Empire State Building
This 102-story Art Deco masterpiece takes its name from New York's state nickname, and its limestone and granite facade gleams particularly striking against winter's crisp skies. When it debuted in 1931, it claimed the title of world's tallest building for over four decades until the World Trade Center North Tower surpassed it in 1972. Following the events of September 11, 2001, it regained its status as New York's highest point. The structure earned distinction from the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Both the building itself and its street-level interiors carry landmark designation through the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and received formal confirmation from the New York City Board of Estimate.