empire state building

The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. Construction started in 1929 and finished in 1931.

The 1933 film King Kong depicted the eponymous gargantuan shimmying to the top of this building in stop-motion awesomeness.

A description from the 1998 documentary The Cruise, as presented by Tim "Speed" Levitch:

"1,476 feet of organized granite and limestone. 6400 windows... 7 miles of elevator shafts. A slice of the state of Indiana vaulted on the corner of 34th st and 5th ave. King Kong climbed it."

That guy has a way with words...

The Empire State Building is featured several times in the novel The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.

The entire staff of Empire Comics moves into the 25th floor of the building when The Escapist becomes a hit, and Sam Clay stands watch against Nazi air attacks from the extant dirigible deck on the 86th floor (among several other scenes).