What's on the rooftops of New York's most famous skyscrapers? - IT'S HISTORY

whether you're a new york native a tourist  or even just a distant admirer it's more than   likely that you've seen one of new york city's  iconic skyscrapers they are greatly admired by   millions worldwide but did you ever stop to wonder  just what sits at the very top of these great city   giants well if the answer to that question is yes  then join me as we travel to the very top of some   of new york's most famous skyscrapers i'm your  host ryan socash and you're watching it's history the rooftops of new york are an oddity because on  one hand you can see their iconic peaks and domes   from almost anywhere in the city and most people  could probably recognize these buildings based on   their shape alone and yet the more curious details  such as what's on the rooftop is obviously off   limits well that was the case until i discovered  a series called rooftops of the great cities   on magellan tv this amazing series will show you  the rooftops of new york in ways that i couldn't   even dream of and the best news is that its  history viewers can watch free with my exclusive   link in the description below let me explain  magellan tv is a documentary streaming service   founded by filmmakers with the most varied history  content available anywhere actually 15 to 20   hours of new content is added each week with a  growing collection of 4k high definition content   for no additional cost so you'll never run out  of something to watch in addition to history   subscribers can enjoy other exclusive collections  on science true crime travel and more with zero   ads anytime anywhere and on all major devices like  i said before for the it's history crowd the first   month is totally free and after that you can take  advantage of an annual membership for just 59.88   you only pay 4.99 a month for 3 500 hours  worth of documentaries so click that link in   the description below to get your first month  free let's start with one of america's most   notable skyscrapers the empire state building  constructed in 1930 at the height of the 20th   century race to the sky it is one of new  york city's tallest and oldest buildings   when construction was complete and its spire was  added it dethroned both the chrysler building   and the former title holder the woolworth building  as new york city's tallest building it held the   title of the tallest man-made building  in the world for nearly half a century   and even today it continues to hold the title as  one of the world's largest office buildings with   2.8 million square feet of office space it towers  at an incredible 1454 feet from base to antenna   and has made many appearances in modern pop  culture continuing to attract millions of visitors   to bask in the view from its upper floors its  construction was at the peak of efficiency taking   just 13 months to complete and using an assembly  line system that kept materials constantly   flowing despite being ridiculed during the great  depression as the empty state building thanks to   its bleak opening day vacancy rate as high as 77  percent it has since made an incredible recovery   in the modern day the empire state building has  come to live up to its title as a symbol of vision   and faith housing around 1 000 commercial tenants  and standing tall against the skyline of new york   by far its most prominent feature is the 204 foot  tall spire on the roof of the building which was   unveiled initially to add extra height over the  chrysler building inside of it sits the lofty   102nd floor and the heights are nothing short  of dizzying so if you're interested in getting   a first-hand view of the new york skyline make  sure you've got a strong tolerance for heights   a glass elevator leads up to a closed observation  deck surrounded by massive floor-to-floor ceiling   windows giving visitors a one-of-a-kind view from  all sides this spire is 16 stories above the 86th   floor observation deck and is the highest place  that regular visitors can go inside of the empire   state building from it you can see up to 130  kilometers or 80 miles into the distance referred   to by the ceo of the empire state realty trust  as the jewel box of manhattan this observation   deck reopened in 2019 after undergoing a pricey  renovation that saw it stripped of non-essentials   such as large air conditioning units however few  know that there is actually a secret 103rd floor   it is accessible only to celebrities and other  prestigious guests who brave the open balcony   this balcony was initially advertised  as a disembarkment spot for airships   tethered to the spire it is protected only by  a ledge and a small railing and its heights are   certainly enough to make anyone's head spin but  those who brave it are greeted with a breathtaking   one-of-a-kind view at the very pinnacle of one of  america's most beloved landmarks today the 20-foot   wide room holds electrical maintenance equipment  and serves as an access point to the two foot   wide terrace in its time it has been visited by  celebrities such as tom cruise taylor swift and   celine dion and those who have been there often  remark about just how incredibly quiet it is   but the secrets of the empire state building  rooftop don't stop there even fewer people know   about the 104th floor which is quite literally the  highest floor in the entire building it is close   to everyone except maintenance workers who climb  up a set of steps to the 103rd floor then they   exit through a hatch into the open air after being  harnessed to the side of the building now if you   think this is interesting you won't believe what's  on the rooftop of the building's main competitor   the chrysler building was caught in an intense  rivalry right from the start with the manhattan   company building now known as 40 wall street this  incredible structure was designed by william van   allen and craig severance who previously worked  together as business partners both sought to   overtake the woolworth building which held the  title as the city's tallest property at the time   it maintained a staggering rate of four floors per  week during construction and it wasn't long before   the chrysler building touched the sky the finnish  manhattan company building at first glance seemed   to have surpassed the chrysler building however  the chrysler building had a hidden trick a spire   constructed in secret and hidden until the rest  of the construction had finished it was unveiled   and added revealing that it had actually tricked  its competitors into believing that it was much   shorter than it actually would be the tower opened  to the public on may the 27th of 1930 and quickly   became home to the chrysler corporation its facade  is adorned with various auto motifs and its upper   floors were filled with secrets at one point even  housing a prohibition era speakeasy on the 66th   to 68th floor by 1935 it was 70 percent leased  out though it did fall upon hard times as the   ownership changed hands the chrysler corporation  moved out in the 1950s such as one dentist of note   dr charles m weiss also known as the dentist  in the sky now because more reliable corporate   tenants were often hard to come by the  building eventually fell into vacancy   and internal disrepair ultimately being purchased  by the real estate kingpin alex de lorenzo jr and   sel goldman in the early 1960s it was sold again  to the washington redskins owner jack kent cook   for 90 million dollars in 1978 a year later the  cloud club closed though tishman spear rescued it   in 1997 giving hundreds of millions  of dollars to restore the building   to its original glory while not the tallest  building in the city it is an incredible example   of art deco architecture admired by many standing  at 1048 feet and boasting 77 floors so now let's   find out what's on top of it all the stepped spire  is one of the most recognizable sights in new york   however it might surprise you to learn that the  inside of this spire is far less polished than   its rival building even despite how impressive it  looks from the outside inside the spire is a maze   of ladders crawl spaces and reinforced concrete  sometimes described as a large paper mache project   needless to say this spire is inaccessible to  most due to the strict policies towards visitors   which aim to leave the company's under lease  from being disturbed elevators for the general   public stop at the 71st floor and hardly anybody  other than maintenance workers can go up to the   highest floors of the chrysler building you see  when the chrysler building first opened in 1930   there was a 3 900 square foot observation deck  called the centennial open to the public on the   71st floor for just 50 cents per visitor  people could tour the entirety of the deck   the deck was a marvel in and of itself complete  with vaulted ceilings which were decorated with   small glass hanging planets painted with  centennial motifs as saturn-shaped lighting   globes lit up the observation deck additionally  the toolbox that walter p chrysler used in the   beginning of his career was on display here at the  heart of the exhibition after the observation deck   was closed in 1945 it housed radio and television  broadcasting equipment from a private firm in 1986   the old observation deck area was renovated into  an office it also might surprise you to know that   several apartments are hidden across the upper  levels of the chrysler building one of which   belonged to walter p chrysler himself who  actually lived on the top habitable floor   another of new york city's most distinctive  buildings is the flatiron building designed by   chicago architect daniel burnham built in 1902  this triangle-shaped building's unusual design   allowed it to fill in a wedge-to-shaped property  at 5th avenue and broadway though it was never   meant to stand among the tallest buildings in  new york city its unique style is eye-catching   regardless standing at 22 stories and 307 feet  high while many attribute its name to the famous   household appliance that isn't entirely true in  fact its name came from the triangular region   the building was built on you see fifth avenue  22nd and 23rd street all bordered the region   that was already called the flat iron well  before the building was ever built this   building was purchased in 1899 by the newhouse  brothers with the fortunes made in the western   mines at the height of the new push to create  a business district in new york city that sat   north of wall street in 1901 the brothers joined  forces with the head of george a fuller company   harris s black and fulfilled their plans  to build a triangular shaped building   on that plot of land though it was constructed in  the wake of a much taller park road building which   preceded it in 1899 daniel burham's unique design  quickly stole the spotlight in particular one of   the most striking differences was that it rose  from street level rather than a heavy base many   were skeptical about whether or not the flat iron  building would be sturdy enough to last some even   criticizing it as burnham's folly with claims that  the shape and the height would cause the building   to fall in on itself and yet the flatiron building  proves those claims wrong and during well into the   21st century designed in the beaux-arts  style with french and italian influences   the flat iron building is fronted with limestone  and terracotta shaped like a right triangle at   its narrowest end it measures at just six feet  though the fuller company moved out in 1929   the neighborhood gradually transformed around it  and today the flatiron building houses various   small businesses it also remains quite popular in  the arts drawing photographers and artists from   far and wide to capture its glory with pen and  canvas alike but now you must be wondering what's   on top of this unique building glancing up at the  towering roof ahead you will most likely notice   two terracotta cherub statues peering out over the  city these are replicas that replaced the two that   were originally installed in 1902 and according  to the best of our research efforts it would seem   that no one really knows for sure what happened to  those originals however we do know why they were   removed the originals were taken down a little  over three decades ago when they started to quote   fall down into pieces the cherubs remained missing  for many years and the whereabouts of the original   fragments whatever is left of those cherubs are  still unknown it wasn't until flatiron residents   filed a complaint with the landmarks preservation  commission that work on the replacements began   leading us to the replacements that we see today  the owner of the flatiron at the time who acquired   the building in 1997 stated that he had no idea  where the original fragments were stating that   the statues were already long gone by the time  that the newmark and company real estate acquired   the building the replicas were designed by  theatrical set designer and painter betty martin   who crafted them out of 6 000 pounds of clay in  just eight weeks they were then cast in concrete   by the townhouse restoration the new york times  remarked that martin's cherubs appear more mature   than the original babyface cherubs the identity of  the original sculptor also remains an open mystery   as neither the building's current owners nor the  landmark commissions itself knows who that artist   was and while most are pleased to see the cherubs  returned to the top of the flatiron building   many others still mourn the loss of the original  pieces let's turn our attention to another of   the former tallest buildings in new york the  woolworth building towering at 58 floors and   792 feet above broadway sitting between park  place and barclay street the woolworth building   was completed in 1913. it was undoubtedly  ahead of its time pioneering a steel frame   structure and stunning those who saw it on opening  day according to history.com it remained a quote   model of construction for many years it was  commissioned by millionaire frank w woolworth   and the architect case gilbert woolworth had  an incredibly lofty goal in mind investing   millions to build what at the time was the tallest  building in the world history.com also remarks   that its beau arts ornate design with gothic  details reflected woolworth's vision of himself   as a descendant of old medieval merchants this  building really stood out thanks to its beautiful   white terracotta facade and accents as well as  its luxurious cathedral-like lobby which stunned   visitors thanks to its golden decked ceiling  sculptures and mosaics it was also decorated   with caricatures of woolworth counting dimes  and gilbert holding up a model of the building   ultimately this building was nicknamed the  cathedral of commerce at its opening ceremony and   dazzled many with its amenities these amenities  included its modern exterior lighting water supply   system high speed electric elevators offering both  local and express service as well as a health club   barber shop restaurant shopping arcade and  social club by 1966 this building was rightfully   designated as a national historic landmark and  today it remains incredibly popular to both native   new yorkers and tourists alike and although it's  dwarfed by some of the taller buildings it's still   in the top 50 of the tallest buildings in the  united states and the top 20 tallest buildings in   new york city so now let's have a look at what's  on top though its observation deck was closed in   the mid 20th century the inside of the woolworth  building's iconic green roof is far from empty   you see the lower 28 floors are office spaces but  floors 29 and up were bought by alchemy properties   and turned into luxury residences taking around  five years and costing 22 million dollars to build   the residences are incredible though costly at  the very top of the building and combining the   highest floors is the pinnacle penthouse new york  city's premier residential accommodation and the   most illustrious of the woolworth housing with the  hefty price tag of 79 million dollars buyers can   truly live among the clouds in the uppermost  five floors of the building the apartment's   interior will be sold as a white box unit a unit  that doesn't come with appliances finishings or   furniture so that it will be fully customizable  to the buyers tastes it holds 125 windows   24 foot tall ceilings and even private elevator in  its time the pinnacle penthouse has been referred   to as a castle in the sky and the highest mansion  in all of manhattan now it's time to learn what's   on the rooftop of the building that contains the  world's very first passenger elevator installed   and designed by alicia graves otis the five-story  ev howitt building may be one of the lesser known   historic buildings in new york city but it is  nonetheless impressive standing at five stories   tall and built in 1856 it was nothing short of  innovative right down to the materials it was   made of in the heart of soho this anglo-italianate  structure designed by architect john p greener   is located on a corner site that has two cast  iron fronts with arched windows between columns   it was significantly inspired by the san servino  library in venice the building itself was likely   constructed in the hopes of helping revive soho  once more as a commerce center and in its time   it would see many prestigious guests it was  initially designed to display cut glass clocks   chandeliers and silverware in the mid-19th century  curiously this building's highbrow mega store was   even visited by the wife of the former president  abraham lincoln as a customer in march of 1857.   if we travel up to the rooftop we will see the  facades we talked about before crowned with ornate   gray cornices that include a carved facial board  its upper windows are crowned with round arches   and small corinthian columns there is a large  water tower on the far east side of the roof and   on the second floor there is a massive clock face  on the broadway side standing at the intersection   of chamber street and center street the manhattan  municipal building is a 40-story 580 foot tall   building constructed to meet the governmental  space demands following the consolidation in 1898   of new york's five boroughs construction  started in 1907 and it was finished in 1914   signifying the end of new york's city beautiful  movement designed by architect william m kendall   and became the first building to incorporate a new  york city subway station in its base this building   was a testament to the beaux arts architecture  style it was an inspiration to buildings all   across the country such as cleveland's terminal  tower in chicago's wrigley building this was   one of the biggest governmental buildings in the  entire world it housed 13 municipal agencies and   up until 2009 when the manhattan marriage bureau  moved its business to a building at 80 center   street roughly 18 000 people married in its second  floor chapel every year there are 25 floors of   workspace with 33 elevators it was declared a new  york city landmark in 1966 and it was added to the   national register of historic places in 1972. so  what's on top of this marvel well one of the most   striking features is by far its central cupola  which is elegantly designed but off limits to most   however those lucky enough to visit would enjoy  a 360 degree view of lower manhattan and midtown   from the building's 36th floor the ceiling is  gustavino and the column capitals are intricately   detailed from here you could also admire up close  the bass relief panels and at the very top of the   central tower is the civic fame statue a beautiful  gilded copper statue that stands at 25 feet tall   installed in march of 1913 civic fame which  was modeled by audrey munson and designed by   adolf a wideman it is the second largest statue  in manhattan it was constructed from a plaster   mold with sheets of copper and hollow core this  along with civic fame's elegantly flowing dress   allows for comparison to be drawn between  her and the iconic statue of liberty   she stands tall against the new york city skyline  beckoning visitors from near and far with promises   of unity from the five-section mural crown in her  hand representing the five boroughs of new york   city manhattan the bronx staten island brooklyn  and queens on her other hand is a shield and a   laurel branch representing victory and triumph  the building's five cupolas also stand for the   five boroughs last but not least let's conclude  our tour of new york city's finest rooftops   with the golden capped new york life building  constructed on land that was once home to the   first and second madison square gardens the  famed architect cass gilbert whose name you   may remember from the woolworth building earlier  in this episode was awarded the commission to   design the building on madison avenue between  26th and 27th street his creation would be   a neo-gothic office building that stands at 617  feet and is 34 stories tall it sits on almost   two acres of land and its exterior is made up  of 440 000 cubic feet of indiana limestone solid   bronze framed the building's 2 000 plus windows as  well as the building's incredibly detailed doors   and interior decorations it towers over madison  square park and serves as one more piece of the   city's incredibly rich architectural history  and you won't believe how beautiful its most   overlooked features are hidden upon the rooftop  the perimeter roof that crowns the new york life   building was initially plated in gold leaf however  it eventually eroded and was replaced by 25 000   gilded tiles instead a historian named miriam  berman remarks that it is a roof that catches   and reflects the sunlight by day and by night  it is one of the more easily recognizable shapes   on the city's illuminated skyline in its prime  this building's rooftop was the largest exterior   gold leaf structure in the country at over 30 000  square feet today it requires regular maintenance   to ensure that it remains as is a bright and  shining jewel of new york city traveling up   these incredible structures is certainly enough  to leave one breathless not just because of their   magnificent views but because they stand as a  powerful reminder of how far the city has come   but also how much artistry is unavailable and  overlooked but just maybe the mysteries under   the towering domes is part of what makes new  york city so alluring and if you'd like to get   an even closer look at them make sure you check  out the documentary on magellan tv by clicking   my link in the description below and until  next time guys this is ryan socas signing off

Channel: IT'S HISTORY

Views: 1,640,057

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Id: vliJD7LDdIA

Length: 24min 15sec (1455 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 07 2022