New York from on High: A Guide to the View from the Empire State Building

The eighty-sixth floor of the Empire State Building offers a panorama of New York City and the entire metropolitan region that is world famous. There is only one problem with the view for the average visitor and tourist. They generally don1t know what they are looking at. If they ask someone, they will usually be told the right thing. Frequently, however, they will be given misinformation by well-meaning but ill-informed people, or they will be met by a chorus of I don1t knows.That1s the situation that John Tauranac discovered while researching his critically acclaimed book, The Empire State The Making of a Landmark. Brooklyn might be identified as New Jersey, the Chrysler Building as a church (Well, look at that steeple!), and the sign for the New Yorker Hotel identified as the offices of The New Yorker Magazine. He set out to do something about it.The result is New York From On A Guide to the View From the Empire State Building ($9.95), a 48-page paperback that shows the views and identifies the places of interest. The views are arranged as if the viewer were walking around the building starting at the north, with a view from each of the eight compass points north, northeast, east, etc. – as well as views looking down. There is a view of the scene in color, followed by the same view in black and white with all the points of interest identified. First you see the view, then you are told what you are looking at. Short of having an informed and knowledgeable 3live guide, this book is all that viewers need.