Empire State Building, New York

The Empire State Building is a skyscraper located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street in New York City, USA. Its name derives from the nickname of the State of New York. It was the tallest building in the world for forty years, from its completion in 1931 to 1971, when the North Tower of the World Trade Center was completed. After the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the Empire State Building again became the tallest building in New York City and New York State, until it was surpassed again by One World Trade Center on April 30, 2012, with the Empire State Building coming in second place. Today, the Empire State Building is the seventh tallest building in New York. Including the antenna, its height is 1,453 feet (443 m) making it the third tallest building in New York City behind the One World Trade Center and Central Park Tower

The Empire State Building has been named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The building and its interior are listed as monuments by the New York City Commission to Preserve Historic Monuments, and confirmed by the New York City Board of Estimates. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. The building is owned and operated by W&H Properties.

The site of the Empire State Building was first developed as the John Thomson Farm in the late 18th century. At that time, a stream ran through the site, flowing into Sunfish Pond, located one block away. The site was later occupied by the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in the late 19th century, and was frequented by the “Four Hundred”, New York’s social elite.