Happy Birthday to the Empire State Building.
The stately Manhattan structure turned 75 earlier this month, launching a year-long celebration that features entertainment, special lighting effects, and a $150 million upgrade designed to improve elevators, restrooms, and heating and cooling systems.
Like fine wine, the building seems to get better with age.
It has 9000 employees, 6500 windows, 73 elevators, and a knack for attracting attention from Hollywood: the Empire State has appeared in "Sleepless in Seattle," "When Harry Met Sally," "Kramer vs. Kramer," "Annie Hall," and "King Kong," among others.
The structure is also a magnet for tourists, drawing 3.8 million a year. The New York Mets, who play 81 home dates in a 55,000-seat stadium, would love to do that well.
Summer is peak season for the Empire State, which stays open from 8 to midnight every day of the year. The typical adult ticket to the top costs $16, though prices for children and seniors are lower.
Before March 30, 1930, when construction started, the land was occupied by the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The Waldorf was demolished before construction on the Empire State started. Total construction cost was $41 million - less than Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez will earn over the next two seasons.
With the World Trade Center ripped from the skyline by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Empire State Building is again the tallest building in a city filled with skyscrapers. Its height is 1,454 feet, nearly 300 feet shorter than Chicago's Sears Tower (1,733 feet).
On a clear day, visitors standing on the Empire State's observation deck can see 80 miles in every direction.
The building hosts a race - the annual Empire State Building Run-Up - and a marathon, with 14 marriages performed every Feb. 14, also known as Valentine's Day. A special committee picks the lucky couples based on an application that must show some relationship to the building.
Runners must climb 1,576 steps to the 86th floor but some have done it in 12 minutes, according to the New York Road Runners website.
Getting to the Empire State Building is easy: it's at 350 Fifth Avenue, near Times Square, Madison Square Garden, and other Manhattan mainstays.
To apply for a wedding permit, write Lydia A. Ruth, Public Relations Director, Empire State Building, Suite 3210, 350 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10118.
