Empire State Building – It Lives Up to the Hype

Published October 16, 2012

The Empire State Building is one of the attractions that is swarming with tourists every hour of every day of the year. It is featured in countless movies, tv shows, and guidebooks. The hype is everywhere, and you know what? It’s worth it. I don’t care how over-exposed it is, my trip to the Empire State Building was amazing. If you are in New York City, you have got to see this.

View from the Empire State Building

Check the weather and plan your shoth2>

You do not want to wait in line for hours only to get to the top and have your view obscured by fog or rain. Make sure you plan ahead. Also, think about what time of day you want to see. Are you aiming to shoot some sunset photos? Would you like to see the lights lit up at night? Plan accordingly. Keep in mind that the line could take a couple hours, so if you need to capture a certain time of the day, show up with plenty of time to spare.

Be patient, or be ready to fork out some cash

The line is going to be long no matter what time you go. Yes, you can show up early to start queuing up before it opens, but you will not be alone. Whatever time you go, just be ready to wait. If you simply cannot handle the wait, you can hand over about $25 bucks extra per person to skip the line. It’s not exactly budget-friendly, but it could be better for your sanity.

Take your time at the top

Once you are at the top, you can hang out as long as you want. Don’t bother trying to shove your way through the crowd to get a photo from a certain angle. Just wait for a spot to clear up and take in the view in the meantime. Make sure you don’t spend the entire time behind the lens of your camera, because this view is just too beautiful to miss.

I chose to go to the top at midnight so I could see the city all lit up. I strolled around, getting a good look from every angle, and then I started snapping photos. There really isn’t much more I can say about the Empire State Building other than simply, you should go. Go, take photos, and see what all the hype’s about.