Empire State Building: Movie Star

by Libby Zay on

Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to Empire Rising by Thomas Kelly, a novel set in 1930 just as construction on the Empire State Building is beginning. Although the narrative centers on a love triangle in New York, the real star of the story is the landmark.

This might be the Empire State Building’s biggest role yet, but the building is no stranger to the big screen. The skyscraper has been used as a backdrop in more than 100 films, usually to establish that the story is, in fact, taking place in New York. Here are some highlights from the Empire State Building’s film career:

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Landmarks Worldwide ‘Go Green’ For St. Patrick’s Day

by Libby Zay on

Did you know the color originally associated with St. Patrick was blue? The saint was said to have used the three-leaved shamrock, a green-colored clover, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish. Today, the symbol and its color have become ubiquitous features of the holiday, which is celebrated worldwide by the Irish and their diaspora … plus anyone else looking for an excuse to consume copious amounts of alcohol, corned beef and cabbage.

Some famous landmarks have been “going green” for the holiday, including Las Vegas’ famous welcome sign (above), the Chicago river, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Niagara Falls, the London Eye, the Empire State Building in New York and the Sydney Opera House in Australia, among others. This year, for the first time ever, the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx in Egypt even changed their hue to celebrate the holiday.

Check out more images of landmarks bathed in green for St. Patrick’s Day after the jump.


Las Vegas’ welcome sign ringed in green bulbs for St. Patrick’s Day. [Photo credit: Courtesy the Las Vegas News Bureau]


In Chicago, the city’s namesake river has been turned green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day for more than 50 years. [Photo credit: AP Photo/Paul Beaty]


The London Eye lit up in green. [Photo credit: CARL COURT/AFP/Getty Images]


[Top photo credit: SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images]

Video Of The Day: Empire State Building NYE 2013

by Elizabeth Seward on

I was on my way to a party in Manhattan on New Year’s Eve and the Empire State Building was straight ahead of me. The colors were cool and alternating with the fluidity of a waterfall. Every now and then, the purples, blues, pinks, teals and greens would switch to silvers and whites. I’ve seen the Empire State Building in a lot of colors before, but this outfit truly suited the night. I took a video with my phone, but it didn’t turn out as well as this video I found on YouTube. Happy New Year, everyone.

Empire State Building Lights Up With Olympic Flag Colors

by McLean Robbins on

Here’s to the Olympics! New York’s famed Empire State Building is honoring nations competing in London by shining its world-famous tower lights in different colors each night to match the country’s flags. Each of the tower’s four sides will be illuminated in different colors throughout the night for each night through August 12.

This marks the second time ESB has split the tower’s sides with four separate countries’ lights in its history. The building has been lit with colored lights since 1976.

The lighting starts this Thursday with the North and South side representing the USA and the East and West sides representing Great Britain. For a full schedule, you can visit the Empire State Building’s website.

Video Of The Day: World Trade Center Back On Top of New York’s Skyline

by Libby Zay on

As of today, the World Trade Center is back as the tallest building in New York City. Construction crews erected steel columns that reach over 1,250 feet high, just edging out the observation deck at the Empire State Building. The skyscraper isn’t expected to reach its full height for at least another year. When finished, the giant monolith will be capped with a 408-foot-tall needle that soars straight into the clouds. If you count the crown, the building will be the tallest in the United States and the third tallest in the world-however, many architects and experts argue against counting spires, antennas and masts that extend far above actual roofs of buildings. These purists will still hold the 108-story Willis Tower in Chicago as the tallest in the United States.

The time lapse video above by EarthCam gives us an idea of the construction so far (click here for a gallery of earlier pictures). When the tower is finished near the end of 2012, it will stand at a symbolic 1,776 feet tall in order to match the year the United States declared its independence.