian McKellen and many, many more.http://www.esbnyc.com/explore_esb_famous_visitors.asp