The Empire State Building Observatory

Going up a true icon

We arrive at the Empire State Building thinking it’s basically the must?do in New York. We go through security, step into the elevators, and they shoot up so fast that we try guessing the floor… and give up immediately. When the doors open, we walk onto the observation deck and the view hits us right away. Manhattan stretches out in every direction, and even though we’ve seen it in photos a thousand times, seeing it for real is something else.

Enjoying the view at our own pace

We walk around slowly, spotting neighborhoods we’ve already visited and pointing out places we passed the day before. At one point, we ask another visitor to take a picture of us, and he frames it so wide that we’re tiny dots in the corner. We keep the photo anyway — it’s part of the memory. Even with the crowd, the atmosphere feels relaxed, and we like being able to take our time.

A classic that still delivers

What we appreciate here is how straightforward the experience is. No big show, no immersive effects — just New York from above. And honestly, that’s enough. We head back down thinking that even if other observatories are more modern, this one still has something special.

Practical info

- Address: 20 W 34th St, New York.
- Observatories: 86th floor (outdoor) and 102nd floor (indoor).
-    Hours: open daily, often late into the evening.
- Tickets: booking online is recommended to skip the line.
- Visit duration: around 1 to 1.5 hours.

Photos The Empire State Building Observatory

Photos credits : © Frenchies on Trip. The reproduction is forbidden without authorization.