I went to the Empire State Building and found out about her Big Ben relationship

The Herald Scotland

07-05-2025

If you're anything like me, then every movie scene, TV clip (hello, Sex and the City ) or song you've heard that shouts out 'New York' plays all at once when you're standing at the top of the 1,250ft tall structure.
The grandeur of the skyline is unbeatable – and in my excitement, I grab my phone and Instagram the moment as Ol' Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra would say, I feel I've made a brand-new start of it in New York, New York.
You see, there's something about having a head for heights in the city that never sleeps. @uktoday_ New York, New York! What's a tour of the Empire State Building like? #empirestatebuilding #newyork #traveltiktok #usa🇺🇸 ♬ original sound - UKToday 🇬🇧 Newsquest
Surrounded by skyscrapers, our guide says you can see up to 80 miles – including parts of six states – on a clear day such as today.
Looking out on the vast panorama of the city, I start to make out other iconic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and Central Park.
But the Empire State Building is more than iconic – she is an icon in herself. Yes, that's right, the landmark's pronouns are she/her and – wait for it – I'm told she's been in a relationship with Big Ben.
Confused? Well, I learned that it's a part of cleverly crafted content for the Empire State Building's TikTok account, which is run by talented Gen Z-ers. Last year, they caused a storm online by posting satire clips of both landmarks in an on-and-off relationship.
Not only has this opened the door to some big brand attention in the comments, but it's also helped younger generations get to know more about the building and its history.
When the Empire State Building was completed in 1931, it was the tallest skyscraper in the world, and William F. Lamb designed the building in just two weeks.
It took one year to build and provided jobs for some 3,400 workers at the time of the Great Depression.
​Upon entering the building, you're greeted by a lavish Art Deco interior, and a sense of overwhelming pride comes across my friend, who is a true New Yorker and is accompanying me on the tour.
(Image: NQ)
Like the building itself, the attention is in the detail, from the employees striking colour-coordinated uniforms to an interactive statue of King Kong's hand that you can stand in the clutches of for a picture.
Walking through different sections of the tour on ground level, I start to piece together what a feat of engineering this truly is and a labour of love for all those involved.
In one section, there are panoramic screens that give an insight into what daily life was like for workers before the tour's timeline takes us nearer to the modern day.
Anyone who is anyone has been to the Empire State Building, I'm told, and from its countless appearances in popular culture – it's easy to see why.
Its most famous role is undoubtedly in the 1933 film King Kong, and there's even a dedicated cinema-like room you can walk through before stepping into the elevator to the first viewing deck on the 86th floor.
Stepping out onto the 360-degree platform, it's hard for your first words not to be simply, 'wow'. Inhale, exhale and take it all in.
The Empire State Building was a thrilling experience. (Image: Clare Butler)
The city's Chrysler Building looks small in comparison to where we're at, and everything looks somewhat like a snapshot on a postcard.
The 102nd floor can be added on to the tour as an extra, and it's worth it to say you've completed the full experience and seen the city from every vantage point.
The floor-to-ceiling windows give enhanced views, and the hustle and bustle of life on the ground on Fifth Avenue seems to have disappeared. Now, everything is so tiny in comparison to where we are.
Our guide tells us that she never tires of standing at the top and that she spots something new on the skyline every single time she steps out. And I love that notion.
If you could bottle the feeling at the top of the Empire State Building, I believe it would be a bestseller.
Fear of looking down? Then don't. Look ahead. Look out at the vast range of possibilities that lie before us and take that top of the world feeling home with you – as it's in moments like that I feel we can leave with a renewed state of mind for all that's to come.
A shift to an Empire State of mind, you may say. How much is a trip to the Empire State Building?
I was fortunate enough to visit the Empire State Building as part of a press trip, however, there are a variety of tickets you can purchase.
A trip to the Empire State Building costs approximately $44 for an adult to visit the 86th floor observatory, and the price increases to $79 for access to both the 86th and 102nd floor observatories. There's also a $5 booking fee.
You can also purchase an Express Pass for skip-the-line access, and seniors and children pay slightly reduced fees.