The 10 Tallest Buildings In New York
When we think of New York, its skyscrapers are necessarily among the first things that come to mind, and in particular the mythical Skyline of Manhattan. The city is home to several thousand buildings, some of which stand out for their size and have even become real symbols.
Discover without delay the tallest skyscrapers in New York that you can admire, and even sometimes visit, during a stay in the city that never sleeps.
New York’s Tallest Building, One World Trade Center
To date, Tower One of the World Trade Center is the tallest building in New York. This tower, which was built after the attacks of September 11, on the site of the former tower 6 of the World Trade Center, culminates at 541 meters.
Recognizable thanks to its very tall spire and its particularly reflective glass facade, it is also known as the Freedom Tower, and is today one of the most emblematic skyscrapers in the city. It mainly houses offices, but it is also possible to visit it, in particular to access the observation post located between the 100th and 102nd floors (the tower is made up of 104 floors).
The One World Observatory offers the highest 360 degree view in all of New York.
You will have the possibility to take places to go up to the platform only (classic ticket), or to take a combined ticket. This second option will give you access to the platform, but also to other sites/monuments in the surrounding area: Ground Zero, 9/11 Museum and Memorial, Statue of Liberty,…
Quite handy if you value these visits and plan to do them!
The combined ticket will also be more advantageous financially than if you took each entry individually.
The Central Park Tower
The construction of this tower, also called Nordstrom Tower, was completed in 2020. At 472 meters high (not including the antenna), it is the second tallest skyscraper in New York. In fact, based simply on roof height, the Central Park Tower is even the tallest building in the entire Western Hemisphere.
This tower is however not intended to be a tourist site. It houses 179 very high standard apartments, reserved for extremely wealthy people, who will have the privilege of enjoying the best possible view ofCentral Park and on Manhattan.
The Steinway Tower
This Midtown tower, located near 6th Avenue, was completed in 2021, although it opened in 2018.
It culminates at 438 meters above sea level and its particularity is to occupy an extremely small ground surface compared to its size. This surface is 16 times smaller than that of the Empire State Building, and the width of the building does not exceed 18 meters, which makes it to date the thinnest skyscraper in the world!
The Steinway Tower is therefore particularly impressive and seems to truly hold its balance as if by magic. It houses around fifty very luxurious apartments, some of which are still available for just a few tens of millions of dollars…
One Vanderbilt Tower
Here is another recently completed tower, which ranks among the tallest skyscrapers in the Big Apple. Located near Grand Central Terminal, this 427-meter high tower with an ultra modern design mainly houses offices. It was inaugurated in September 2020.
Summit One Vanderbilt is also expected to become one of the city’s major tourist attractions. Indeed, at the top of the tower, The Summit observatory has recently opened its doors. It allows you to enjoy a new view of Manhattan, and in particular to be able to admire the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building in a new light.
The One Vanderbilt tower is the latest building to join this list of the 10 tallest buildings in New York (2020).
You can find more information on the official website of the tower.
432 Park Avenue
This Midtown tower is among the tallest residential buildings in New York City. With its 85 floors, this building located near Central Park is 425 meters high. It is one of the most luxurious skyscrapers in the world, and houses a total of nearly 150 apartments. The most expensive of them can sell for prices around 100 million dollars !
Inside the building, a large number of prestigious facilities are planned in addition to housing, such as a cinema, a restaurant and indoor swimming pools. In addition to all these amenities, this tower naturally allows its occupants to enjoy an exceptional view of Manhattan.
30 Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards is a rather new neighborhood in New York, located in Manhattan, between Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. This neighborhood is home to a very ambitious building complex project, and the building at 30 Hudson Yards is the tallest skyscraper in the neighborhood to date. With its 100 floors and 395 meters high, it is also the sixth tallest building in the city.
This tower has been accessible to the public since 2020. An observatory, The Edge, occupies the top two floors of the building. This observation platform is the second highest in New York, behind that of One World Trade Center. It is even here that you can access the highest outdoor observatory in the country: the Sky Deck. On this triangular platform of nearly 300 m², you will be able to access a point where even the floor is made of glass: it’s really a thrilling experience!
In Hudson Yards, you will also find the famous building The Vessel, halfway between an observatory and a giant sculpture.
The Most Famous Building In New York, The Empire State Building
This is probably the most famous skyscraper in the country, and maybe even the world. With its 381 meters high and 102 floors, this building could have been higher in this ranking if we took into account its spire (which allows it to reach 443 meters above sea level). It is one of the most visited tourist sites in New York. Located on 5th Avenue, the Empire State Building remains an iconic place in the city, and a point of passage practically obligatory during any trip to New York.
The observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors are of course the highlight of a visit to the Empire State Building. They allow you to admire a breathtaking view of the city. These observation platforms are accessible from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., so it is possible to witness sumptuous sunsets that make the visit even more memorable.
This building being in high demand throughout the year, I advise you to take your tickets as soon as possible. You will then be reassured when you can go there quietly on D-Day, without having to worry about whether there is room left for you or the size of the queue.
By reserving your seats in advance, you will have access to the site with “skip the line” tickets. There are also several types of tickets, offering different experiences to enjoy. I let you discover for yourself the details of each ticket, so that you can select the one that tempts you the most
The Bank Of America Tower, Long The Second Tallest Building In New York
This building in Manhattan is an office building whose construction was completed in 2009. Until the construction of One World Trade Center, it was the second tallest skyscraper in New York. Things have greatly accelerated in recent years, and today it is the ninth tallest building in the city. The tower overlooks Times Square and rises to 366 meters.
The Bank of America Tower follows the style typical of other Manhattan Skyline skyscrapers, with all-glass facades. During its construction, particular care was taken to respect the environment, which makes it one of the most ecological tall buildings in the world.
The Three World Trade Center
The third tower of the new World Trade Center complex is also listed among the tallest buildings in New York. Its roof culminates at 329 meters high and the tower measures 383 meters in total, thanks to the antennas placed at its top.
This building is located directly across from One World Trade Center. It is not a tourist site: it mainly houses offices and commercial premises and cannot be visited. However, you can admire the modern architecture of this building up close from the One World Observatory.
53W53
This strangely named tower is so called because of its address: it is located at 53 West 53rd Street. It is also known by the nickname MoMA Tower, since it adjoins the famous Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in New York ( Museum of Modern Art ). This building is a residential tower, which also houses very high standard apartments.
This 75-storey, 320-meter high skyscraper was completed in 2018. It was designed by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, who has also worked on a large number of buildings around the world, such as the Louvre. Abu Dhabi and the Quai Branly Museum.
The Other Emblematic Buildings Of New York
It’s not just the size that counts, and some buildings remain places with a very strong symbolism, even if they are not or no longer among the tallest in New York:
- The Chrysler Building, with its 319 meters high, is still one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world today. The shape of its arrow, recognizable among a thousand, makes it a true symbol of New York.
- The Rockefeller Center, and more particularly the Comcast Building, is clearly one of the places to discover during a stay in New York. It is in this building that you can access the Top of the Rock, the most popular observation platform in the city (along with that of the Empire State Building). To buy your entrance tickets in advance, you can follow this link.
- The Flatiron Building is a building that you must have seen before, even if you didn’t know its name. Located opposite Madison Square at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Broadway, this 22-story building built at the beginning of the 20th century is far from being the tallest building in New York. However, it is one of the most atypical buildings in Manhattan, with its particular triangular shape.
- 40 Wall Street, also known as the Trump Building, is an iconic building in the city. Built at the end of the 1920s, it is today one of the emblems of this business district, in particular thanks to the color of its spire. Following its inauguration, this 70-storey, 282-meter-long building was for a few weeks the tallest skyscraper in the world, before being overtaken by the Chrysler Building.