Manhattan Skyline, New York 1953

A 1960s color photo taken from the Empire State Building looking north across Midtown Manhattan toward Central Park. The skyline is dominated by the massive, slab-like RCA Building (now 30 Rockefeller Plaza) and the newly completed Sperry Rand Building at 1290 Avenue of the Americas. To the right, the Art Deco spire of the Chrysler Building remains a prominent feature of the horizon. In the distance, the lush greenery of Central Park provides a sharp contrast to the dense urban grid, with the Upper West Side and Upper East Side residential buildings visible on either side. The photograph captures a city in the midst of a mid-century building boom, where traditional stone architecture began to be interspersed with the clean lines of the International Style.

Today, this iconic view is punctuated by “Billionaires’ Row,” a collection of ultra-slender luxury skyscrapers like Central Park Tower and 111 West 57th Street that now dwarf many of these older landmarks. While the RCA Building and the general layout of Central Park remain largely unchanged, the skyline has become significantly more crowded with modern glass and steel towers. The Chrysler Building continues to stand as one of the city’s most beloved historic structures, though it is now surrounded by many taller, contemporary neighbors.

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