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Please do more of these, this was so cool. I'd love to see rooftops from places like Boston, Chicago... etc... Thank you so much for this video, my family and I loved it!
I stopped watching when I saw there was no inside view of these top floors of the Empire State Building. And just a paltry glimpse of that walkway where those "stars" were. See ya later.
About 30 years ago I was in NYC for work. I’m an architect, and I decided to check out the Chrysler Building. In the magnificent Art Deco lobby, I got in the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor. To my surprise, it was unlocked. I wandered around for some time, it was was all open and empty. There was a big boardroom with a huge 1930s era mural of New York Harbor. There was some kind of private bar room. I opened one of the double hung windows (60 floors up!) and looked out over the gargoyles. It was quite a unique experience.
You'd be surprised how much trust and respect there was before 9/11. At one time I could walk mostly underground from 34th and 5th to 42 and 8th occasionally coming up through lobbies and stores all while it rained outside.
@@williamlacentra2808 Exactly, post 9/11, extremists and radicals ready to go off, not to mention suicide rates. That's why they even had to close that " Vessel " sightseeing, observation/ view sculpture like thing in Manhattan.
I was such a lucky as a kid. My dad was an elevator mechanic in the 80's when I was a kid. With his keys we got to go up to the deserted cloud club at the Chrysler building, an express elevator to the top of the empire state building and top of the Hemsley building top crows nest area. We went to so many areas that were so cool and not open to the public. I am so grateful for those memories.
as an electrician i had the honor to have spent a few weeks doing a renovation 30 years ago, i got to go into the ledge and radio tower of the empire state building... ive built many of the towers that went up between 87 and 2021 including the freedom tower. i didnt make it to the top of that one though. and was at the very very top of many others...local #3
@Martel Samuel riding the almak or outside hoist up to the the 90th floor can be a trip. or walking the pan or plywood decking covered in rebar.. in feburary or august. good times.
@@marvj8255 New York's TV stations broadcast from there. They were forced to move to the World Trade Center when ir was built because it would have left a large part of the city with no TV service. Stations had to build new transmitter sites because of this. They left the old equipment in place for backups. If the equipment and antennas hadn't been properly maintained during this time, New York would have gone months with no TV service and years before everything was replaced. several stations lost all of their RF engineers when the WTC was hit. Some broadcast equipment on its way to other US stations was diverted to New York to upgrade existing sites, since the transmitters were too old for 24/7 operation. It was OK for occasional backup service during repairs at the WTC, but required a lot more power and support for continued daily use. I was a engineer at a transmitter site in Florida that had two UHF TV and five commercial FM stations on a 1700 foot tower. Unlike NYC, the other TV stations were on their own towers which wouldn't have the same effect as losing the WTC did. One Florida TV station lost its tower when an Air Force jet clipped a group of guy wires and caused it to collapse. It never went back on the air.
As a cab driver in NYC since 1973 it’s nice to learn more about the buildings that I for so long have admired. My father was a contractor who built buildings in NYC. So my feelings for structures in the city go deeper than the ordinary person.
One thing that has always impressed me about these older landmarks was the use of natural stone, inside and out. Limestone, Brick, Granite, and Marble. Imagine being a brick layer on scaffolding hundreds of feet up installing a million bricks, or other stone. Then, on top of that, you have gorgeous Art Decco architecture and use of stainless steel, aluminum, and chrome. These have survived the test of time, many are close to 100 years old now.
@@ashleydolin4292 The newest buildings look pretty cool, better than the glass boxes from 70's - 90's. But yeah, some of those old building are very beautiful and would cost a fortune today.
For those of us who don't see them often, it's amazing how big and tall they are....I couldn't imagine being a person coming from a rugged one level small house and seeing these in the late 1800s early 1900s...
In 1969 the Chrysler building was open to explore. A friend and I were able to go up into it unescorted and unbothered. The thing which now, looking back on it, impresses me the most is that this was not a building that was decorated only in the public spaces. The exquisite Art Deco detail was everywhere including in the smallest nooks and crannies that would not ordinarily be seen. It’s been a long time since such detail was used in such areas. That building is a jewel !!! I doubt if random people are allowed free reign in this day and age to wander into myriad halls of this beautiful building. Ironically, at this time, the basement was being prepared in lower manhattan for the twin towers. Since the disaster on 911 all such buildings must have security such that people will never be allowed the freedom to see what we saw. I wish I had known that at the time because although I was awed by it’s beauty I had no idea that we were seeing something that would rarely be seen in the future.
Unfortunately 911 took away from the people the joy of exploring NYC. As a cab driver I twice took the Staten Island ferry from Staten Island to Manhattan with my taxi.
I went to the Chrysler building in the summer of 2022 just hoping to view the lobby. Right after I entered the building I was told the lobby and the building are only open for tenants. No lobby viewing for me.
Unfortunately nowadays if "random people" were allowed into all of the buildings, the places would be trashed and anything removeable would be stolen....
I actually know about a person who was in the 104th floor of the Empire State Building besides the maintenance workers. Her name was Ann Darrow. Apparently some giant gorilla was in exhibition in Broadway, broke out of its enclosure, grabbed her and climbed all the way to the top of the building. Crazy story.
I've worked at the World Trade Center. My boss had floor to ceiling windows in a corner office. It was amazing. I also visited the observation deck as a little girl. I worked in the Empire State bldg on the 80-something floor. I also visited the observation deck as a little girl. I remember the Guinness World Record museum was there. Then I worked in the Chrysler Bldg for an ad agency and I remember partying in the upper floors that we had to take a separate elevator to get to. I remember stepping off the elevator and the wind blowing up the elevator shaft. I love my memories of all of these great buildings.
🤔then you should write all about those details you remember... So few books celebrate the uniqueness of historical New York buildings from the perspective of common employment giving way to blessed opportunity. (Still would be a cool blog weekly topic, or podcast that seeks stories from others)
I was in NY just a few months after the September 11 attacks. I stayed at the UN plaza Hotel with my now wife and young daughter i think was the 43rd floor with a magnificent view of the skyline. Each night floodlights shone straight up in to the sky where the towers once stood and I remember it being a beautiful but also very sombre sight. The Empire State and Chrysler building's I also could see so well, especially at night. I did realise a life long dream by getting to the top of the Empire State and the view was breathtaking. A few days later I was married to my wife in Central Park ❤️👍
I think anyone who has ever seen the groundbreaking documentary "Ghostbusters" is keenly aware of the sort of things they put at the top of those sorts of New York City buildings.
Amazing how some of these buildings are over 100 yrs old, yet many buildings of today built in the last 40-50 years, are ready to crumbling down. So much for modern construction methods. Greed has replaced quality.
@@653j521 100 years old is practically brand new to any European. Most are designed to last for centuries, by which time they are deliberately preserved. Our (England's) parliament building was RE-built before any of these NY buildings, replacing one that was built 300 years earlier. It's opposite a 1000-year-old church that you may have heard of (Westminster Abbey)! Most 17th century buildings and earlier were burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666.
1975 from the observation floor of the Empire state building, I was amazed by the plethora of vast round wooden water tanks, atop so many older buildings. A photograph of them I published in New Zealand, sold several hundred. I invested in a Zeiss Icon camera, which paid for its self with that photograph.
I've been to NY once and I really didn't like it bc I knew so little about the city. Watching these videos gives me a new found appreciation and I'd like to go back to admire these buildings and architecture
As a New Yorker, may I say I love your channel! Love a series on early upper west,/east(early parkside luxury apartments)..ie. san Remo, Dakota,..etc. Keep up great work 👍🏼
I know that on the rooftop of the Shandor Building (550 Central Park West) there's a superstructure made of selenium alloy girders across ley lines that was built as a temple to Gozer The Traveler.... Apparently there was a big to do about all of this in the early 80s.
I had a nice view out my dorm window for a few years, one thing I never got tired of was seeing the outlines of the water towers on all the rooftops and steam rising from the buildings. Somehow the rickety looking wooden towers and the clouds of steam made it feel quite timeless, like its been that way forever. There was a building around the corner from us that we had classes in, called the Ansonia, where the owner originally had a whole farm installed on the roof so the residents could have farm fresh groceries in the middle of the upper west side in the early 1900s. It got shut down by sanitation fairly soon.
That's why I loved many of Edward Hoppers paintings of rooftops, those water towers, the interesting glass temple skylights etc. The steam and smoke like the breath of the building itself and the inhabitants inside. Your comment brought back some of my fondest memories and stories shared from others, as well as my own. I too attended College and Art schools, Museums, etc. as well as worked, explored and was a guest of many great people and places in Manhattan.
There's a lot more history to the Ansonia than the farm on the roof! Check out the documentary "American Swing" to learn about the nearly two decades of libidinous debauchery that was The Continental Bathhouse and later, Plato's Retreat.
When I see NYC from a birdseye view, it gives me such a strange feeling of happiness and hope. I'm not sure exactly why. I've painted an entire series of NYC water towers on rooftops and it brings me such a silly sense of joy! It's funny to hear someone else who thinks they're special. (and the rising steam, glass skylights etc. Go figure!)
@@carolethorn3211 Speaking of a "silly sense of joy", remember the water tower in the goofy t.v. show "Petticoat Junction" ? LOL Same giddy smile your comment just gave me...Thank You, nice thoughts before bed, 🌉 Stay Well... ✌️🙏🇺🇸
@@petemavus2948 Absolutely I remember the Hooterville water tower! Thinking about it now, surely that TV show represents my initial exposure! The "Petticoat" girls had been swimming in it, I think. That, to a kid, was incredibly intriguing!
Hats off to all of the amazing builders, architects and engineers that created all of these magnificent buildings. All of them are absolutely stunning and a big part of history. I really wish the Singer Building could have been a part of this. Excellent post and so informative. I truly loved it. Thank you :o)
I am always interested in tall spires and such constructions, but my main interest is how they were made and what is inside them. It is cool that the maintenance personnel get to go through such areas and see all of the internal structure, and I hope the appreciate the fact they have access to such areas! Getting inside and exploring those areas is mostly off limits to people for safety, and I have been inside some areas with permission to do work in my past, but now, I can only see it when shown on videos.
I've been blessed to have access to many restricted areas all over N.Y, the Burroughs as well as a few in Charleston, S.C. My Grandfather was actually head carpenter for that city for a time and worked on many of the historic steeples and buildings, he later did the maintenance for " The Daughters of The Confederacy Home " ( on Meeting Street I believe ) and a friend " Rice " knew everyone and everything there since he worked at " The Mills Hyatt House " he was the ultimate tour guide.
@@The-KP Thanks I checked out the video. Personally, I would have been happy at the last real floor. Once they hit those ladders, I practically had flashbacks to dreams I had as a child in those kinds of suffocating crawl spaces ( mine was basements/ sub conscious?) lol These guys suffered that heat and although they said concrete insulation or whatever, I bet there was asbestos too. Even though tall, lean and flexible I wouldn't want to scrape through those spaces like they did. Kudos to them and the making of that video and Thank You as well ✌️
Context on how far you can see from the top of these buildings: If you are sitting in a rowboat, i.e. essentially being at sea level on the sea, you can see around 3 or so miles. At the highest observation points on an Iowa class battleship you can see around 15 miles. So being able to see 80 miles away is really something when you think about it.
Interesting how the theorized "curve" is NEVER seen. You NEVER see distant objects tilting away from you, as you would if we were indeed situated on a curved surface.
@@inquisitorwalmarius6650 Just so you know on "flat" land you literally cannot see that far. Also I am not talking about pure distance, this is about the curvature of the planet. You would need to be several stories up to be able to see more than 5km.
@@inquisitorwalmarius6650 Oh, one other thing. What makes you think I was _only_ talking about the mk. 1 eyeball? I was not. Had I been talking about unaided sight, I would have stated as much.
I was invited to the Chrysler building top floors for a meeting a few years ago. It was an open office in the spire with very high ceilings and the triangular windows. The views were awesome from the smallish windows & the outer walls looked "unfinished" and original. I don't think there was any additional meaningful floor space above that office, but there could have been mechanical and telecom equipment.
There is. Above the last office space floor (I think it's the dentist's office,) are the mechanical rooms. There are floors with the elevator equipment and telecoms. You can't get there by elevator. I've been to the (I think it was the the 73rd floor- it's been a long time,) and you have to go through a small door to a stairway to get there. When I was there (in the chrome section,) there were missing bricks and the outside chrome was visible from the inside. In the floors above, the curved windows go between the floors with cutouts in the floors for them. Quite an experience for those with fear of heights.)
Great video, just wish there were more photos of the inside of the buildings. Also, what exactly is housed in the round part of the Chrysler Building, (with the pointed windows)? Is it just for maintenance now or is there still an apartment there? Thanks!
My great grandpa worked on the cristler buildings metal and roof. Every time I go to New York that building gives me pride because I know my family had a part in its construction. I also know he signed the top with a bunch of the other workers. One of my bucket list goals is to one day get up their to find that signature and take a picture of it before time washes it away (sad part is it might already be gone, it’s been so long and they were just scratchings)
Is there a tribute to all of the extremely brave construction workers who risked and sometimes lost their lives to build these skyscrapers? If not, there should be! I think it would be interesting to know about their lives and experiences at work.
Other Once in a while you can come upon small asides in various places but mostly they are the unsung heroes of labor and trade. It's the Architects, Designers and Financiers they mostly focused on. Artists and Photographers (who captured their daily dedication and skillfulness).
There really should be a tribute! My father-in-law was a welder who worked on the Empire State Building. He told me that on his first day on the job, 11 (not sure of the number) men fell to their deaths. Very dangerous working on beams & girders high up in the air without safety harnesses.
@@DaveMartino 11 geeze, I'd never go up there without a parachute, safety net or bungee chord 😂 Seriously though you're right, other people in 'the line of duty ' are commemorated, they too deserve a tribute, even if only a decent video here.
@@petemavus2948 I recall back in the Sixties, driving along the Pennsylvania turnpike. Stopped at a HoJo for lunch, and as I entered the building, I saw a bronze plate commemorating the 240 or so men who died building the turnpike - mostly from blasting accidents. Long before OSHA.
Great episode! I visited the top of the ESB in the '60s, and it cost me $3, which I felt was worth the experience. A ticket is almost $50 now, which guarantees there won't be a repeat visit by me. That they make more money selling tickets than they collect from rents is amazing.
All that is well and good and I understand the point you are trying to make but I assure you they are not making more off the observation deck tickets than the tenants.
2 года назад
@@user-he9hp2he1l so 50 bucks is really worth 27 today
Thanks for this episode as the beauty of historic architecture in NYC is sooooo incredible, beautiful and fascinating. Plus, so much is so way above our heads (literally) we miss out on it in our daily walkabouts.
My grandfather used to tell how, as a young man, he worked for RCA as an electronics engineer and was able to stick his head out the hatch and look around Manhattan and beyond. It was one of the few amazing sights he shared with us as children.
I often enjoyed watching the wonder of some of these hardworking, tough guys as they allowed their outer appearances and position rest and became like wide eyed children, appreciative of the simplest joys.
@@petemavus2948 they weren't all joys, unfortunately. He also shared snapshots of Nagasaki that he took as his PBM flew over 3 says after the bomb. They were amazing and sobering though.
@@AaronKelley1969 Understandably, I've only had to see one ( the famous, Life magazine one probably, of the people running from a cloud seemingly having their clothes and skin dissolving as they did.) Horrific and it's etched in my memory forever.
I love these early 1900s buildings, there is an eerie aura to them, they are from a different era but also a different world, where architecture was flamboyant but in a truly classy way, and esoteric references are everywhere.
As a NYer, the Chrysler building is undoubtedly our favorite over the Empire State Building. It's timeless and elegant and just plain gorgeous. If you see it in person you'd understand
I live in New York City and have had the opportunity to pass by all these buildings mentioned here yet until today I hadn't be aware of the rich history of these magnificent history. Thanks for the great video it was both :informative and entertaining
I am always amazed at the quality and detail of your videos, and this video is no exception. In the 1950's my dad took my brother and myself into Manhattan and we got to see and experience many of these buildings. We went to the observation deck of the Empire State building and saw many of the other buildings as well. I was and still am deeply impressed by the Chrysler Building. It is magnificent. But my dad for some reason was in love with the "Flat Iron" building and talked about it a lot. My brother and I were in awe of the entire trip to the island and the awe inspiring buildings. Being from Columbus Ohio we had never seen anything like Manhattan. Many years later I worked in Manhattan. On a plane trip into LaGuardia the plane flew south along the Hudson river giving me a wonderful view of Manhattan Island. You are truly an artist of your craft. Thank you so much for this video.
That flight into LaGuardia has enchanted untold millions, including the both of us. The only other view I can recall that was anywhere close to it (from my fairly limited perspective) was the view over San Francisco, at sunset, as we flew out of Oakland international.
And this is why I like RUclips. I love this stuff, one day I'm going to visit New York and just go check out these buildings and if I lived there I would try my hardest to make RUclips videos about these historical masterpieces although I know most wouldn't let me step foot inside the building these days with security
I've been to NYC once. Didn't get to visit any of the majestic buildings. I wanted to see the Chrysler Building. I've always thought it to be beautiful. The only buildings I came close to was The World Trade Center's front door at 1 World Trade. Went to Museum of Natural History and spent an entire day. I enjoyed the time I was allowed to be a tourist in such a grand city.
When I was a young boy I was fascinated with skyscrapers. Before I learned it's true name, I referred to the Chrysler building as "the skyscraper that's on the start of the TV show 'Maude'. And when I was 11, I was told that tower cranes erected & disassembled themselves (🤔 I gotta look into that). I learned plenty during my apprenticeship and as a Journeyman Ironworker. Loved this video !
I'll never forget one of the times I first tried MaryJane 🚬 and we took a nice slow drive late at night down Broadway from all the way uptown, listening to music loud and that old song "You belong to the city" started playing boy that euphoria really made the entire city look sparkling glittering n gorgeous. We stopped at a red light on the block of the NY Life building and immediately the bright gold caught our eyes, it looks soo rich, such splendor, we all just stared like woooow lol We all were born in Nyc and at times take our city for granted, but at that moment I truly felt like the gold was winking at me, telling me "this is your city, it belongs to you, we're all yours" and I finally felt a sense of pride being from New York City, which has never left me. Oh and honestly, the Woolworth building is gorgeous. I would visit my ex in the lobby wen he was a Clerk there. Unfortunately nowadays you cant just walk in there and admire without getting hard intimidating looks from the guards lol
This was very well presented and has sparked my interest in taking an architectural tour of New York city soon as I'm retiring next month. I was also struck by the musical selections that accompanied this as well, particularly that of the Manhattan City Building beginning at 19:02. Do you have a song list?
Our current "architecture" pails in comparison to the countless beautiful beauties they razed for our weird obsession with our trend of "brutalism" we see now. The old NY buildings were astonishing and literally shit on any modern building erected today. It's a damn shame it happened.
Thank you for more fascinating details and history on these iconic landmark buildings! I'm a near New York native having grown up in northern NJ and lived on the upper East Side of Manhattan, not far from the Guggenheim Museum of Art which reminds me of one big muffin! I worked as a fashion illustrator and went to art school /university in NYC many moons ago! Beautiful Manhattan has a great variety of different architectural styles and I love the Chrysler building and Empire State building! But I get height sick just one foot off the ground! I don't know how those engineers/builders could stand to hang out on those beams eating their lunches so high up without getting nauseous! Real brave guys! Though five workers did die while up there in the sky! Went to the observation deck once and made sure I didn't look down! lol Too bad they destroyed the beautiful Huntington Hartford building at Columbus Circle which was a great example of 1960s modern with beautiful graceful curved arches at street level reminiscent of middle eastern architecture, a real travesty even according to a great many others! Replaced by a boring plain box! smdh Once we take a wrecking ball to iconic landmark buildings, restaurants/pubs and hotels there's no getting them back! BTW, I also adore the Beaux Art style of architectural design like the gorgeous NYC Public Library and the Arts Students League building on West. 57th street! So support the National Trust for Preservation to save our historic buildings like beautiful inside and out Grand Central Station thanks in part to the late beautiful inside and out Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who had a real eye for beauty, the soul of an artist and a real strong sense of history!
That was very interesting, the thing that stood out for me was how the hell did they get that 25 foot high statue onto that building in 1913, that would have been one tricky job.
My husband and I love to watch the science channel and one of the shows is an engineering show how they build certain buildings, but I was wondering about the top of these skyscrapers. The artwork and architecture are truly amazing. And props to the people who build into the skies or have to climb up or on those spires. Those pics of guys sitting with their feet hanging over edges of the steel bars. . .
I cannot find any pictures of the apartment/office on the top floor of the Chrysler building owned by Walter P. Chrysler. If anyone knows where i could see it?
"A Walk Across 42nd St" hosted by David Hartman and Barry Lewis is one that I remember. Mr Lewis, a famous NY historian, shows some photographs of Walter P. Chrysler's apartment there. The very "tip top" triangular window is his personal bathroom. If I recall right, despite what this video asserts, Mr Chrysler never moved in.
The ESB was mostly empty until 1942 when, for some reason the DOD suddenly needed lots and lots of office space. The military was the primary tenant for quite some time.
Marvel Comics (when it was called Timely Comics) was also a tenant in the Empire State Building for a while in the 1940s. They had left the buliding by the early 1950s. The owners of Marvel were always tight-fisted about rent and moved around NYC a lot, almost never staying in any address for longer than 10 years!
I worked at the Manhattan municipal building from 1999 to 2001 (Virginia Field's office) met my husband in the park right in front of the building and got married at that 2nd floor chapel. Will always have fond memories of that building and surrounding areas.
If anyone's a bit unsure how the airship mooring mast was going to work, do a RUclips search for 'airship R101 or R100'. Bit of a Brit thing - the 'high level airship mooring mast' - the Germans and Americans tended to 'land' their airships.
Well.....I thought you had actual recent photos of these spaces since you proclaimed........what's on the roof tops in your clickbait........guess I need to trek back to NYC myself and make my own attempt to find out what's inside these domes.......I made it inside Cincinnati's Carew tower which is 50 stories....it was awesome and old.....hardly touched by recent times.....spooky visit in the past....
Awesome video ;) Question: is it possible to also make a documentary about New York's Dutch origin when it was called New Amsterdam? That would also be interresting, especially since there's not too much being told about. Greetings from The Netherlands
Even old New York was once New Amsterdam..... Why they changed it? I can't say, people just liked it better that way. Also.... you can't go back to Constantinople
I work on skyscraper rooftop cranes. there are a lot of them, and they are big and intense. Building Maintenace Units B.M.U.'s (aka window washing cranes). Another interesting thing I have seen in Seattle is a penthouse basketball court and bunks for the building engineers. Toronto I have seen golf sims. penthouses aren't always luxurious but they are normally very interesting because of their exclusivity
Exactly, lot's of times they are lounge and recreational areas for staff and people dedicated to the protection and maintenance of the buildings, on site engineers and people who are on hand 24/7 for utilities, generators, security. B.Altman & Co. actually had a kennel like area for it's guard dogs who were let loose at times in the store after hrs. if suspecting potential hiders/ intruders.
I was on the open observation deck around 1972. Some guy made a paper airplane from his tourist brochure and threw it over the side. The paper airplane caught an air current and slowly traveled in a large circular pattern.
Does anybody remember in the SNL opening theme in the late eighties, one of the actors grabs the Chrysler building out of the New York skyline, flips the top open and lights his cigarette with it?
Fantastic video! But you mispronounce Beaux Artes. Say "bo'ZARTS" as one word. Yes normally you don't pronounce a final consonant in French. But you must pronounce the "x" as the first letter of "artes" because the "x" is followed by a word that starts with a vowel. It just gets mashed up into one word. That just how they do it.
While this video was cool and full of interesting information, the video almost entire lacks any interior footage or imagery. I found this highly disappointing.
When one says "what is on the rooftops"... I thought this video would reveal who actually OCCUPIES the top floor. In the case of the Flatiron, there is clearly a row of windows with blinds in them. And I would love to have found out that it is a law firm, or dozens of small businesses with an office each etc.
This was very cool. I'd have loved more pictures of the insides, but I get you're working with what you can find. Still very informative and comprehensive.
Wow, I thought no one was ever going to make a video on this subject. I always stare at old building tops and just wonder, what's up there, what was it used for? Loved the video but I wish you could make a second part and get access to either video or photograph the insides of these beautiful landmarks. Maybe a big network would get easier permission to film the insides.
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Please do more of these, this was so cool. I'd love to see rooftops from places like Boston, Chicago... etc... Thank you so much for this video, my family and I loved it!
I stopped watching when I saw there was no inside view of these top floors of the Empire State Building. And just a paltry glimpse of that walkway where those "stars" were. See ya later.
Don’t be dissatisfied, there’s literally nothing there but tourist areas. As for what they were used for in the past, who knows.
About 30 years ago I was in NYC for work. I’m an architect, and I decided to check out the Chrysler Building. In the magnificent Art Deco lobby, I got in the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor. To my surprise, it was unlocked. I wandered around for some time, it was was all open and empty. There was a big boardroom with a huge 1930s era mural of New York Harbor. There was some kind of private bar room. I opened one of the double hung windows (60 floors up!) and looked out over the gargoyles. It was quite a unique experience.
You'd be surprised how much trust and respect there was before 9/11. At one time I could walk mostly underground from 34th and 5th to 42 and 8th occasionally coming up through lobbies and stores all while it rained outside.
Wow, I love the Chrysler Building. That must’ve been fantastic!
see the movie Q where they are at the very type and looking out at the eagles
try that today-------You would need high security clearance and a damn good reason for wanting to view the rooftop of most Skyscrapers...!
@@williamlacentra2808 Exactly, post 9/11, extremists and radicals ready to go off, not to mention suicide rates. That's why they even had to close that " Vessel " sightseeing, observation/ view sculpture like thing in Manhattan.
I was such a lucky as a kid. My dad was an elevator mechanic in the 80's when I was a kid. With his keys we got to go up to the deserted cloud club at the Chrysler building, an express elevator to the top of the empire state building and top of the Hemsley building top crows nest area. We went to so many areas that were so cool and not open to the public. I am so grateful for those memories.
as an electrician i had the honor to have spent a few weeks doing a renovation 30 years ago, i got to go into the ledge and radio tower of the empire state building... ive built many of the towers that went up between 87 and 2021 including the freedom tower. i didnt make it to the top of that one though. and was at the very very top of many others...local #3
Whatever man
@Martel Samuel riding the almak or outside hoist up to the the 90th floor can be a trip. or walking the pan or plywood decking covered in rebar.. in feburary or august. good times.
@@marvj8255 New York's TV stations broadcast from there. They were forced to move to the World Trade Center when ir was built because it would have left a large part of the city with no TV service. Stations had to build new transmitter sites because of this. They left the old equipment in place for backups. If the equipment and antennas hadn't been properly maintained during this time, New York would have gone months with no TV service and years before everything was replaced. several stations lost all of their RF engineers when the WTC was hit. Some broadcast equipment on its way to other US stations was diverted to New York to upgrade existing sites, since the transmitters were too old for 24/7 operation. It was OK for occasional backup service during repairs at the WTC, but required a lot more power and support for continued daily use.
I was a engineer at a transmitter site in Florida that had two UHF TV and five commercial FM stations on a 1700 foot tower. Unlike NYC, the other TV stations were on their own towers which wouldn't have the same effect as losing the WTC did.
One Florida TV station lost its tower when an Air Force jet clipped a group of guy wires and caused it to collapse. It never went back on the air.
Nice
Local#3 baby!!!!
As a cab driver in NYC since 1973 it’s nice to learn more about the buildings that I for so long have admired. My father was a contractor who built buildings in NYC. So my feelings for structures in the city go deeper than the ordinary person.
One thing that has always impressed me about these older landmarks was the use of natural stone, inside and out. Limestone, Brick, Granite, and Marble. Imagine being a brick layer on scaffolding hundreds of feet up installing a million bricks, or other stone. Then, on top of that, you have gorgeous Art Decco architecture and use of stainless steel, aluminum, and chrome. These have survived the test of time, many are close to 100 years old now.
Really makes me wish we put as much artistry into our modern architecture.
@@ashleydolin4292 The newest buildings look pretty cool, better than the glass boxes from 70's - 90's. But yeah, some of those old building are very beautiful and would cost a fortune today.
that or you're the Manonock building and you build the whole dang thing out of brick
It's a shame how many Craftmanship Trades and Arts have been lost or the skills died off.
@@petemavus2948 sure is a shame.
For those of us who don't see them often, it's amazing how big and tall they are....I couldn't imagine being a person coming from a rugged one level small house and seeing these in the late 1800s early 1900s...
late 1900 early 20st ;-).... George Washington lived in the late 1800 for example ( 110 years before these buildings
In 1969 the Chrysler building was open to explore. A friend and I were able to go up into it unescorted and unbothered. The thing which now, looking back on it, impresses me the most is that this was not a building that was decorated only in the public spaces. The exquisite Art Deco detail was everywhere including in the smallest nooks and crannies that would not ordinarily be seen. It’s been a long time since such detail was used in such areas. That building is a jewel !!! I doubt if random people are allowed free reign in this day and age to wander into myriad halls of this beautiful building. Ironically, at this time, the basement was being prepared in lower manhattan for the twin towers. Since the disaster on 911 all such buildings must have security such that people will never be allowed the freedom to see what we saw. I wish I had known that at the time because although I was awed by it’s beauty I had no idea that we were seeing something that would rarely be seen in the future.
That is incredible!
It’s kind of like when you snap a picture inside space Mountain at Disney world with the lights on lol
Unfortunately 911 took away from the people the joy of exploring NYC. As a cab driver I twice took the Staten Island ferry from Staten Island to Manhattan with my taxi.
I went to the Chrysler building in the summer of 2022 just hoping to view the lobby. Right after I entered the building I was told the lobby and the building are only open for tenants. No lobby viewing for me.
Unfortunately nowadays if "random people" were allowed into all of the buildings, the places would be trashed and anything removeable would be stolen....
I actually know about a person who was in the 104th floor of the Empire State Building besides the maintenance workers. Her name was Ann Darrow. Apparently some giant gorilla was in exhibition in Broadway, broke out of its enclosure, grabbed her and climbed all the way to the top of the building. Crazy story.
I have a bridge for sale. Interested?
😏
Jesus is God and you are messing up ....... John 3;16 kjv
LOL.Thanks for the chuckle,and reminder.
My name is Kong... King Kong.
I've worked at the World Trade Center. My boss had floor to ceiling windows in a corner office. It was amazing. I also visited the observation deck as a little girl. I worked in the Empire State bldg on the 80-something floor. I also visited the observation deck as a little girl. I remember the Guinness World Record museum was there. Then I worked in the Chrysler Bldg for an ad agency and I remember partying in the upper floors that we had to take a separate elevator to get to. I remember stepping off the elevator and the wind blowing up the elevator shaft. I love my memories of all of these great buildings.
🤔then you should write all about those details you remember... So few books celebrate the uniqueness of historical New York buildings from the perspective of common employment giving way to blessed opportunity.
(Still would be a cool blog weekly topic, or podcast that seeks stories from others)
@@f_USAF-Lt.G or contribute your oral history to the National Archives.
Wonderful. Thank You for sharing
@@timmotel5804 who are you, Florence Gump?
have you been an elevator operator ?? all these towers you worked in after you visited them as little girl ?
I was in NY just a few months after the September 11 attacks. I stayed at the UN plaza Hotel with my now wife and young daughter i think was the 43rd floor with a magnificent view of the skyline. Each night floodlights shone straight up in to the sky where the towers once stood and I remember it being a beautiful but also very sombre sight. The Empire State and Chrysler building's I also could see so well, especially at night. I did realise a life long dream by getting to the top of the Empire State and the view was breathtaking. A few days later I was married to my wife in Central Park ❤️👍
I think anyone who has ever seen the groundbreaking documentary "Ghostbusters" is keenly aware of the sort of things they put at the top of those sorts of New York City buildings.
I did want to see more Art Deco temples to ancient Sumerian demigods.
Roflmaoooooo No, No, No, don't reveal where we the elite have our fabulous and private sex parties, trials and executions !!! ;)
the film makers always reveal a little bit of the 'truth' to what gonna happen or is going on .. its up to us to see if we can connect the dots
Or a haunted subway tunnel
Amazing how some of these buildings are over 100 yrs old, yet many buildings of today built in the last 40-50 years, are ready to crumbling down. So much for modern construction methods. Greed has replaced quality.
Spoiler they are crumbling down that’s why NY has scaffolding all over the side walk it’s a legal requirement
All you see are the few that survived, not the many that crumbled and were removed. But dream on about the golden ages: any time but today.
@@653j521 Who needs craftsmanship when computers can do everything now right? LOL
@@653j521 100 years old is practically brand new to any European. Most are designed to last for centuries, by which time they are deliberately preserved. Our (England's) parliament building was RE-built before any of these NY buildings, replacing one that was built 300 years earlier. It's opposite a 1000-year-old church that you may have heard of (Westminster Abbey)! Most 17th century buildings and earlier were burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666.
Hi check out Jon Levi on you tube , he shows the timeline of the building of these places , more to meet the eye going on
1975 from the observation floor of the Empire state building, I was amazed by the plethora of vast round wooden water tanks, atop so many older buildings. A photograph of them I published in New Zealand, sold several hundred. I invested in a Zeiss Icon camera, which paid for its self with that photograph.
I've been to NY once and I really didn't like it bc I knew so little about the city. Watching these videos gives me a new found appreciation and I'd like to go back to admire these buildings and architecture
As a New Yorker, may I say I love your channel! Love a series on early upper west,/east(early parkside luxury apartments)..ie. san Remo, Dakota,..etc.
Keep up great work 👍🏼
I know that on the rooftop of the Shandor Building (550 Central Park West) there's a superstructure made of selenium alloy girders across ley lines that was built as a temple to Gozer The Traveler.... Apparently there was a big to do about all of this in the early 80s.
Are you the key master?
LOL you 2.
"Nice shooting ' Tex!"
Nimble little minx, isn't she? 😜
I had a nice view out my dorm window for a few years, one thing I never got tired of was seeing the outlines of the water towers on all the rooftops and steam rising from the buildings. Somehow the rickety looking wooden towers and the clouds of steam made it feel quite timeless, like its been that way forever.
There was a building around the corner from us that we had classes in, called the Ansonia, where the owner originally had a whole farm installed on the roof so the residents could have farm fresh groceries in the middle of the upper west side in the early 1900s. It got shut down by sanitation fairly soon.
That's why I loved many of Edward Hoppers paintings of rooftops, those water towers, the interesting glass temple skylights etc. The steam and smoke like the breath of the building itself and the inhabitants inside. Your comment brought back some of my fondest memories and stories shared from others, as well as my own. I too attended College and Art schools, Museums, etc. as well as worked, explored and was a guest of many great people and places in Manhattan.
There's a lot more history to the Ansonia than the farm on the roof! Check out the documentary "American Swing" to learn about the nearly two decades of libidinous debauchery that was The Continental Bathhouse and later, Plato's Retreat.
When I see NYC from a birdseye view, it gives me such a strange feeling of happiness and hope. I'm not sure exactly why. I've painted an entire series of NYC water towers on rooftops and it brings me such a silly sense of joy! It's funny to hear someone else who thinks they're special. (and the rising steam, glass skylights etc. Go figure!)
@@carolethorn3211 Speaking of a "silly sense of joy", remember the water tower in the goofy t.v. show "Petticoat Junction" ? LOL Same giddy smile your comment just gave me...Thank You, nice thoughts before bed, 🌉 Stay Well... ✌️🙏🇺🇸
@@petemavus2948 Absolutely I remember the Hooterville water tower! Thinking about it now, surely that TV show represents my initial exposure! The "Petticoat" girls had been swimming in it, I think. That, to a kid, was incredibly intriguing!
Hats off to all of the amazing builders, architects and engineers that created all of these magnificent buildings. All of them are absolutely stunning and a big part of history. I really wish the Singer Building could have been a part of this. Excellent post and so informative. I truly loved it. Thank you :o)
I agree! A disgusting modern building with no character stands in its place. 😡😡
@@itakedamage seem to recall Jimmy Fallon"s opening with a rock group on the roof....what was that?...the RCA building?....seemed a little scary....
I am always interested in tall spires and such constructions, but my main interest is how they were made and what is inside them. It is cool that the maintenance personnel get to go through such areas and see all of the internal structure, and I hope the appreciate the fact they have access to such areas! Getting inside and exploring those areas is mostly off limits to people for safety, and I have been inside some areas with permission to do work in my past, but now, I can only see it when shown on videos.
I've been blessed to have access to many restricted areas all over N.Y, the Burroughs as well as a few in Charleston, S.C. My Grandfather was actually head carpenter for that city for a time and worked on many of the historic steeples and buildings, he later did the maintenance for " The Daughters of The Confederacy Home " ( on Meeting Street I believe ) and a friend " Rice " knew everyone and everything there since he worked at " The Mills Hyatt House " he was the ultimate tour guide.
Actual video from inside the Chrysler spire... ruclips.net/video/emaWdBcUyHs/видео.html
@@The-KP Thanks I checked out the video. Personally, I would have been happy at the last real floor. Once they hit those ladders, I practically had flashbacks to dreams I had as a child in those kinds of suffocating crawl spaces ( mine was basements/ sub conscious?) lol These guys suffered that heat and although they said concrete insulation or whatever, I bet there was asbestos too. Even though tall, lean and flexible I wouldn't want to scrape through those spaces like they did. Kudos to them and the making of that video and Thank You as well ✌️
usually dusty, dirty and greasy....tops of elevator cables....lots of noise...and a lot of electrical stuff you have to be careful around....
Context on how far you can see from the top of these buildings: If you are sitting in a rowboat, i.e. essentially being at sea level on the sea, you can see around 3 or so miles. At the highest observation points on an Iowa class battleship you can see around 15 miles.
So being able to see 80 miles away is really something when you think about it.
Interesting how the theorized "curve" is NEVER seen. You NEVER see distant objects tilting away from you, as you would if we were indeed situated on a curved surface.
weird way to say 16 kilometers, which are what humans on flat land can see without aid before it just fades out into a blurry thick line.
@@inquisitorwalmarius6650 Just so you know on "flat" land you literally cannot see that far. Also I am not talking about pure distance, this is about the curvature of the planet. You would need to be several stories up to be able to see more than 5km.
@@inquisitorwalmarius6650 Oh, one other thing. What makes you think I was _only_ talking about the mk. 1 eyeball? I was not. Had I been talking about unaided sight, I would have stated as much.
A lot of interesting information but a definite lack of pictures of rooms inside the top floors. I guess I'll have to Google it.
I was invited to the Chrysler building top floors for a meeting a few years ago. It was an open office in the spire with very high ceilings and the triangular windows. The views were awesome from the smallish windows & the outer walls looked "unfinished" and original. I don't think there was any additional meaningful floor space above that office, but there could have been mechanical and telecom equipment.
There is. Above the last office space floor (I think it's the dentist's office,) are the mechanical rooms. There are floors with the elevator equipment and telecoms. You can't get there by elevator. I've been to the (I think it was the the 73rd floor- it's been a long time,) and you have to go through a small door to a stairway to get there. When I was there (in the chrome section,) there were missing bricks and the outside chrome was visible from the inside. In the floors above, the curved windows go between the floors with cutouts in the floors for them. Quite an experience for those with fear of heights.)
@@rumblehat4357 I remember seeing that small stairway but didn't ascend it.
Great video, just wish there were more photos of the inside of the buildings. Also, what exactly is housed in the round part of the Chrysler Building, (with the pointed windows)? Is it just for maintenance now or is there still an apartment there? Thanks!
I was hoping for more interiors as well but we can't have everything I guess LOL
@@petemavus2948 True!
A bunch of years ago I read an article about a dental office up in the spire with the triangle windows, don't know if it's still there.
@@pcpablo2 That would be awesome!
@@pcpablo2 7:34
FANTASTIC!!! I love this totally fascinated by stuff like this and NO ONE covers it. Please more more more!!!
Four bits ($.50) in 1930 is the equivalent of 10 bucks today. Average income was $1,368- The equivalent of $30k in 2022.
These are not just buildings, they are pieces of art. I hope we preserve them as long as we can.
My great grandpa worked on the cristler buildings metal and roof. Every time I go to New York that building gives me pride because I know my family had a part in its construction. I also know he signed the top with a bunch of the other workers. One of my bucket list goals is to one day get up their to find that signature and take a picture of it before time washes it away (sad part is it might already be gone, it’s been so long and they were just scratchings)
Good luck.That's a great goal.Your decendants will always see them too and know they're part of it too.
I hesrd s story about Chrysler building used Krupp steel from Germany
Is there a tribute to all of the extremely brave construction workers who risked and sometimes lost their lives to build these skyscrapers? If not, there should be! I think it would be interesting to know about their lives and experiences at work.
They were daredevil legends.
Other
Once in a while you can come upon small asides in various places but mostly they are the unsung heroes of labor and trade. It's the Architects, Designers and Financiers they mostly focused on. Artists and Photographers (who captured their daily dedication and skillfulness).
There really should be a tribute! My father-in-law was a welder who worked on the Empire State Building. He told me that on his first day on the job, 11 (not sure of the number) men fell to their deaths. Very dangerous working on beams & girders high up in the air without safety harnesses.
@@DaveMartino 11 geeze, I'd never go up there without a parachute, safety net or bungee chord 😂
Seriously though you're right, other people in 'the line of duty ' are commemorated, they too deserve a tribute, even if only a decent video here.
@@petemavus2948 I recall back in the Sixties, driving along the Pennsylvania turnpike. Stopped at a HoJo for lunch, and as I entered the building, I saw a bronze plate commemorating the 240 or so men who died building the turnpike - mostly from blasting accidents. Long before OSHA.
Great episode! I visited the top of the ESB in the '60s, and it cost me $3, which I felt was worth the experience. A ticket is almost $50 now, which guarantees there won't be a repeat visit by me. That they make more money selling tickets than they collect from rents is amazing.
That $3, assuming it was 1965, is the equivalent of just over $27 today.
CampKohler LOL yes we've been priced out of a lot by the dollars value and what we can get today.
I went to the 86fl of the empire state and twin towers in 82 it sure wasn't that much
All that is well and good and I understand the point you are trying to make but I assure you they are not making more off the observation deck tickets than the tenants.
@@user-he9hp2he1l so 50 bucks is really worth 27 today
Thanks for this episode as the beauty of historic architecture in NYC is sooooo incredible, beautiful and fascinating. Plus, so much is so way above our heads (literally) we miss out on it in our daily walkabouts.
My grandfather used to tell how, as a young man, he worked for RCA as an electronics engineer and was able to stick his head out the hatch and look around Manhattan and beyond. It was one of the few amazing sights he shared with us as children.
I often enjoyed watching the wonder of some of these hardworking, tough guys as they allowed their outer appearances and position rest and became like wide eyed children, appreciative of the simplest joys.
@@petemavus2948 they weren't all joys, unfortunately. He also shared snapshots of Nagasaki that he took as his PBM flew over 3 says after the bomb. They were amazing and sobering though.
@@AaronKelley1969 Understandably, I've only had to see one ( the famous, Life magazine one probably, of the people running from a cloud seemingly having their clothes and skin dissolving as they did.) Horrific and it's etched in my memory forever.
I love these early 1900s buildings, there is an eerie aura to them, they are from a different era but also a different world, where architecture was flamboyant but in a truly classy way, and esoteric references are everywhere.
As a NYer, the Chrysler building is undoubtedly our favorite over the Empire State Building. It's timeless and elegant and just plain gorgeous. If you see it in person you'd understand
Agree, it is stunning!
I love the Chrysler Building. Unfortunately, some of these modern skyscrapers going up are obscuring views of it from some angles.
I live in New York City and have had the opportunity to pass by all these buildings mentioned here yet until today I hadn't be aware of the rich history of these magnificent history. Thanks for the great video it was both :informative and entertaining
I am always amazed at the quality and detail of your videos, and this video is no exception.
In the 1950's my dad took my brother and myself into Manhattan and we got to see and experience many of these buildings. We went to the observation deck of the Empire State building and saw many of the other buildings as well. I was and still am deeply impressed by the Chrysler Building. It is magnificent.
But my dad for some reason was in love with the "Flat Iron" building and talked about it a lot.
My brother and I were in awe of the entire trip to the island and the awe inspiring buildings.
Being from Columbus Ohio we had never seen anything like Manhattan.
Many years later I worked in Manhattan. On a plane trip into LaGuardia the plane flew south along the Hudson river giving me a wonderful view of Manhattan Island.
You are truly an artist of your craft.
Thank you so much for this video.
Agreed, Thank You 🏆
That flight into LaGuardia has enchanted untold millions, including the both of us.
The only other view I can recall that was anywhere close to it (from my fairly limited perspective) was the view over San Francisco, at sunset, as we flew out of Oakland international.
And this is why I like RUclips. I love this stuff, one day I'm going to visit New York and just go check out these buildings and if I lived there I would try my hardest to make RUclips videos about these historical masterpieces although I know most wouldn't let me step foot inside the building these days with security
I've always wondered what's inside the very tops of old skyscrapers. I'd like to live in one.
Tons of rust, dirt and pigeon poop.
Who wouldn't LOL
@@davidlafleche1142 LOL and an occasional Hawk like you ;)
I wondered, and am still wondering after watching this video...
That $79 million penthouse on top of the Woolworth building must be amazing. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to actually live there.
Some Modern video footage of the interiors of these rooftops would have actually gone a long way to making this something worth watching!!! 🤔
I've been to NYC once. Didn't get to visit any of the majestic buildings. I wanted to see the Chrysler Building. I've always thought it to be beautiful. The only buildings I came close to was The World Trade Center's front door at 1 World Trade. Went to Museum of Natural History and spent an entire day. I enjoyed the time I was allowed to be a tourist in such a grand city.
When I was a young boy I was fascinated with skyscrapers. Before I learned it's true name, I referred to the Chrysler building as "the skyscraper that's on the start of the TV show 'Maude'. And when I was 11, I was told that tower cranes erected & disassembled themselves (🤔 I gotta look into that). I learned plenty during my apprenticeship and as a Journeyman Ironworker. Loved this video !
I’ll love to see a version for Chicago! Amazing video!
I'll never forget one of the times I first tried MaryJane 🚬 and we took a nice slow drive late at night down Broadway from all the way uptown, listening to music loud and that old song "You belong to the city" started playing boy that euphoria really made the entire city look sparkling glittering n gorgeous. We stopped at a red light on the block of the NY Life building and immediately the bright gold caught our eyes, it looks soo rich, such splendor, we all just stared like woooow lol
We all were born in Nyc and at times take our city for granted, but at that moment I truly felt like the gold was winking at me, telling me "this is your city, it belongs to you, we're all yours" and I finally felt a sense of pride being from New York City, which has never left me.
Oh and honestly, the Woolworth building is gorgeous. I would visit my ex in the lobby wen he was a Clerk there. Unfortunately nowadays you cant just walk in there and admire without getting hard intimidating looks from the guards lol
This was very well presented and has sparked my interest in taking an architectural tour of New York city soon as I'm retiring next month. I was also struck by the musical selections that accompanied this as well, particularly that of the Manhattan City Building beginning at 19:02. Do you have a song list?
Our current "architecture" pails in comparison to the countless beautiful beauties they razed for our weird obsession with our trend of "brutalism" we see now.
The old NY buildings were astonishing and literally shit on any modern building erected today. It's a damn shame it happened.
Great architecture indeed. The Chrysler Building is still my #1, even though I have never visited the US.
Thank you for more fascinating details and history on these iconic landmark buildings! I'm a near New York native having grown up in northern NJ and lived on the upper East Side of Manhattan, not far from the Guggenheim Museum of Art which reminds me of one big muffin! I worked as a fashion illustrator and went to art school /university in NYC many moons ago! Beautiful Manhattan has a great variety of different architectural styles and I love the Chrysler building and Empire State building! But I get height sick just one foot off the ground! I don't know how those engineers/builders could stand to hang out on those beams eating their lunches so high up without getting nauseous! Real brave guys! Though five workers did die while up there in the sky! Went to the observation deck once and made sure I didn't look down! lol Too bad they destroyed the beautiful Huntington Hartford building at Columbus Circle which was a great example of 1960s modern with beautiful graceful curved arches at street level reminiscent of middle eastern architecture, a real travesty even according to a great many others! Replaced by a boring plain box! smdh Once we take a wrecking ball to iconic landmark buildings, restaurants/pubs and hotels there's no getting them back! BTW, I also adore the Beaux Art style of architectural design like the gorgeous NYC Public Library and the Arts Students League building on West. 57th street! So support the National Trust for Preservation to save our historic buildings like beautiful inside and out Grand Central Station thanks in part to the late beautiful inside and out Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who had a real eye for beauty, the soul of an artist and a real strong sense of history!
Im so glad there's older people commenting on this with real experiences!!!
That was very interesting, the thing that stood out for me was how the hell did they get that 25 foot high statue onto that building in 1913, that would have been one tricky job.
My husband and I love to watch the science channel and one of the shows is an engineering show how they build certain buildings, but I was wondering about the top of these skyscrapers. The artwork and architecture are truly amazing. And props to the people who build into the skies or have to climb up or on those spires. Those pics of guys sitting with their feet hanging over edges of the steel bars. . .
Amazing right?
I cannot find any pictures of the apartment/office on the top floor of the Chrysler building owned by Walter P. Chrysler. If anyone knows where i could see it?
"A Walk Across 42nd St" hosted by David Hartman and Barry Lewis is one that I remember. Mr Lewis, a famous NY historian, shows some photographs of Walter P. Chrysler's apartment there. The very "tip top" triangular window is his personal bathroom. If I recall right, despite what this video asserts, Mr Chrysler never moved in.
@@davidparker8221 Thank you for the info!
If you haven't done so, it might be cool to see a Chicago edition of this kind of episode
Thanks for this fun and beautiful video. You featured my favorite building the Chrysler Building . I share my birthday with it ( not the same year)
The airship terminal is still there. It's full of radio broadcasting equipment, but it's still there.
Thanks for sharing.
The ESB was mostly empty until 1942 when, for some reason the DOD suddenly needed lots and lots of office space. The military was the primary tenant for quite some time.
Marvel Comics (when it was called Timely Comics) was also a tenant in the Empire State Building for a while in the 1940s. They had left the buliding by the early 1950s. The owners of Marvel were always tight-fisted about rent and moved around NYC a lot, almost never staying in any address for longer than 10 years!
Fun Facts thanks!
I worked at the Manhattan municipal building from 1999 to 2001 (Virginia Field's office) met my husband in the park right in front of the building and got married at that 2nd floor chapel. Will always have fond memories of that building and surrounding areas.
Nice story, cherished times, simple joys, Bless You Both 🙏
If anyone's a bit unsure how the airship mooring mast was going to work, do a RUclips search for 'airship R101 or R100'.
Bit of a Brit thing - the 'high level airship mooring mast' - the Germans and Americans tended to 'land' their airships.
The Woolworth building has always been one of my favourites
It's another Iconic testament to Great Architecture.
Well.....I thought you had actual recent photos of these spaces since you proclaimed........what's on the roof tops in your clickbait........guess I need to trek back to NYC myself and make my own attempt to find out what's inside these domes.......I made it inside Cincinnati's Carew tower which is 50 stories....it was awesome and old.....hardly touched by recent times.....spooky visit in the past....
Hopefully your capturing these sights on something and uploading them so we can all enjoy. 😁
@gayboyzig be sure to bring the terrorists along 😂 J/K
Thank you Ryan for the great video, these works of art are simply amazing.
Awesome video ;)
Question: is it possible to also make a documentary about New York's Dutch origin when it was called New Amsterdam?
That would also be interresting, especially since there's not too much being told about.
Greetings from The Netherlands
Excellent suggestion 👍
Heel goed idee! 👌
Even old New York was once New Amsterdam..... Why they changed it? I can't say, people just liked it better that way.
Also.... you can't go back to Constantinople
The Yankees baseball team was once called the "Highlanders," another nod to European roots.
@@rush1er especially difficult since all roads lead to Rome.
Дякую вам за цікаве відео 👍
Speechless, flabbergasted, unbelievable, fasinatng. I now see the true beauty of New York city 😄♥️😀
I always wanted to do a series about the tops of NT Citys skyscrapers..So many odd and wild looking places on top of some of those old buildings
I love watching it change the light color at night time, Occasionally.
This is the video I didn’t know I wanted
You missed one of my favorite rooftops that's the GE building on lexinton. The "crown" is truly amazing and one of my favorite less know deco building
I work on skyscraper rooftop cranes. there are a lot of them, and they are big and intense. Building Maintenace Units B.M.U.'s (aka window washing cranes).
Another interesting thing I have seen in Seattle is a penthouse basketball court and bunks for the building engineers. Toronto I have seen golf sims. penthouses aren't always luxurious but they are normally very interesting because of their exclusivity
Exactly, lot's of times they are lounge and recreational areas for staff and people dedicated to the protection and maintenance of the buildings, on site engineers and people who are on hand 24/7 for utilities, generators, security. B.Altman & Co. actually had a kennel like area for it's guard dogs who were let loose at times in the store after hrs. if suspecting potential hiders/ intruders.
I'd like to have examined more of the interiors. Fascinating at any rate.
I was on the open observation deck around 1972. Some guy made a paper airplane from his tourist brochure and threw it over the side.
The paper airplane caught an air current and slowly traveled in a large circular pattern.
RIP Singer Tower, the greatest new york building.
The whole point was to SEE what's actually inside... but you didn't show anything. Anyone can see these photos of the exterior.
Video isn't about what's inside. Read the name of the video again.
A treat to be presented by a real human!
Absolutely love the NYC videos. This one was so interesting, including many of my favorite buildings (3 of which are tattooed on my arm)
I have/ had Christmas ornaments of some.
Does anybody remember in the SNL opening theme in the late eighties, one of the actors grabs the Chrysler building out of the New York skyline, flips the top open and lights his cigarette with it?
Fantastic video!
But you mispronounce Beaux Artes. Say "bo'ZARTS" as one word.
Yes normally you don't pronounce a final consonant in French. But you must pronounce the "x" as the first letter of "artes" because the "x" is followed by a word that starts with a vowel.
It just gets mashed up into one word. That just how they do it.
There's no "e" in Arts tho and the t and s is silent so say "Bo'zar" . Belle explication grammaticale tout de meme.
I've been to NYC multiple times, always impressed...ty OP
What about the Shandor Building at 550 central park west? I hear its rooftop contains all kinds of weird stuff.
While this video was cool and full of interesting information, the video almost entire lacks any interior footage or imagery.
I found this highly disappointing.
ON the roof and INSIDE of the roof aren't the same things.
Zuul is on the top of that skyscraper...
As incredible as it might seem, I've actually had this question. Thanks for finally answering it. Greetings and congratulations from Brazil.
I expected to see, not be told, what was inside. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.
Totally fascinating. I have been to New York once, but didn't get enough time to visit most of these incredible buildings.
Can you please include metric units in your videos?
If you want to convert Imperial units to Tyrant units just divide everything by 27/64 and add 3.
Why? poor metric heads can't do simple math?
When one says "what is on the rooftops"... I thought this video would reveal who actually OCCUPIES the top floor. In the case of the Flatiron, there is clearly a row of windows with blinds in them. And I would love to have found out that it is a law firm, or dozens of small businesses with an office each etc.
7:25 - 7:35 "The Chrysler corporation moved out in the 1950's, such as one dentist of note..."
I can't make sense of this sentence
Not noteworthy enough I guess LOL
This was very cool. I'd have loved more pictures of the insides, but I get you're working with what you can find. Still very informative and comprehensive.
Human buildings a quite pathetic compared to most natural mountains 🤷♂️ modern architecture is ugly and industrial
Wow, I thought no one was ever going to make a video on this subject. I always stare at old building tops and just wonder, what's up there, what was it used for? Loved the video but I wish you could make a second part and get access to either video or photograph the insides of these beautiful landmarks. Maybe a big network would get easier permission to film the insides.
Well done!
I thought there might be a little more mention about water tanks, but i've already seen a video about that.
Great video. It's like a hidden world up there. 👍
This was nice. Thanks for sharing.
great video, I'm going to look out for these gems next time I visit New York
Speaking of iconic things how about the intro music to your videos absolutely love that
10:08 The 'Chapin Block' in Southbridge, MA is one. Same name, same reason for building it that shape.
Stunning video. Thank you so much. ♥️
Great video 🍿
very informative, thank you!
I love the CHYSLER BUILDING
Good information but I was really hoping to see a lot more of the inside of these places.
Same here.