8 Tallest Skyscrapers in New York City You Need to Know

New York City’s skyline is one of the most recognizable in the world. With over 7,000 high-rise buildings and 18 supertall structures concentrated across Manhattan, the city has shaped the very idea of what a skyscraper can be. The tallest skyscrapers in New York City tell a story that stretches from the Art Deco ambitions of the 1930s to the glass-and-steel engineering marvels of today. Whether you are an architecture enthusiast, a first-time visitor, or simply curious about what rises above the Manhattan grid, this guide walks through each of the eight towers that define the city’s vertical identity.

Skyscrapers in New York City have been pushing boundaries since the late 19th century. The Tower Building at 50 Broadway, completed in 1889, is widely regarded as the first skyscraper in New York City. That 11-story iron-framed structure may seem modest now, but it introduced the steel-skeleton method of construction to Manhattan, paving the way for everything that followed. Today, the city boasts towers that soar past 1,500 feet, and new skyscrapers in New York City continue to reshape the skyline each year.

1. One World Trade Center: The Tallest Building in the Western Hemisphere

Standing at 1,776 feet (541 meters), One World Trade Center holds the top spot among all skyscrapers in New York City. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the tower was completed in 2014 on the site of the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks. The height is symbolic, referencing the year America declared its independence.

The tower anchors the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan and houses offices, broadcasting facilities, and the One World Observatory on its 100th through 102nd floors. From the observation deck at roughly 1,250 feet, visitors can see more than 40 miles on a clear day. The building also features advanced safety systems and sustainable design elements, including rainwater collection and energy-efficient lighting.

2. Central Park Tower: The World’s Tallest Residential Building

Rising to 1,550 feet (472 meters) along Billionaires’ Row at 217 West 57th Street, Central Park Tower is the second-tallest building in New York and the tallest primarily residential structure on the planet. Designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the tower features 98 above-ground stories, though the top level is numbered 136 due to skipped floors.

A Nordstrom department store occupies the base, while luxury condominiums fill the upper levels. Prices for apartments have ranged from around $6 million to well over $100 million for the penthouse. One of the tower’s most impressive engineering feats is its 28-foot cantilever extending over the landmark Art Students League building below. Central Park Tower holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest cantilevered structure.

3. 111 West 57th Street (Steinway Tower): The World’s Skinniest Skyscraper

Also located on Billionaires’ Row, the Steinway Tower reaches 1,428 feet (435 meters) and claims the title of the thinnest skyscraper ever built, with a width-to-height ratio of approximately 1:24. The 84-story residential tower was completed in 2022 and sits atop the historic Steinway Hall, which once housed the famous piano showroom at street level.

SHoP Architects designed the building with a striking terracotta and bronze facade that references the ornamental detailing of early 20th-century Manhattan towers. Unlike the glass curtain walls common on newer buildings, Steinway Tower blends old-world craftsmanship with cutting-edge structural engineering. Residents on the upper floors have reported feeling the building sway slightly during high winds, a natural consequence of its extreme slenderness.

4. One Vanderbilt: Midtown’s Tallest Office Tower

At 1,401 feet (427 meters), One Vanderbilt stands as the fourth-tallest building in the city and the tallest office skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates designed this tapered glass tower, which was completed in 2020 right next to Grand Central Terminal. Developer SL Green Realty also funded significant underground transit improvements as part of the project.

Above the 73rd floor, visitors can experience SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, a multi-sensory observation experience featuring mirrored rooms and glass-floored skyboxes. From this vantage point, you look directly across at the Empire State Building at nearly eye level. Corporate tenants, including TD Bank, occupy the bulk of the office space below. The building’s design pays homage to the stepped-back silhouettes of classic New York Art Deco towers while using modern materials and sustainable systems.

5. 432 Park Avenue: A Polarizing Concrete Grid

Completed in 2015, 432 Park Avenue rises 1,396 feet (426 meters) above Midtown, making it the fifth-tallest building in the city and one of the tallest skyscrapers used primarily for residential purposes. Rafael Vinoly designed the tower, drawing inspiration from a simple trash bin designed by Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann. The result is a minimalist concrete grid of square windows repeated uniformly across the facade.

Opinions on its appearance are divided. Some admire the clarity and discipline of the design; others find it monotonous. Beyond aesthetics, residents have raised concerns about construction quality, including leaks, creaking walls during high winds, and elevator malfunctions. The building’s condo board has filed lawsuits against the developers. Despite these issues, 432 Park Avenue transformed the conversation around ultra-tall residential development in New York.

6. 270 Park Avenue: JPMorgan Chase’s New Global Headquarters

The newest addition to the city’s supertall roster, 270 Park Avenue was formally opened in October 2025 as the global headquarters of JPMorgan Chase. Designed by Foster + Partners, the 60-story tower reaches 1,388 feet (423 meters) and occupies an entire city block near Grand Central Terminal. It replaced the 52-story Union Carbide Building, which had stood on the same site since 1960.

The structure is elevated above street level on massive fan-flared columns, creating open public space at ground level. It is New York City’s largest all-electric tower and runs on upstate hydroelectric energy, targeting net zero operational emissions. The building has triple-glazed windows, an advanced ventilation system informed by Harvard research on air quality, and recycled 97% of demolition materials from the previous building. Critical reception has been mixed, with some praising its sustainability ambitions and others questioning its impact on the streetscape.

Key Facts: NYC’s 8 Tallest Skyscrapers at a Glance

The following table summarizes the essential data for each building covered in this article.

*The Empire State Building’s total height includes its antenna. Its roof height is 1,250 ft (381 m), placing it eighth by architectural height among NYC’s buildings.

7. 30 Hudson Yards: Home of the Edge Sky Deck

The centerpiece of the Hudson Yards development on Manhattan’s west side, 30 Hudson Yards rises 1,270 feet (387 meters) across its 73 stories. Kohn Pedersen Fox also designed this tower, which was completed in 2019 as part of the largest private real estate project in American history.

The building houses corporate offices (including CNN’s New York studios) and Edge, the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. Edge sits at the 100th floor and extends outward from the building’s facade, allowing visitors to stand on a glass floor with nothing but air beneath their feet. For the more adventurous, City Climb lets you ascend the exterior of the building from over 1,200 feet to the tower’s highest accessible point. The Hudson Yards area was built above an active rail yard, requiring an enormous platform to support the development above.

8. Empire State Building: An Art Deco Icon That Still Delivers

No list of New York’s tallest skyscrapers would be complete without the Empire State Building. Completed in 1931 during the Great Depression, it reaches 1,454 feet (443 meters) to the tip of its antenna, with a roof height of 1,250 feet. Shreve, Lamb & Harmon designed the building, and construction took a staggering 410 days. For nearly four decades, it held the title of the world’s tallest building.

The Empire State Building’s Art Deco design, with its limestone facade and distinctive stepped-back profile shaped by the 1916 Zoning Resolution, remains one of the most photographed structures on Earth. Its 86th- and 102nd-floor observatories draw millions of visitors annually, and the building’s exterior lighting changes nightly to mark holidays, events, and causes. While newer towers have surpassed it in height, few buildings anywhere in the world carry the same cultural weight.

When Was the First Skyscraper Built in New York City?

Understanding where these towers came from means looking back to the 19th century. The question of what was the first skyscraper in New York City depends on how you define the term. The Tower Building, designed by Bradford Lee Gilbert and completed in 1889 at 50 Broadway, is widely considered the city’s first true skyscraper because it used a steel-frame construction method rather than relying on load-bearing masonry walls. It stood 11 stories tall and was demolished just 25 years later.

The oldest skyscraper in New York City still standing is the Temple Court Building in Lower Manhattan, completed in 1881 and now operating as The Beekman Hotel. Before the Tower Building, proto-skyscrapers like the Equitable Life Building (1870), the Tribune Building (1875), and the Western Union Building (1875) introduced passenger elevators and began pushing building heights upward. When the first skyscraper was built in New York City, skeptical crowds gathered during construction expecting the structure to topple in the wind. The architect reportedly climbed to the top himself to prove it was safe.

New Skyscrapers in New York City: What Comes Next

The list above captures the current top eight, but the skyline keeps changing. Several new skyscrapers in New York City are in planning or under construction. Project Commodore (175 Park Avenue) could rise to approximately 1,646 feet near Grand Central Terminal if completed as designed, potentially becoming the second-tallest building in Manhattan. Tower Fifth, proposed by developer Harry Macklowe and designed by Norman Foster, would stand beside St. Patrick’s Cathedral. And at 350 Park Avenue, a Foster + Partners tower designed for hedge fund Citadel is expected to reach around 1,600 feet.

New York had only two supertall buildings in 2010. By 2025, that number had grown to 18. The city’s zoning rules, air rights market, and appetite for record-breaking construction show no signs of slowing. For architecture fans, the Manhattan skyline remains one of the most dynamic canvases on the planet, where each new generation of tallest skyscrapers reflects the ambitions, technologies, and values of its era.