The Empire State Building remains a popular place to visit in New York City.
The structure sits in a central part of New York’s Manhattan area. It was built at a time when many developers were racing to become the first to complete the world’s tallest building.
Construction on the Empire State Building started in January 1930. Building operations began two months later. The structure went up very quickly, with workers completing framing for the structure at a rate of about four-and-a-half floors per week.
When completed in 1931, the Empire State Building was just over 443 meters tall, with 102 floors. The measurement included a 62-meter-tall lightening pole on top. It was the world’s tallest building at the time and remained so for more than 40 years.
On May 1, 1931, the president of the United States, Herbert Hoover, took part in an opening ceremony. He pressed a button that turned on the lights to officially open the building.
By 1946, the Empire State Building had become the headquarters for numerous organizations and supported more than 15,000 employees. But over time, the building never became as popular with large companies as the developers had hoped. Today, the structure houses mostly small businesses.
The Empire State Building opened during the Great Depression, a long-lasting economic crisis that affected the U.S. and other economies around the world. This resulted in lower than predicted building costs. The structure alone cost about $25 million, while the cost of the land brought the price up to more than $40 million.
Today, New York City officials estimate that more than 2.5 million people visit the Empire State Building each year. At least half the visitors come from other countries.
The building has observation areas on two floors. The first is on the 86th floor and the other on the 102nd. The upper area has top-to-bottom windows on all sides to provide 360-degree views of the city skyline. Building officials say that on a clear day, visitors can see up to 120 kilometers.
On the way up, visitors can stop at an exhibit area on the second floor. Among the things to see there is a model of the moving hand used in the popular 1933 movie King Kong. In the film, King Kong climbs the Empire State Building. The huge creature is then attacked by military planes and falls to his death.
The Empire State Building appears in many pictures and films. It also disproves a common saying that “lightning never strikes the same place twice.” Lightning actually strikes the Empire State Building an average of 25 times a year.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Steve Ember and Faith Lapidus reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Bryan Lynn adapted the report.
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Words in This Story
construction –n. the act of physically building a large or extensive structure
frame – n. the basic structure of a building that carries its weight
exhibit – n. an area that displays objects to the public, such as works of art or historical items
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