Recognized as the skyscraper upon which King Kong mercilessly grabbed at biplanes, and as the meeting place where Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks finally found each other in Sleepless in Seattle, the Empire State Building unquestionably stands as one of the world’s most celebrated skyscrapers. Shreve, Lamb and Harmon designed this 102-story structure in 1929 originally as an apartment building, and upon its completion in 1931, The Empire State Building became The World’s Tallest building. Construction was unbelievably swift, with the framework rising 41 stories per week! The sleek limestone edifice was actually designed in a progressive series of setbacks to comply with the zoning laws restricting shadows at that time; and, a 700-foot stainless steel tower, originally meant to dock blimps, tops the skyscraper. Today, the building houses 850 companies with 15,000 workers. 73 elevators travel through 7 miles of track to carry people from the ground floor to the top. During the year, the Empire State Building is lit up with various light displays depending on the holiday or time of year. One of our favorite light displays is when the Empire is decorated in red and green lights at Christmastime.