Empire State Building - 86th or 102nd floor?

[jimbob]

I'm going to be spending a few days in the city and will be taking a few friends to the observation deck. The last time that I went, we went to the 86th floor observation deck and had a great time. I visited the official site: http://www.esbnyc.com/ planning on purchasing and printing tickets for the 86th floor observation deck.

But then the 102nd floor caught my eye. I can't buy tickets online for it, but I don't know enough to make a qualified decision. Does anybody have a recommendation? Is the 102nd just like the 86th or is it glass enclosed like the Sears' Tower?

I'm leaning towards just buying and printing tixs for the 86th but wanted to hear from anyone that may have an opinion. TIA

[Allen256]

Last time I was on the top was May of 1991. My memories of that floor are a small cramped circular room all glassed in reached by an elevator that had a lever to move it up or down. There is a stairway going up to a higher floor that has an outdoor observation deck that was never opened to the public.

You might not find this interesting but I did. The floor that most people think is the 102nd floor is really the 101st. The floor with the observation deck that was never opened to the public is the 102nd floor. Originally management had plans of using the 102nd floor as a mooring for blimps, but abandoned the idea after the Hindenburg accident. In order to have tourists think that they were on the highest floor they started calling the public observation deck "the 102nd floor" and most people don't know there is a higher floor.

If you look closely at pictures number 5 and 6 of the tower on the esbnyc.com website (click on virtual tour => the tower) you can see the outdoor observation deck. (Contrary to what is written under the fifth picture "The Empire State Building Tower was once used as a mooring mast for Air Blimps. ", the mooring mast never got passed the testing stage.) The floor right underneath, all glassed in, is the newly re-opened observation deck.

[4sigma]

I recommend that you make one out of origami. It's cheaper than buying the tickets, and you can look down from above the top if you want to.

[QMO]

Originally Posted by jimbob

I visited the official site: http://www.esbnyc.com/

I just went to the official site, and learned something very interesting.

I can lease the 13th floor! (Or could if I had the money.)
I didn't even know it had a 13th floor. I thought that people around here didn't put 13th floors in buildings. In the building where I work, for example, there are floors 1 through 22, but no 13.

I guess I just don't have anough experience with 13+ story buildings.

[persephone_ashes]

i went to the empire state building about 9 months ago. when we were doing the tour there was never any mention of having a choice to go higher. everyone was herded through the same lines to go in the same elevators and that was it.

[jimbob]

Originally Posted by 4sigma

I recommend that you make one out of origami.

I could do that but I'd be worried that the Googlemonkey would show up and disrupt my day.

[actexp]

Originally Posted by jimbob

I'm going to be spending a few days in the city and will be taking a few friends to the observation deck. The last time that I went, we went to the 86th floor observation deck and had a great time. I visited the official site: http://www.esbnyc.com/ planning on purchasing and printing tickets for the 86th floor observation deck.

But then the 102nd floor caught my eye. I can't buy tickets online for it, but I don't know enough to make a qualified decision. Does anybody have a recommendation? Is the 102nd just like the 86th or is it glass enclosed like the Sears' Tower?

I'm leaning towards just buying and printing tixs for the 86th but wanted to hear from anyone that may have an opinion. TIA

try going to the 86th and then scaling the outside of the building up to the top of the tower

[Allen256]

Originally Posted by persephone_ashes

i went to the empire state building about 9 months ago. when we were doing the tour there was never any mention of having a choice to go higher. everyone was herded through the same lines to go in the same elevators and that was it.

It was reopened on November 1st 2005, probably to compete with Rockefeller Center which reopended their observation deck, Top Of The Rock, on that same day, after being closed for about 20 years.

[Woodrow]

No idea what floor I went to, but I strongly suggest buying the express tickets that let you skip all the lines. It's about twice the price and well worth it. If at any time on your way up you slow down, wave your express pass around and someone will usher you past all the common people.

[Phil]

Originally Posted by QMO

I just went to the official site, and learned something very interesting.

I can lease the 13th floor! (Or could if I had the money.)
I didn't even know it had a 13th floor.

What's called the "13th floor" is really the fourteenth floor.