And just maybe the prestige of it being the ESB, the most famous office building in the world.
What are some differences between the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building that allows the Empire State Building to have nearly full occupancy during the pandemic. The opposite was true during the Depression where the Empire State Building was nearly empty and the Chrysler Building had pretty full occupancy. However, the observation decks on top of the Empire State Building made a lot of money during those years and kept the building afloat while declining revenue caused the Chrysler Building to close it’s observation deck in 1945.
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Easiest answer is that while the Empire State Building are similar ages, the ESB has floorplates that are more comparable to today’s typical office floor plate sizes. Add to the fact that there have been multiple renovations to bring lifts/interior logistics up to today’s standards its fairly clear. Chrysler building would likely be better as a mixed use building with the lower podium remaining office and the upper levels converted to resi or a hotel
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Have always thought the same thing. The upper floors of the Chrysler Building would make for fantastic high-end residential or hospitality.
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The Empire State Building underwent improvements in 2019 that included adding new exhibit spaces and making the 102nd floor floor to ceiling glass to compete with the other observation decks. The large floorplates even on the upper floors of the Empire State Building make a residential or hotel conversion cost prohibitive and the Empire State Building has nearly full office occupancy. Shows you that the Empire State Building was ahead of it’s time when built.
You’ve just regurgitated the same thing across 3 posts. 
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What are some examples of amenities that the Empire State Building has that the Chrysler Building does not have
Do you know what is happening with the observation deck that is planned.
From 3.30.24:
From 6.1.24:
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I found an interesting article about the current state of affairs regarding the Chrysler Building.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/12/realestate/chrysler-building-manhattan.html
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Thank you for sharing.
Some top parts:
Since it opened in 1930, the Chrysler Building has remained an architectural marvel that is recognizable to people who’ve never even been to New York, with its terraced crown and countless references in pop culture. It is prominently featured in the intro sequence for “Sex and the City,” is the site where Annie Leibovitz photographed the dancer David Parsons and is the brink that Will Smith plunges from in “Men in Black 3.”
Is the Chrysler Building’s reputation enough for it to endure as an icon, or is it at risk of fading away from the skyline, as newer, taller and glitzier glass buildings surround it?
Doesn’t that sound like one of Carrie Bradshaw’s silly relationship questions:
- In a city like New York, with its infinite possibilities, has monogamy become too much to expect?
- When a relationship dies do we ever really give up the ghost or are we forever haunted by the spirits of relationships past?
- Is the Chrysler Building’s reputation enough for it to endure as an icon, or is it at risk of fading away from the skyline, as newer, taller and glitzier glass buildings surround it?
“We’re looking to upgrade the tenancy,” said Brandon Singer, the founder of the retail leasing firm Mona, who is working on renting out the retail spaces in the building.
“Think of a super high-end florist instead of, you know, some crappy one,” said Mr. Singer. “Instead of it being just a shoeshine place, a really upscale shoeshine place — I would say Leather Spa, someone like that, but maybe even more hip. A barbershop that’s not Joe’s barbershop, it’s Fellow Barber.” Typical price per square foot for retail space will run between $300 to $400, Mr. Singer said.
Good luck dude!
In all honesty maybe they should look at converting it to residential like they did with the Woolworth Building. Although maybe that’s not easy since the land belongs to Cooper Union and the building operates via a ground lease.
If the ground-lease issue can be resolved, this may make more sense than a conversion of Empire State Building.
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Chrysler makes terrific sense for a residential conversion. It’s never going to command top commercial rents. Corporations don’t care enough about operating out of prestigious buildings — but condo-buyers care, especially the type who treat their properties as trophy investments. I have little doubt they could find a few hundred buyers willing to shell out close to Billionaires Row prices for such an iconic address.
The big question for me is, what to do with the observation deck? Residents don’t want to wade through crowds of tourists at their door, although maybe that could be solved with a porte cochere/dedicated residents’ entrance. But is the observation deck even pulling in that much cash, with One Vanderbilt towering next door?
Those top floors could be converted to the world’s most iconic penthouse apartment, especially if some usable floor space was built inside the crown itself. Set the price at $200M+ and see if you can land a whale.
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As far as I know, there’s been no news about a Chrysler Building observation deck opening or continued development on one. It’s pretty much vaporware now - a quick google search yields no recent news or updates. If anything, a residential conversion with a private observation deck would be a massive selling point as it can command views of Grand Central Terminal, the future 175 Park Avenue and the surrounding cityscape. The floorplates are also small enough that some high-end apartments can be built easily, especially on the actual tower portion above the base.
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