Empire State Building
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Empire State Building

After so many years of visiting New York, it was time for the one thing left on my to do list: visit the Empire State Building.

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December 15, 2022
3 min read

Standing on the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, I was struck by the fact that I’d never been to the observation deck of the Empire State Building. I’d even been to the Vancouver Lookout in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada – and hadn’t made it to the Empire State Building!

So, I promised myself that the next time I was in New York, I’d try and make it up to the top.

I really loved how the Empire State Building museum is integrated into the pathway to the express elevators to the observation decks. It was so lovely to turn a corner and see memories from various decades of the past.

What they don’t tell you is that even if you bought the 86th floor access ticket, you’re first dropped off on the 80th floor. Now, the 80th floor is great. But, if you want to go to the 86th floor, you have two options:

1) Wait about 20 minutes for the elevator

or

2) Take the stairs.

I took the stairs up to the 86th floor – and was better for it.

That’s not to say that I – or the wave of people who climbed up alongside me – particularly loved the fact that we were taking the stairs in the Empire State Building. But, there’s something to be said about completing a WTF task with other people, in a moment in time. There’s a selected common goal and an unconscious camaraderie in reaching it.

Getting to the outdoor observation deck, I was greeted with some of the most incredible views of New York I’ve ever seen.


Empire State Building


20 W 34th St
New York, New York 10001

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