Big cities in the USA are famous for their skyscrapers that climb into the sky and form an unmissable landmark. Yet American skyscrapers aren’t the tallest in the world, with the Burj Khalifa in Dubai measuring almost once as tall. Just 8 of the 10 tallest buildings in the USA are in New York City, the other two are in Chicago. Which is the world’s tallest skyscraper and which offers the best view of Central Park?
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Table of Contents
- One World Trade Center, New York City
- Central Park Tower, New York City
- Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago
- 111 West 57th Street (Steinway Tower), New York City
- One Vanderbilt, New York City
- 432 Park Avenue, New York City
- Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago
- 30 Hudson Yards, New York City
- Empire State Building, New York City
- Bank of America Tower, New York City
One World Trade Center, New York City
- Location: 285 Fulton Street, Manhattan, New York City (show on map)
- Height: 1,791 ft to the tip, architectural height 1,776 ft
- Number of floors: 94 (+5 below ground)
- Year opened: 2014
Currently the tallest building in the USA, it was built on the site of the twin towers that were brought down by terrorists in 2001. Its architectural height 1,776 ft carries symbolism. In imperial units, it is 1,776 feet, referring to the year of the Declaration of Independence.
It also carries a hidden meaning. The observation deck starts at 1 ft, the height of the former North Tower of the World Trade Center. The glass parapet of the platform extends to a height of 1,368 ft, referring to the height of the WTC South Tower.
Construction began on April 27, 2006 and took 8 years. One World Trade Center serves primarily as an office building, and also includes a viewing platform for visitors on the 102nd floor. Polish architect Daniel Libeskind is behind the distinctive shape of the building, also known as 1WTC or Freedom Tower.
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Central Park Tower, New York City
- Location: 225 West 57th Street, Manhattan, New York City (show on map)
- Height: 1,550 ft
- Number of floors: 98 (+4 below ground)
- Year opened: 2020
The Central Park Tower serves as a residential building, the tallest in the world with this purpose. Although it has 98 floors, the tallest one bears the number 136. Residents of the building have access to a private sauna, steam room, swimming pool, cinema, conference rooms and a private club.
In March 2022, American magazine Forbes took a tour of one of the apartments, which was priced at $65,800,000. The apartment has 5 bedrooms, 360-degree views of New York City, and a completely unique bathroom with a bathtub that gives the owner a view of Manhattan.
On the first five floors of the Central Park Tower is a Nordstrom department store. You may also encounter the name of the Nordstrom Tower.
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Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago
- Location: 233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago (show on map)
- Height: 1,451 ft
- Number of floors: 108 (+3 below ground)
- Year opened: 1973
Willis Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Chicago, and for 25 long years it also held the title of the tallest building in the world. It was still called the Sears Tower after its main tenant, the owner of Sears and Kmart stores. The renaming to its current name, Willis Tower, occurred in 2009 after the Willis Group leased the building.
The distinctively angular building includes an observation deck that offers a unique view of the surrounding area. The adventurous can lie down in one of four glass peepholes known as The Ledge. All the outer walls and floor are made of 4 cm thick glass, with 1,352 ft nothing underneath. It’s one of the most popular attractions in Chicago.
The Willis Tower is primarily used as an office building, with 20 of the 108 floors occupied by United Airlines.
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111 West 57th Street (Steinway Tower), New York City
- Location: 111 West 57th Street, Manhattan, New York City (show on map)
- Height: 1,427 ft
- Number of floors: 84 (+2 below ground)
- Year opened: 2021
The not-so-creatively named 111 West 57th Street is the thinnest skyscraper in the world, with a height-to-width ratio of roughly 1:24. With 1,427 ft, it is also one of the tallest buildings in the world.
The skyscraper, also known as the Steinway Tower, is primarily used for housing and can be found in the affluent Billionaires’ Row area. In the mid-nineteenth century, the showroom of piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons, from which it got its nickname, was located on the same site. The lobby of the new skyscraper still refers to the store today.
According to a New York Post article, one of the luxury glass suites in the Steinway Tower was renting for $75 per month in June 2023. Three bedrooms, a private elevator and a perfect view of nearby Central Park awaited the tenant.
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One Vanderbilt, New York City
- Location: 1 Vanderbilt Ave, New York City (show on map)
- Height: 1,302 ft (building), 1,401 ft (peak)
- Number of floors: 62 (+4 below ground)
- Year opened: 2020
The 93-story One Vanderbilt skyscraper opened in 2020 in central Manhattan. The architectural height of the building is 1,302 ft, the height including the tip is 1,401 ft. The design of the building and the materials used were chosen to blend in with the adjacent Grand Central Terminal.
Inside the building is primarily office space, with the Summit One Vanderbilt observation deck above the 73rd floor. An interesting feature is the high-speed elevators that take visitors from the ground floor to 1,017 ft in less than 50 seconds.
Similar to Chicago’s Willis Tower, the SUMMIT observation deck at One Vanderbilt offers a glass-floored peephole. From above 1,063 ft, you can see Madison Avenue. Visitors can enjoy three floors and 360-degree views of all of New York City, including the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.
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432 Park Avenue, New York City
- Location: 432 Park Ave, New York City (show on map)
- Height: 1,396 ft
- Number of floors: 85 (+3 below ground)
- Year opened: 2015
The skyscraper sits in Manhattan on the site of the demolished Drake Hotel, the simple name referring to the address. The tallest residential building in the Northern Hemisphere at the time, it was only completed in 2015, with construction costing $1,250,000,000 at then-current prices.
The two-story apartment on one of the upper floors is one of the most luxurious things to live in New York City. Its selling price was $95,000,000. The 432 Park Avenue building has its own website where you can enjoy the views or see the amenities of each apartment. There is no observation deck in the building.
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Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago
- Location: 401 N Wabash Ave, Chicago (show on map)
- Height: 1,388 ft
- Number of floors: 98 (+2 below ground)
- Year opened: 2009
Chicago’s second tallest skyscraper houses offices and apartments. The roof of the building is located at 1,171 ft, and the peak reaches to a total height of 1,388 ft. The highest numbered floor is 98.
Interestingly, with the original planned height of 1,500 ft, the building was to become the tallest in the world. This was the intention of developer Donald Trump when he unveiled the project in August 2001, however he changed his plan after the September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York. This was due to fears that a similar attack could happen again.
If you ever find yourself in Chicago, you can stay at the Trump International Hotel and Tower. With full-length windows and a good location on the Chicago River, you’ll have an awesome view of the entire big city. Accommodation prices match this unique experience.
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30 Hudson Yards, New York City
- Location: 30 Hudson Yards, New York City (show on map)
- Height: 1,296 ft
- Number of floors: 73 (+1 below ground)
- Year opened: 2019
The 30 Hudson Yards skyscraper is located on the west side of Manhattan near Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea and Penn Station. The 1,296 ft office building opened in 2019 and houses offices for Facebook, among others. CNN also broadcasts from it.
Visitors to the building can enjoy views of the surrounding area from The Edge, a triangle-shaped platform on the 100th floor. The City Climb at Edge attraction opened in November 2021, allowing visitors to climb an open staircase on the roof and lean over the edge of the building. They are secured by a rope at all times.
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Empire State Building, New York City
- Location: 20 W 34th St., New York City (show on map)
- Height: 1,454 ft (including tip), 1,250 ft (architectural height)
- Number of floors: 102 (+1 below ground)
- Year opened: 1931
The Empire State Building may not be the tallest skyscraper in the USA, but it is certainly one of the most famous. Since 1931, it has been one of the most famous symbols of New York City, with a large number of workers from all over the world working on its construction.
Today, the Empire State Building serves primarily as an office building, with observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors offering fabulous views of New York. The ESB is also an unmissable landmark in the night view of New York City. The skyscraper is colorfully lit, with the individual colors changing on different occasions.
A tragic day in the history of the Empire State Building was July 28, 1945, when a B-25 Mitchell bomber crashed into it. Its pilot, William Franklin Smith Jr., was unable to make his approach to LaGuardia Airport due to heavy fog and crashed into the building between the 78th and 80th floors. A total of 14 people died in the crash.
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Bank of America Tower, New York City
- Location: Sixth Avenue & 42nd Street, Manhattan, New York City (show on map)
- Height: 1,201 ft (including tip), 945 ft (architectural height)
- Number of floors: 55 (+3 below ground)
- Year opened: 2009
At the time of its completion, the skyscraper at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street was considered one of the models of an environmentally friendly building. The concrete used in the construction is 55% cement and 45% slag.
The Bank of America Tower serves purely as an office building without any observation deck for tourists. It has a total of 55 floors and is sometimes referred to as 1 Bryant Park.
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