New York City is known for many things, but it is most famous for its skyscrapers.
It all began with religious cathedrals;
the Trinity Church, which stood 280 feet tall when completed in 1846, was the city's first "skyscraper."
The "construction mania" for the tallest, most competitive commercial skyscraper began in the late 1800s.
Since then, many stunning skyscrapers have risen,
piercing the sky and enhancing Manhattan's reputation as the city with the most distinctive towers.
In this list, we review the top 10 most iconic skyscrapers in New York.
10. THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in New York City's Midtown Manhattan.
Shreve, Lamb & Harmon designed it, and it was built between 1930 and 1931.
Its name is taken from the nickname "Empire State" given to the state of New York.
The structure stands 1,454 feet (443.2 m) tall, including its antenna, with a roof height of 1,250 feet (380 m).
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931, built-in just a little over a year after its foundation was laid in January 1930.
It dethroned the Chrysler Building as the world's highest skyscraper, a position it held for nearly 40 years.
When it was completed, the skyscraper struggled to fill its office space with commercial tenants,
earning it the infamous nickname "The Empty State." It was, after all, during the depths of the Great Depression.
The millions of visitors who bought tickets and rushed to the building's highest observation deck protected it from destruction.
The Empire State Building is still famous today for its stunning panoramic views and its neon lights, which change depending on the occasion and shine each night brightly after dark.
9.THE CHRYSLER BUILDING
In New York and throughout the world, the Chrysler Building is one of the most well-known structures. It was built in the 1930s in the elegant Art Deco style, which was popular.
It used to have a top observation deck, similar to the Empire State Building.
Still, it was permanently closed to visitors in 1945.
The Chrysler Skyscraper was also the world's tallest building for a little more than a year before the Empire State Building overtook it. Another building, located at 40 Wall Street, was competing for the title at its construction.
Because the 40 Wall Street and the Chrysler Buildings were built simultaneously,
the Chrysler Building's architect inserted a hidden, narrow spire (125 feet, or 38 meters) inside the summit.
After 40 Wall Street opened amid great fanfare in April 1930, winning the title of "World's tallest structure,"
the Chrysler Building lifted its steel spire from within the crown just a few weeks later,
taking the fame and title from its less creative competitor. (And that’s why we call it the “construction craze”!).
8. THE FLATIRON BUILDING
The Flatiron Building, formerly the Fuller Building,
is a triangular 22-story, 285-foot-tall (86.9 m)
steel-framed landmarked building located at 175 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan's eponymous Flatiron District neighborhood.
It was one of the city's highest buildings when it was completed in 1902, at 20 stories high.
It was one of just two "skyscrapers" north of 14th Street —
the other being the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, one block east.
The structure is situated on a triangular block created by Fifth Avenue, Broadway, and East 22nd Street —
the building's 87-foot (27-meter) back end – with East 23rd Street touching the triangle's northern (uptown) apex.
The name "Flatiron" comes from its resemblance to a cast-iron clothes iron, as it does with many other wedge-shaped structures.
When the structure was first unveiled to the public, it drew much criticism, as did its current appellation, "the flatiron building," which began as a nickname.
Some residents do not believe the construction will last longer and are placing bets on when toppled by one of the city's frequent strong gusts of wind.
The building "survived" and quickly became one of Manhattan's most iconic and widely popular sights.
7.ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER (ALSO KNOWN AS ‘THE FREEDOM TOWER’)
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The supertall tower shares the same name as the old World Trade Center's North Tower,
which was demolished in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
On the original 6 World Trade Center location, the new tower stands on the northwest corner of the 16-acre World Trade Center complex.
The building is bordered on the west by West Street, the north by Vesey Street, the south by Fulton Street, and the east by Washington Street.
The beautiful tower has a very significant, symbolic meaning, especially for
the New Yorkers. It represents hope, growth, a new beginning,
and the strong will and the tough resilience of the city in the face of evil, terrorism, destruction, and horror.
It was designed with enhanced security features inside and in a beautiful layout,
undoubtedly making it one of the most recognizable and popular sights in due time.
6.WOOLWORTH BUILDING
The Woolworth Building is a National Historic Landmark for a reason:
it is one of the city's most recognizable and historically significant structures.
It was created by Frank Woolworth, a great innovator, and self-made millionaire.
They once had over a thousand retail establishments.
With its marble floors and steps, gargoyle heads, and a stunning mezzanine, the building was formerly known as "The Cathedral of Commerce."
It is worth a short guided tour with a fast review of its history, hidden gems, and overall significance.
From 1913 (when it first opened) to 1930, the Woolworth Building was one of its tallest structures.
The existing U.S. president at the time, Woodrow Wilson, had participated in the inauguration event by sending a telegram from the White House on the day it was opened.
The President's message was the signal to turn on the Woolworth Building's illumination for the first time,
which contained over eighty thousand lights.
Until this day, it is still a functioning office building.
However, some of its upper floors have been converted into high-priced penthouses offered for sale to rich buyers
5.30 ROCK – ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
30 Rockefeller Plaza (or just 30 Rock) is one of the most well-known structures in Midtown Manhattan's huge Rockefeller Center.
The center was erected by the Rockefeller family, a well-known American rich family.
It is made up of 19 buildings that are spread out over four blocks
(between 48th and 51st streets and 5th and 6th Avenues).
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and offers stunning views of Manhattan, is the tallest skyscraper on the site.
Its top deck, dubbed 'The Top of the Rock,' is placed on an open-air, 360-degree panoramic platform on the 70th level.
Since 30 Rockefeller Plaza was built in the early 1930s, it was also designed in a magnificent Art Deco style common to that period.
The exquisite decorations and murals, particularly those in front of the building,
such as the beautiful bronze gilded statue of Prometheus,
make it well worth a visit Inside the tower, NBC, Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,
Late Night with Seth Meyers, and many other well-known companies have offices and studios.
4.THE METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY TOWER (‘MET LIFE TOWER’)
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, also known as the Met Life Tower or the South Building, is a skyscraper in Manhattan's Flatiron District that spans a whole block.
The structure is divided into two sections: a 700-foot-tall (210-meter) tower at Madison Avenue and 24th Street in the block's northwest corner,
and a shorter east wing surrounded by Madison Avenue, Park Avenue South, 23rd Street, and 24th Street in the remainder of the block.
The Metropolitan Home Office Complex, which includes the South Building and the North Building directly across 24th Street,
was formerly the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company headquarters.
The tower of the South Building was designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons
and constructed between 1905 and 1909.
The tower, which was inspired by St Mark's Campanile and included four clock faces, four bells, and lit beacons at its summit, .
was the world's highest building until 1913. The tower originally included Metropolitan Life's offices.
Since 2015, it has contained a 273-room luxury hotel known as the New York Edition Hotel.
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the tower as a city landmark in 1989.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 1978, it was designated as a National Historic Landmark
3.MANHATTAN MUNICIPAL BUILDING
As it is currently known, the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building is a stunning 40-story structure directly across from City Hall.
It was constructed after Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island merged in 1898 to establish New York City, a massive metropolis.
The Local Building was built due to the newly consolidated municipal governments' need for more space to house their expanding departments.
One interesting legend about the Municipal Building states that the famous Russian dictator, Josef Stalin, fell in love with it upon seeing it in a photograph.
It later inspired him to construct other structures throughout the Soviet Union in a similar 'Stalinist' style, including the Moscow University's core building.
Civic Fame is the name of the gorgeous golden monument that rests atop the Municipal Building.
It was fashioned of gilded copper and holds a crown (representing the five boroughs) in one hand and a shield with the New York City Coat of Arms in the other.
2.NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE BUILDING
The New York Life Building, located at 51 Madison Avenue in New York City, is the headquarters of the New York Life Insurance Company.
The Cass Gilbert-designed structure is located near Madison Square Park in Manhattan's Rose Hill and NoMad neighborhoods.
It takes up a whole city block, with Madison Avenue, Park Avenue South, and 26th and 27th Streets as its boundaries.
The Gothic Revival elements on the New York Life Building are identical to Gilbert's prior commissions, such as 90 West Street and the Woolworth Building.
The skyscraper is 40 stories tall, with 34 office stories and a gilded six-story pyramidal roof.
At the time of the building's construction, many structures were being built in the Art Deco style.
So Gilbert's design incorporated Art Deco influences in its massing while retaining the older-style Gothic Revival detailing.
The gilded roof of the New York Life Building stands out against the skyline.
The New York Life Insurance Building's talented architect was none other than Cass Gilbert, who also designed the famous Woolworth Building.
There's a small visitor center inside the main lobby, which provides a brief history of this marvelous structure, which is definitely worth a quick stop.
1.THE E.V. HAUGHWOUT BUILDING
Upon glancing at this five-story building, your first reaction might be – why is it on the 'skyscrapers' list? It's not just because the E.V. The Haughwout Building is the oldest on the list,
predating all of the skyscrapers above,
but also because it has the world's first passenger elevator!
Elisha Graves Otis, an American inventor, devised the original safety device that prevented elevators from falling
even if their supporting wires failed at the same time.
The building is located in a chic downtown neighborhood called Chic, which is home to numerous artists, celebrities,
and a great number of various small and big department stores.
It was made of cast iron – an innovation at the time of its completion.
It used to be home to the original Eder V. Haughwout's megastore that sold very expensive and delicate china, silverware, chandeliers, and more.
Among its rich and famous clientele was Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of the legendary President Abraham Lincoln,
who bought a set of beautiful, new china to decorate the White House.
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No city's skyline is quite as iconic or beautiful as New York City's.
Chicago may be the place where the skyscraper was born.
Cities like Seattle and San Francisco have recognizable landmarks.
Still, New York is where some of the world's most important buildings can be found—
the Empire State Building,
the Chrysler Building,
the Seagram Building.
The above are some of the iconic buildings. Let us know what you think about these buildings. Thanks for watching.