Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – what’s the difference, and which one is better?
No trip to the Big Apple is complete without getting a bird’s eye view of the city. Two of the more popular buildings to do this from are the Empire State and the Rockefeller Centre. They both boast incredible city views but you might be wondering which one is more worthy of your time and money, and which one is better the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock? Fortunately we managed to visit both to provide you with the ultimate showdown of Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building.
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Contents
- Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – Factsheet
- Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – where are they?
- Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – Everything you need to know about visiting the Empire State Building
- Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – everything you need to know about visiting the Top of the Rock
- Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – Reasons to choose Top of the Rock
- Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – Reasons to choose The Empire State Building
- Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building- which one is better?
- Tips for visiting the Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building
- Where to stay in New York
Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – Factsheet
Before we get into the nitty gritty of the whole Top of the Rock vs Empire State Building debate let’s have a look at some quick facts.
Empire State Building
Constructed: 1930 – 1931
Height: 381 metres
Floors: 103
Top of the rock
Constructed:1933
Height: 260 metres
Floors: 66
Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – where are they?
The good news if you are thinking about visiting Top of the Rock or the Empire Sate Building is that they aren’t actually all that far from each other. They are both in the Midtown part of NYC and if you really wanted to walk between the two it’s probably about 20 minutes.
You will find The Empire State Building at 20 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001, USA. And Top of the Rock at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112, USA. And here is a handy map in case you do decide you want to walk between the two.
Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – Everything you need to know about visiting the Empire State Building
So starting with the Empire State Building here is everything that you need to know about visiting.
The Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is probably one of the most well recognised buildings in the city. Located on 5th Avenue the Empire State is a 102 story art deco style building. Construction began in 1930 and doors finally opened in 1931, a mere 13 and a half months after the first beam was laid. Apparently the building didn’t actually turn a profit until the 1950’s which is strange to think since these days it is probably the biggest New York City icon, along with the Statue of Liberty.
Admission
Standard admission to the building is $37. For this though you will gain access to the 80th and 86th floor. You are looking at paying around $57 per person if you want to include admission to the 102nd floor as well. We thought about this but when we booked our tickets with our hotel concierge he explained that the view from the 102nd floor is closed in with glass and not worth the money. We were also advised that the views weren’t that much better than from the 80th or 86th floor. Needless to say we decided against it.
If you want to skip the queue you can of course purchase your tickets online in advance here.
There are also a whole bunch of different tickets you can buy for the Empire State Building depending on the experience you are after. For example this sunrise ticket or better yet this VIP ticket option.
Wait times
We waited quite a while to get up the tower. When you purchase your tickets you are able to visit at any time in the day. We visited around 11am and we did have to wait for around 30 minutes before being whisked away in one of the impressive elevators. Depending on what time of day you visit or even what time of the year, you could be looking at an average wait time of 45 minutes to 1 hour. While it is frustrating having to wait the good thing about this ticketing system is that if you just show up without having pre purchased your tickets you will get access without having to come back at a certain time.
Getting to the top
So one thing that we didn’t realise was that the lift only takes you to the 80th floor. There is a nice view but you are looking through glass which isn’t ideal for photos. You then have to wait to get another elevator up to the 86th floor where you arrive at the observation deck. Once you arrive at the observation deck the views really are incredible, although sometimes you have to wait to get an uninterrupted view. It just does get super crowded so you will find yourself jostling for prime viewing positions. It can also feel really overcrowded at times and you get pushed around quite a bit. You do have to remember you aren’t the only one there and try to be considerate of others.
Tips
- Try to visit early in the morning to avoid the heavy crowds. We arrived around 11am and found it really crowded. Like seriously those Instagrammers with those amazing photos must get here SUPER early!
Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – everything you need to know about visiting the Top of the Rock
In the battle of Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building here is everything you need to know about visiting the Top of the Rock or the Rockefeller Centre.
Rockefeller Centre
The Rockefeller centre was created by J.D. Rockefeller Jr, and was designed to be a city within a city. Building was completed in 1933 and since then the building has become an almost cultural hub. In fact you might be familiar with the Rockefeller centre’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Admission
Admission starts at around $37 and you can purchase tickets online, which is recommended or at the building itself. For an extra $15 per person you can purchase the Sun and Stars package which allows you to visit during the day and the evening in a 24 hour period. When you purchase your ticket you need to select a date and time, and you have to be here at this time to gain entry. When you arrive just look for the signs for “Top of the Rock“. The timed ticketing system can be frustrating especially if you have decided to visit at the last minute, but one the plus side it means it is not as crowded at the top.
You can pre-purchase your tickets online here.
Wait times
Wait times to get to the top aren’t actually too bad. Especially compared with the Empire State Building. Because it is a timed visit there are only a certain number of people waiting at that time so you will be at the observation deck before you know it.
Getting to the top
You will have access to the 67th, 69th and 70th floors when you get out of the lift. It is generally not too crowded on the observation decks and there is more space then the Empire State Building. The 70th floor has no glass or metal obstructing your view either so it makes for an amazing picture. Plus the cool thing is you can get a picture of the iconic Empire State Building as well.
Tips
- Do book your tickets in advance. Because visits are timed you cannot expect to show up and go straight up. We tried to do this but the next available time was 4 hours away!
Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – Reasons to choose Top of the Rock
Here are some of the reasons that in the Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building showdown you may want to choose Top of the Rock.
- It’s great if you want a classic New York skyline picture that includes the Empire State Building in it.
Let’s face it the Empire State is pretty iconic and if you visit the building itself you won’t be ale to get it in your classic NYC skyline shot. But from Top of the Rock you can!
- You also get some cool shots of Central Park
Central Park is just that bit closer to Top of the Rock so if you want a bird’s eye view then this is a great choice.
- It’s a tiny bit quieter
Top of the Rock isn’t as crazy as the Empire State when it comes to crowds. I mean don’t get me wrong they are both hugely popular but it feels like there is more space at Top of the Rock.
Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building – Reasons to choose The Empire State Building
Here are some of the reasons that in the Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building showdown you may want to choose the Empire State.
- It’s iconic
One of the first things I think of when I think about NYC is the Empire State Building. It’s an iconic part of the city, and the views are pretty famous too.
- It’s higher
The Empire State is the tallest of the two, and the observation deck sits on the 102nd floor compared to Top of the Rock which gets you to the 70th floor.
Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building- which one is better?
So now we have gone through each building, it is time to make a final decision on the Top of the Rock vs the Empire State Building debate.
I know that the Empire State is an iconic building, but for us we found it so overcrowded. Of course the view is amazing but from Top of the Rock you actually get a picture with the Empire State in it. The timed visits at Top of the Rock really worked better as it wasn’t completely overcrowded when trying to admire the view. Also the cool thing is there are multiple viewing platforms and a whole lot more space. So in the battle of Top of the Rock vs the Empire StateBuilding we say if you can only do one go for Top of the Rock!
But if you can do both then do. Trust us you can never get tired of those sky high views of New York City.
Tips for visiting the Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building
Here are some tips when visiting either Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building – or both!
- Get your tickets in advance
Seriously there is so much to see and do in New York, you do not want to waste time lining up for tickets. Purchase your tickets to either Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building in advance! And if you can go on a site like Get your Guide and purchase a skip the queue option then do.
- Go when the weather is decent
It isn’t worth visiting either building when it’s hugely overcast or foggy, so plan your visit for a good day. Seriously one time in Chicago we visited the John Hancock Centre on a rainy day and it was empty but we also didn’t see much.
- Try visit early in the morning
Unless you are a Kardashian and can pay for a super private visit to one of the observation decks, then the likelihood of you visiting without swarms of people is pretty low. But to get the best experience then try visit as early as you can when there are slightly less tourists.
Where to stay in New York
If you are wondering where the best area to stay in New York is for access to Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building then we would recommend Midtown.
Midtown is great, because it’s close to places like Times Square, and Broadway. The subway has a number of lines that run through midtown too, making it easy to navigate to where you want to go. It is good for first time visitors, or maybe those of you who only have a short time in NYC and want to be near the main attractions.
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I think I preferred Top Of The Rock too! Although I went up the Empire State just as it was getting dark, and NYC at night was just phenomenal. This is really interesting because I visited 10 years ago and I think I had to wait a while to go up the Empire State, but I walked straight in for Top Of The Rock – they were also $18 each I’m pretty sure, so they’ve doubled in price in 10 years! And clearly got a lot more busy. I think if I went back now, I’d only do one and it would be Top Of The Rock.
Oh good I’m glad you agree! Isn’t it crazy how the price has doubled in 10 years. X