Empire State Building (The)
Monumental Building
Back to Empire State Building (The)
Reviewed by: Em from Bath, Avon, GBR on Jul 13, 2007
I went up the Rockefeller Center first. It was great, the most fun I've had in New York. Breathtaking. Then I went up the Empire State Building. It needs a new name, something that accurately reflects its status as an interminable collection of queues. The inside of the building is absolutely dire and unfinished; windows covered in brown paper, bare lightbulbs hanging from twists of wire, exposed pipes and crumbling concrete. They claim to be refurbishing it (of course, they don't tell you in advance that the place is currently a building site) but frankly given the cost I'm not inclined to make that many allowances - and a friend of mine who visited several years ago tells me that it was that way then, too. I wouldn't know what the view was like. They allow so many people up to the observation deck at any one time that the place is heaving - there's an average of three people between you and any kind of view. From what little I actually managed to see, I don't see that it's any better than the view from the Rockefeller center. The best thing about the building was the simulated helicopter tour of NYC, which was in any case something I paid extra to see. In short, people, the only good thing about this experience is that you can now tell people you've been up the Empire State Building. It's not worth it.
Would you recommend this to a friend?
No
Why? / Why Not?
Unfinished, interminably long queues, expensive - extortionately so. It's a waste of time.
The lighting of the building for such events as celebrating 60 years of communism is an event that should have never taken place. This is a world known building and it stands on ground that stands for FREEDOM.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Sep 30 2009
* My husband and I both loved the view from the 86th floor. You can see so much from the top of the Empire State Building and we enjoyed getting the perspective of the city. We happened to be there on a day that had near-perfect weather, and since the view from the 86th floor is out-of-doors, around the building, it was great.
Reviewed by: Marcia from on Sep 22 2009
The lines never end! By the time you get to the top you wan't to kill yourself...
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Sep 19 2009
The employees were playful but only with each other. The were inattentive to their customers. Upon leaving one of them actually was upset that I walked with a cane and slowed down his line and when another employee said that was not cool he said why should I care I'll never see him again. So if you are disabled or injured bare in mind you are not welcome at the empire state building. Thanks for ruining a one in a lifetime experience. The Rock's observatory glass at the top instead of metal grates anyway so I would recommend going there instead.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Sep 14 2009
There is a line for everything. Buying tickets, security, then you have to take multiple elevators, and a line for all of those... and when we went it wasn't as "busy" as usual.
Reviewed by: Jaclyn from on Aug 27 2009
We made the mistake of visiting the building during a (super fun) trip to NY in December. We waited in line probably for 4 hours or more, and after endless lines that drag very slowly through various rooms and floors, we found ourselves among so many people at the top, that it was very hard to find a spot to enjoy the view from. Besides very crowded, it was very cold and windy up there, and... already getting dark - we had planned to see it during the day, some 5 hours earlier! I have various suggestions to the greedy and disrespectful managers of the building: do advise the public of the waiting duration, and do limit the numbers of visitors per day, so everyone has a chance to actually enjoy the view. We'll not visit the ESB again or recommend it to anyone.
Reviewed by: maria from on Aug 16 2009
I loved the Empire State Building... The forthought that went into the building is absolutely amazing, the observation deck gives a wonderful panorama view of the city an river. Even if you have to wait in line it is worth it...
Reviewed by: Okiesilly from on Aug 16 2009
Lines that seem to never end--very deceptive length of wait (multiple stops). Heavy crowds at the end--the result may be enjoyable, but the cost, wait, and overall time spent make this one of the worst values in New York. Never again!!
Reviewed by: Joe from on Aug 16 2009
It is a much better idea to go to "The Top of the Rock." This is what they call the observation deck at Rockefeller Center. It has 3 floors of viewing, all of which are outside. You'll get a unobstructed view of the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, all of central park and all 5 boughs behind a 7' plexiglass wall. Why wait an hour and pay more to view the city from inside the Empire State Building when you there is practically no wait here. You can reserve a time slot online to get to the front of the line if you want to go at a busy time. Also you get a free .mp3 download that is an hour long and tells a lot of interesting things you would never know about "The Top of the Rock" and all of NYC.
Reviewed by: eric from on Aug 16 2009
I grew up in NYC and have lived nearby all my life. For my money, the best views of the city are 26 blocks to the north atop what's now called the GE Building. That observation deck is a spacious patio protected by transparent plexiglass as opposed to the tight quarters at the Empire State's 86th floor observatory with its high walls or the narrow portals from the indoor view at the 102nd floor.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Aug 15 2009
Monumental Building
Back to Empire State Building (The)
Reviewed by: Em from Bath, Avon, GBR on Jul 13, 2007
I went up the Rockefeller Center first. It was great, the most fun I've had in New York. Breathtaking. Then I went up the Empire State Building. It needs a new name, something that accurately reflects its status as an interminable collection of queues. The inside of the building is absolutely dire and unfinished; windows covered in brown paper, bare lightbulbs hanging from twists of wire, exposed pipes and crumbling concrete. They claim to be refurbishing it (of course, they don't tell you in advance that the place is currently a building site) but frankly given the cost I'm not inclined to make that many allowances - and a friend of mine who visited several years ago tells me that it was that way then, too. I wouldn't know what the view was like. They allow so many people up to the observation deck at any one time that the place is heaving - there's an average of three people between you and any kind of view. From what little I actually managed to see, I don't see that it's any better than the view from the Rockefeller center. The best thing about the building was the simulated helicopter tour of NYC, which was in any case something I paid extra to see. In short, people, the only good thing about this experience is that you can now tell people you've been up the Empire State Building. It's not worth it.
Would you recommend this to a friend?
No
Why? / Why Not?
Unfinished, interminably long queues, expensive - extortionately so. It's a waste of time.
The lighting of the building for such events as celebrating 60 years of communism is an event that should have never taken place. This is a world known building and it stands on ground that stands for FREEDOM.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Sep 30 2009
* My husband and I both loved the view from the 86th floor. You can see so much from the top of the Empire State Building and we enjoyed getting the perspective of the city. We happened to be there on a day that had near-perfect weather, and since the view from the 86th floor is out-of-doors, around the building, it was great.
Reviewed by: Marcia from on Sep 22 2009
The lines never end! By the time you get to the top you wan't to kill yourself...
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Sep 19 2009
The employees were playful but only with each other. The were inattentive to their customers. Upon leaving one of them actually was upset that I walked with a cane and slowed down his line and when another employee said that was not cool he said why should I care I'll never see him again. So if you are disabled or injured bare in mind you are not welcome at the empire state building. Thanks for ruining a one in a lifetime experience. The Rock's observatory glass at the top instead of metal grates anyway so I would recommend going there instead.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Sep 14 2009
There is a line for everything. Buying tickets, security, then you have to take multiple elevators, and a line for all of those... and when we went it wasn't as "busy" as usual.
Reviewed by: Jaclyn from on Aug 27 2009
We made the mistake of visiting the building during a (super fun) trip to NY in December. We waited in line probably for 4 hours or more, and after endless lines that drag very slowly through various rooms and floors, we found ourselves among so many people at the top, that it was very hard to find a spot to enjoy the view from. Besides very crowded, it was very cold and windy up there, and... already getting dark - we had planned to see it during the day, some 5 hours earlier! I have various suggestions to the greedy and disrespectful managers of the building: do advise the public of the waiting duration, and do limit the numbers of visitors per day, so everyone has a chance to actually enjoy the view. We'll not visit the ESB again or recommend it to anyone.
Reviewed by: maria from on Aug 16 2009
I loved the Empire State Building... The forthought that went into the building is absolutely amazing, the observation deck gives a wonderful panorama view of the city an river. Even if you have to wait in line it is worth it...
Reviewed by: Okiesilly from on Aug 16 2009
Lines that seem to never end--very deceptive length of wait (multiple stops). Heavy crowds at the end--the result may be enjoyable, but the cost, wait, and overall time spent make this one of the worst values in New York. Never again!!
Reviewed by: Joe from on Aug 16 2009
It is a much better idea to go to "The Top of the Rock." This is what they call the observation deck at Rockefeller Center. It has 3 floors of viewing, all of which are outside. You'll get a unobstructed view of the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, all of central park and all 5 boughs behind a 7' plexiglass wall. Why wait an hour and pay more to view the city from inside the Empire State Building when you there is practically no wait here. You can reserve a time slot online to get to the front of the line if you want to go at a busy time. Also you get a free .mp3 download that is an hour long and tells a lot of interesting things you would never know about "The Top of the Rock" and all of NYC.
Reviewed by: eric from on Aug 16 2009
I grew up in NYC and have lived nearby all my life. For my money, the best views of the city are 26 blocks to the north atop what's now called the GE Building. That observation deck is a spacious patio protected by transparent plexiglass as opposed to the tight quarters at the Empire State's 86th floor observatory with its high walls or the narrow portals from the indoor view at the 102nd floor.
Reviewed by: A Yahoo! Contributor from on Aug 15 2009
Hotel Deals
Travel Deals
Map
City Committee
