For a truly spectacular view, take a helicopter tour at dusk and ride past it
The Chrysler Building is one of New York’s most recognisable skyscrapers. A stunning example of Art Deco design, it stands at 319m and was part of a famous race in New York to be the world’s tallest building, along with 40 Wall St and the Empire State Building. The pace of construction was intense: the Chrysler building shot up at an average rate of four floors per week. And it did manage to become the world’s tallest building — although it only held the title for 11 months.
The building itself is a shrine to the automobile and the machine age. Gargoyles in the form of radiator caps, car fenders and hood ornaments serve as decorations. Stainless steel eagles, the American symbol, perch on the corners of the 61st floor, watching over the city. Inside, the lobby is filled with a rich, warm half-light that deepens the colours of its marble, onyx and amber stone, channeling 1930s New York. It holds a ceiling fresco that depicts the wonders of technology, industry and mankind’s endeavour. That endeavour can be seen in the building’s terraced crown, which consists of seven increasingly small terraced arches, each with a sunburst pattern of triangular vaulted windows, culminating in the soaring antenna which made it the first building in the world to break 1000ft.
A family affair
Although the building was the headquarters of the Chrysler corporation until the mid-1950s, Walter P. Chrysler actually paid for it himself, so that his children could inherit it. It is now owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.
Race to the top
In a deliberate bit of myth building, the steel spire was assembled inside the building and then hoisted into position through the roof opening and fixed on top in just ninety minutes. All of a sudden it was there, and the Chrysler building was the tallest in the world — a great example of New York’s penchant for showmanship. 40 Wall Street even held a celebration for being the tallest building in the world, without realising what had happened.
South of Central Park lies one of the world's most important cultural and business centres. With many of the city’s most famous sights, Midtown Manhattan is one of the best places to experience the spirit of New York. Soak up its unique ambience, breathe in its frenetic pace, and seek out its unforgettable highlights.
On your private tour, you will:
Conjure up images of New York City, and it will be Manhattan: the ritzy, glitzy heart of the Big Apple jam-packed with big-name attractions. If there is a per-place limit on iconic landmarks, Manhattan flouts the rules - squeezing Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Met and MoMA, Times Square’s 3,685-square-foot flashing LED screens and Broadway’s bright lights into 22.7 small square miles.
Well known by actors and stage junkies, New York’s dazzling Theatre District has been part of Manhattan since the late 19th century and its rich history provides a glorious mix of greasepaint, star-spotting and backstage gossip. While in the bustle of Times Square, learn how it earned its name when the New York Times opened an office there and erected an electronic news ticker - “The Zipper'' - in 1928.
Though the newspaper office has relocated, the area remains a media hotspot, serving as host and home to the likes of MTV and Condé Nast. Times Square is an icon, a Hollywood backdrop, and the heart of the Big Apple, and where there is proof - should you need it - that New York is the city that never sleeps.
After a long stroll past New York’s Public Library, depart from your guide in front of the Empire State Building, where you will enjoy tickets to the top of the Observation Deck on the 86th floor to retrace your steps and gaze out upon the city that never sleeps.
Please note: your tour guide will finish the tour at the base of the Empire State Building, and will guide you to the correct line with your tickets for the observation deck, where you are free to explore the views at your leisure.
Enjoy a privately guided tour of New York’s famous Grand Central Terminal - not only a busy train terminal, but one of New York’s top attractions that welcomes over 20 million visitors every year for its iconic architecture, history, vibrant food and shopping scene, and its many hidden gems - all of which you’ll discover on this fascinating tour!
On your private Grand Central tour you will:
Grand Central is an iconic New York landmark that was opened to the public in 1913. Situated in Midtown Manhattan, this transport hub is visited by over 20 million people per year - only Times Square beats this!
Grand Central has been made famous by movies and TV; it is best known for its Beaux-Arts architecture and because of this it has been designated an important historic building.
On your private tour, you’ll have plenty of time to admire the stunning ceiling murals and statues, absorb the thrumming atmosphere, pass by delightful boutiques and delicious restaurants, discover hidden passages and secret rooms, enjoy its general opulence and of course stand under the four-faced clock on the main concourse that is possibly the most famous meeting place in the whole of New York City (all New Yorkers know what you mean when you say ‘meet me at the clock!).
Your tour ends at the entrance to Summit One Vanderbilt, where your guide will hand over your tickets to this incredible observation deck that is also a multi-sensory museum on three different levels, and with truly breathtaking views of the iconic New York Skyline.
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