At the corner of 34th and 5th streets, on approximately two acres of land, sits one of man's greatest engineering feats, the grandfather of all modern skyscrapers, the Empire State Building. The 102nd Observatory is 1,453 feet tall and 102 stories above ground, giving us one of the most breathtaking views in the world. As I stood there, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the fact that the building I was in was more than three times older than me. The Empire State Building has become an icon for New York. When someone talks about New York, the first thing that comes to mind is the Empire State Building, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. In 1955, the Empire State Building was named one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the Western Hemisphere. She also became the eighth wonder of the modern world (New York City Insider).Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Excavation began on January 22, 1930 on this building designed by architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates. They started construction on March 17, 1930. They set a rapid pace to build this building, they were going up 4.5 floors a week and flying (Empire State Building information page). When I think about this building, I can't believe how they were able to build this thing so quickly. The tools they had in the 1930s aren't even on the same level as the tools we have today and yet it still stands today as one of the tallest buildings in the world. If you had asked me at the time how high we would be in the year 2000, I probably would have said at least 250 stories and yet we are nowhere near that number. The Empire State Building was completed in 410 days, including Sundays and holidays. In total, it took around 7,000,000 man hours to construct this huge building. The expected cost of the Empire State Building was estimated at around $50,000,000, but thanks to the Depression it only cost $24,718,000, less than half the original price. Then, after adding the price of the land, it jumps up to $40,948,900 (Empire State Building facts). The Empire State Building has its foundations placed 55 feet underground. The basement is 35 feet from the ground that is there. But the lobby is 47 feet above sea level, so I guess you don't have to worry much about flooding (Empire State Building facts). This building was built so sturdily that it doesn't sway, but it actually gives way to high winds about 0.25 inches from the center. With a wind of about 110 mph, that will only be 1.48 inches (Empire State Building trivia). To show how strong the Empire State Building is, in 1945, an Army Air Corps pilot flying in heavy fog crashed his B-25 into the 79th floor, killing 14 people and causing only about 1 million dollars to the building. The structure itself was not affected at all (anecdote about the Empire State Building). There are two observatories on the Empire State Building, the first is at 1050 feet on the 86th floor from where you can have a breathtaking view of the city from inside or outside. . And then, at 1,224 feet, there's the 102nd floor observatory, at the very top of the building. This observatory is indoor only, so you don't feel like you're up there, 102 stories up. But the view is still impressive, unlike anything you've ever seen. In my mind, the best time to see is at night, when the city is all lit up, it's so pretty up there. The Empire State Building has 73.?