Art Deco icon of Midtown South Manhattan

The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan. Standing 1,454 feet (443.2 meters) tall including its antenna, it served as the world's tallest building until 1970. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, it was once again New York City's tallest building until it was surpassed by One World Trade Center in 2012.

Designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, construction began on March 17, 1930, and the building opened thirteen and a half months later on May 1, 1931. The site was originally developed in 1893 as the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel before Empire State Inc. acquired it in 1929. During the design process, plans were changed fifteen times to ensure the skyscraper would be the world's tallest. Despite favorable publicity, the building's owners did not make a profit until the early 1950s due to the Great Depression and World War II.

Today, the building is a popular attraction, welcoming around four million tourists annually to the observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors. Its facade is clad in Indiana limestone, giving it a signature blonde color, and it features geometric decorative elements typical of pre-World War II architecture. It remains an international cultural icon, having been featured in more than 250 television series and films since 1933.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons