As an addition to our lists of famous skyscrapers around the world and famous attractions in New York City.
Here is a list of some of the most famous skyscrapers in New York!
1. Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in New York, and arguably even in the entire world. It was the first building in the world to contain over 100 floors and was the tallest building in the world for over 41 years.
2. Woolworth Building
The Woolworth Building is one of the oldest and most iconic skyscrapers in New York City. It was completed in 1913 and was the tallest building in the world for 17 years and remains one of the tallest buildings in New York, over a century after it was built!
3. Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building was the first building ever to rise above 1,000 feet (305 meters) and was also briefly the tallest building in the world until it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. Its unique design has defined the New York skyline for multiple decades.
4. Seagram Building
The Seagram Building was completed in the late 1950s and has been designated as a Historic Landmark in New York because of its unique design at the time, which inspired dozens of other buildings, and its unique structural elements. It was one of the first real examples of the corporate modernist architectural style.
5. One World Trade Center
One World Trade Center is also referred to as the “Freedom Tower” and is the tallest building in New York City. It’s also the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere with a height of 1,776 feet (541 meters). It has the same roof height and covers the same base area as the original Twin Towers.
6. Central Park Tower
The Central Park Tower is a residential skyscraper located on the Billionaires’ Row near Central Park in Midtown Manhattan. It has the highest roof of any tower in the United States and the highest roof and architectural height of any residential building in the world with a height of 1,550 feet (472 meters).
7. Rockefeller Plaza
Rockefeller Plaza is the centerpiece Tower of Rockefeller Center, a large commercial complex featuring numerous tall buildings that were completed during the Great Depression in the 1930s. The tower houses the NBC Television Studios and features one of the most popular observation decks in the city referred to as “Top of the Rock.”
8. One Vanderbilt
One Vanderbilt is another one of those recent most famous skyscrapers in New York and was the second-tallest building in New York when it topped out in September 2019. It stands 1,401 feet (427 meters) tall and is on Vanderbilt Avenue, immediately west of another iconic landmark in New York, Grand Central Terminal.
9. Flatiron Building
The Flatiron Building is arguably one of the most iconic buildings in New York, mainly because of its shape which resembles that of a flatiron. It has been used extensively in media and movies and has become a true icon of the city. With a height of just 285 feet (86.9 meters), it’s technically not a skyscraper anymore, but it was upon completion in the year 1902!
10. 432 Park Avenue
432 Park Avenue is a remarkable residential skyscraper and with a height of 1,396 feet (425.5 meters), it was the third-tallest building in the city upon completion. It’s another one of the new most famous skyscrapers in New York located on Billionaires’ Row, one of the most exclusive areas in the city!
11. Steinway Tower
The Steinway Tower is officially the thinnest skyscraper in the world with a width-to-height ratio of 1:24. It stands 1,428 feet (435 meters) tall making it the third-tallest skyscraper in the city. It’s also known as 111 West 57th Street in reference to its location on Billionaires’ Row in Midtown Manhattan. The designated New York City Landmark called the Steinway Hall is located at the base of this remarkable tower.
12. New York Life Building
The New York Life Building is arguably one of the best-recognizable skyscrapers in New York City, mainly because it features a golden roof consisting of 25,000 gold leaf-dipped terracotta tiles. It was built by the New York Life Insurance Company and serves as the headquarters of the third-biggest life insurance company in the United States.
13. 30 Hudson Yards
30 Hudson Yards is one of the newest additions to the New York Skyline and it’s located in the Hudson Yards neighborhood of Manhattan’s West Side. It’s the tallest building of a massive redevelopment project in the area. It features the second-tallest observation deck in the Western Hemisphere called “The Edge” which provides astounding views of the city.
14. MetLife Tower
The MetLife Tower was originally built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and completely renovated and rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s. It features an iconic bell tower and stands 210 meters (700 feet) tall. It was the tallest skyscraper in the world between 1909 and 1913 as well and was recently transformed into a luxurious hotel with 273 rooms.
15. New York Times Building
The New York Times Building serves as the headquarters of the mass media company with the same name. It’s located in the western part of Midtown Manhattan at 620 Eight Avenue. This isn’t too far away from the most famous square in the city, Times Square, which was named as such because of the presence of the newspaper’s headquarters in the early 20th century. This skyscraper stands 1,046 feet (318.8 meters), making it the 11th-tallest building in the city together with the Chrysler Building.
