The City That Never Sleeps

The tower at the center of this skyline was built in 410 days. Work on the Empire State Building began on March 17, 1930, and it opened on May 1, 1931. At the peak, the steelwork climbed four and a half stories a week, beating the old record of three and a half.

It was a Depression project from the first shovel. It stands 102 stories and 1,250 feet to the roof, and it held the title of tallest building in the world until the World Trade Center's North Tower topped it in 1970. The top sixteen of those stories are mostly mechanical, and the spire was designed as a mooring mast for airships. Since 1977 the crown has been lit in colors for holidays, causes and events in the city.

In the picture it glows a warm gold with a red light at its tip, set against a row of darker towers. Thousands of windows show as small gold strokes. The sky above is a heavy purple with an orange glow along the horizon, and the whole skyline repeats itself in long, broken streaks across the river.