Iconic New York Skyscraper Celebrates Birthday

Birthday this week for one of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world and a symbol of New York City.

The Empire State Building is a 102-story, Art Deco-style supertall skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname  of the state of New York.

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The site of the Empire State Building, on the west side of Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets, was developed in 1893 as the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. In 1929, Empire State Inc. acquired the site and devised plans for a skyscraper there. The design for the Empire State Building was changed fifteen times until it was ensured to be the world's tallest building. Construction started on March 17, 1930, and the building opened just over a year later on May 1, 1931

The building has a roof height of 1,250 feet and stands a total of 1,454 feet tall, including its antenna. The Empire State Building was the world's tallest building until the first tower of the World Trade Center was topped out in 1970; following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Empire State Building was once more New York City's tallest building until it was surpassed in 2012 by One World Trade Center. As of 2025, the building is the eighth-tallest building in New York City, the tenth-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States, and the 59th-tallest completed skyscraper in the world.

Happy 94th Birthday to the Empire State Building

The iconic Empire State Building turned 94 years old on Thursday, May 1. The official Empire State Building Facebook page posted a short video clip featuring the iconic building in a nighttime setting with flashing lights and TODAY IS MY 94TH BIRTHDAY written in all caps. See video below.

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TODAY IS MY 94TH BIRTHDAY