Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is of course one of the most famous landmarks in New York City; and the views of the city from its heights are tops. Still, there are cautions about visiting.

First: expect to stand in line a long time to take the elevators that whip visitors up to the 80th floor. This line-up isn't visible from the street, or from the lobby. And even if you already have tickets, you'll have to line up.

At the 80th floor, you'll line up again (-- little kids in meltdown) -- to ride up to the 86th; here there are only two elevators.

The observation deck that wraps around all four sides of the building will probably be crowded with people. Little kids will have a hard time getting a peek at the views. When one parent lifted his child so the little boy could see, a staff member said this wasn't allowed. Kids (and disabled visitors) should use a viewing area in the corners of the observation deck; but these corners are crowded with grown-ups.

You'll wait in line, again, for the elevators going down.

By visiting late in the evening, you may be able to avoid line-ups. But, Bottom Line: consider carefully whether visiting the Empire State Building is your best way to spend several hours of your time in New York. Improvements are being made; check sites like TripAdvisor.com for recent visitor comments.

On the plus side: you can visit the Empire State Building with CityPass. (You'll still have to queue for the elevators, though.)

^{photo © Teresa Plowright}