Fun with Maps ISSUE 2025-078

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (May 1, 2025) – In today’s edition of Fun with Maps, we leap into tall building history.

350 FIFTH AVENUE

The Empire State Building was dedicated on May 1, 1931. 

Its 102 stories made it the world’s tallest building until 1970 when the World Trade Center rose above it.   With skyscrapers being all the rage at the time, the construction plans changed 15 times to ensure it would be the world’s tallest building when finished.

The Art Deco building has been honored in many ways.  First it is a symbol for New York City and bears the state nickname “Empire” from the time New York was considered the “seat of the empire”. 

The American Society of Civil Engineers has named it one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.  The American Institute of Architects names it the number one place on America’s Favorite Architecture list.

Fun fact – The Empire State Building is 1 of 43 structures in New York City that is so big it has its own zip code just for the building.

Bollmann’s 1968 pictorial map of midtown Manhattan is presented here.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.