A trip to NYC in your New York discount car rental just wouldnt be complete without a visit to the towering Chrysler Building located in downtown Manhattan. Built back in the early 1930s by automobile tycoon Walter Chrysler as a status symbol, the Chrysler building is now one of the most recognized buildings on Manhattan Island! Made of steel and faced with brick the Chrysler Building pays homage to the car company name with a few intricate details and unbelievable designs! One of the last remaining skyscrapers crafted in the Art Deco style, the Chrysler Building is a definite must-visit for anyone planning a trip to New York City. Located along Lexington Avenue, in the heart of Manhattan, the Chrysler building is located just a short New York discount car rental ride from practically anywhere in Manhattan!
Racing for the Sky
Back in the summer of 1929 an exciting and highly competitive race was being held in NYC, and it wasnt the annual marathon! After the Eiffel Tower was erected in Paris a huge surge was put forth to see who could top the then highest building in the world. The island of Manhattan became the battling group for what is considered to be the most intense race in skyscraper history, pitting the Bank of Manhattan Trust Company against Walter Chrysler and his team of engineers. For months the race was neck and neck, until the spring of 1930, when it appeared that the Bank of Manhattan Trust Company had come out on top, completing a 283 meter tall tower. But the Banks victory was short lived – just one week after construction had ceased on the Bank of Manhattan a secret crew hidden inside the very top of the Chrysler Building jacked a needle thin spire through the skyscrapers crown! Once the building was finally completed it measured in at approximately 319 meters, or 1,046 feet capturing the coveted title of Worlds Largest Building! The Chrysler Buildings victory was also short and sweet as, in true New York style, a bigger and better building was already on its way to completion! Just four months after being crowned the king of all skyscrapers, the Empire State Building opened on 5th Avenue measuring in at a staggering 1,250 feet.
Final Touches
Not only is the Chrysler Building one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, it is also one of the most intricately decorated! When driving by in your upcoming New York discount car rental be sure to stop and take a closer look. When Walter Chrysler decided to build a new office building he wanted something fresh and new; A bold structure, declaring the glories of modern age. So, with the help of famed architect William Van Alen, Mr. Chrysler decorated his skyscraper with everything from hubcaps to mudguards! Instead of using traditional gargoyles as decoration, Walter Chrysler decorated his tower like he did his cars, crafting unique ornamentation in the likeliness of actually automotive parts! Today the Chrysler Building still stands as one of the worlds most innovative and original Art Deco buildings, a style characterized by sharp angular surface forms and interesting ornaments.
Interesting Facts about the Chrysler Building
The following facts will be sure to impress all of your New York discount car rental friends, so be sure to print them out before embarking on your adventure to the Chrysler Building!
- The Chrysler Building is 77 stories high and cost $20 million to build
- There are over 3,862 windows on the Chrysler Building
- Walter Chrysler never paid the famed architect, William Van Alen for his design work on the Chrysler Building because he was certain that Van Alen was involved in a suspicious financial operation with the buildings contractors
- Over 3,826,000 bricks were used to cover the 20,961 tons of structural steel used to support the Chrysler Building
- The Chrysler Building recently underwent a full-scale restoration in 1995, returning the building back to its original glory