What is on the roofs of the most famous skyscrapers in New York

The New York City skyline is iconic, with iconic buildings like the Empire State, Chrysler, and Flatiron standing next to newer structures like the One World Trade Center, the ICA building, and the Spiral. Many admire how imposing and tall they are. But have you ever wondered what is on top of the most impressive skyscrapers in New York? Found the answer to this question Traveler 365.

Empire State Building

Let's start with one of America's most famous skyscrapers, the Empire State Building, built in 1930. This is one of the tallest and oldest buildings in New York. The Empire State Building has held the title of the tallest building in the world for almost half a century. And even today it holds the title of one of the world's largest office buildings with a height of 443 meters. The skyscraper continues to attract millions of visitors to enjoy the view from the upper floors.

By far its most notable feature is the 31,5-meter-tall spire on the roof of the skyscraper, which was built to make the Empire State Building taller than the Chrysler Building (the tallest building in New York at the time). Inside it is the 102nd floor. If you want to see the skyline of New York, make sure you're comfortable with the altitude. A glass elevator leads to an enclosed observation deck surrounded by massive floor-to-ceiling windows. This spire rises 16 stories above the 86th floor observation deck. It is the highest place that ordinary visitors can go to in the Empire State Building. From it you can see up to 130 kilometers into the distance.

However, few people know that there is actually a secret 103rd floor. It is only available to celebrities and other prestigious guests who venture out onto the outdoor balcony. This balcony was originally advertised as a landing site for airships. A room 6 meters wide contains electrical equipment. Her terrace was once visited by celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Taylor Swift and Celine Dion.

But the Empire State Building's rooftop secrets don't end there. Even fewer people know about the 104th floor, which is the highest floor in the entire building. It is only accessible to the repairmen, who climb the stairs to the 103rd floor and then exit through a trapdoor into the open air after being strapped to the side of the building.

Chrysler Building

The Chrysler Building was involved from the outset in a bitter rivalry with the Manhattan Company Building, now known as 40 Wall Street. This incredible structure was designed by William van Allen and Craig Severance, who had previously worked together as business partners. Both aimed to overtake the Woolworth Building, which then held the title of the city's tallest building. During construction, he maintained a staggering rate of four floors a week.

The Chrysler Building had a hidden trick: a spire built in secret and hidden until the rest of the building was revealed. It was added to show that they had fooled their competitors into believing the building was much lower. The tower opened to the public on May 27, 1930 and quickly became home to the Chrysler Corporation. Its upper floors are filled with secrets. At one point, floors 66 to 68 housed a Prohibition-era bar. Until 1935, the building was 70% rented out. Hard times came when ownership changed hands and the Chrysler Corporation moved out. A reliable corporate tenant was hard to find, so the building was empty and fell into disrepair. It was eventually bought by kingpin Alex de Lorenzo Jr. and Sel Goldman in the early 1960s. In 1978, he was sold to Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke for $90 million. A year later, the cloud club closed. But Tishman Spear saved it in 1997 by providing hundreds of millions of dollars to restore the building to its original glory.

While not the tallest building in the city, it is an example of Art Deco architecture that is admired by many. Its height is 320 meters, it has 77 floors. At the top of it all, the stepped spire is one of New York's most recognizable landmarks. However, it may surprise you that the interior of this spire is much less polished. Despite how impressive it looks from the outside, inside the spire is a labyrinth of stairs, hollow spaces, and reinforced concrete. This spire is inaccessible to most due to a strict visitor policy that aims not to disturb the company's leased elevators.

When the Chrysler Building first opened in 1930, there was an observation deck on the 71st floor, open to the public for as little as 50 cents. In 1986, the old observation deck was converted into an office. You might also be surprised to find a few apartments tucked away on the top floors of the Chrysler building. One of them belonged to Walter Chrysler himself, who lived on the top residential floor.

Flatiron Building

Another of New York's most distinctive buildings is the Flatiron Building, designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. It opened in 1902. The unusual design of this triangular building allowed it to fill the wedge-shaped lot at 5th Avenue and Broadway. Its unique style draws attention even though it is only 22 stories high and 93,6 meters high.

Many attribute its name to the famous household appliance. But in fact, its name comes from a triangular area. The building was built on Fifth Avenue, 22nd and 23rd streets, which bordered the area that was already called Flatiron. And in 1899, the Newhouse brothers bought this building at the height of their desire to create a business district in New York. In 1901, the brothers joined forces with company head George Fuller Harris Black and implemented their plans to build a triangular building on the site. Although it was built after a much taller building on Park Road, Daniel Burham's unique design quickly attracted everyone's attention. Many were skeptical about whether a flat iron building would be strong enough to last for a while. And they even claimed that the shape and height would make the building fall on its own. But it has proven that these claims are false. The area gradually transformed around him. Today, the Flatiron Building houses various small businesses. It remains quite popular in the arts, attracting photographers and artists from all over the world.

But what is at the top of this unique building? Looking up at the towering rooftop, you will notice two terracotta cherub statues overlooking the city. Nobody knows exactly what happened to the originals, but we do know why they were taken down. The originals disappeared just over 30 years ago as they began to fall apart. So, the cherubs went missing for many years. And the whereabouts of the original fragments that were left of these cherubs is still unknown. That was before Flatiron. Its residents filed a complaint with the Landmarks Preservation Commission. It led to the replacement of the cherubs.

The owner, who purchased the building in 1997, said he had no idea where the original fragments were. That the statues were long gone by the time Newmark purchased the building. The replicas were designed by artist Betty Martin, who completed them in just eight weeks. Upon restoration, the New York Times noted that Martin's cherubs appear more mature than the original babyfaced cherub. The identity of the original sculptor also remains a mystery. Neither the current owners of the building, nor the sights commission itself know who this artist was.