Empire State:
The world's tallest building for over 40 years, this hulking structure
(once known as the "Empty State Building" because of difficulty in renting office space) can still make the heart
of a gee-whiz tourist stop cold. It's the observatory that does it -- take in Manhattan and the surrounding
burroughs 1,250 feet above the swirling masses below. The building's most famous appearance: as a perch from which
King Kong can grab army planes in the 1933 Hollywood classic.
LOCATION:
350 5th Ave. at 34 St. Take the B,D,F,Q, N or R to 34th St.- Penn Station. OPEN: 9:30am - Midnight daily
Chrysler Building:
Although it lost its title as the world's tallest building to the Empire
State Building, there's no denying this Art Deco gem's place as the empitome of architectural sophistication and grace.
Completed in 1930, the Chrysler Building was built on the order of company founder Walter P. Chrysler, who wanted a New York
headquarters that would symbolize the automobile age. And it does. The famous spire was designed to resemble a car radiator grill; stainless stell gargoyles replicate
the hood ornament of the 1929 Chrysler Plymouth. The lobby, its ceiling painted with cars from the '20s, was once used as
a showroom for Chrysler's finest models.
LOCATION:
405 Lexington Ave. and 42nd St. Take the subway to Grand Central. OPEN: Office hours
Radio City:
The glamour of the Rockettes may have lost some of its sheen since the dance
group's heyday 60 years ago, but their name is what cements Radio City's claim to fame. Along with the Rockettes'
sell-out Christmas special, the Art Deco building also showcases acts from Riverdance to Tina Turner.
LOCATION:
1260 6th Ave. at 50th St. Take the B,D, F or Q to Rockefeller Center
Grand Central Station:
After a prolonged slide into delapidation and decay (a whopping 500,000
travelers pass through every day), this 1913 Beaux Arts masterpiece
is finally getting the restoration (by architects Beyer Blinder Belle) it deserves. One attention-getter-in-waiting: the
main terminal's medieval-style vaulted ceiling, decorated with 2,5000 stars. And the famous Grand Central Oyster Bar.
It's all under wraps now, but definitely worth a sneak peek if you can find an obliging worker.
LOCATION:
E. 42nd St. at Park Ave. Take the 4,5,6,7, or S to
Grand Central. OPEN: 5:30am -1:30am daily
