Quick Facts
- Time Zone
- Eastern Time (UTC-5 / UTC-4 DST)
- Dialing Code
- +1
- Currency
- US Dollar (USD, $)
- Power Plug
- Type A, B (flat 2-pin, common across North America)
- Language
- English
- Emergency
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- eSIMno Networks
- AT&T, Verizon Wireless
How to Get Your eSIM
- Pick Your US Data Plan
Choose a plan that fits your NYC visit length and data habits — streaming skyline videos and uploading observation deck photos uses more data than maps and messages alone. - Install at Home Before Your Flight
Add the eSIM profile to your phone over your home WiFi. The profile sits dormant until you activate it, so there's no charge while you're still on the ground. - Land at JFK, Newark, or LaGuardia
Once the aircraft reaches the gate and you switch off airplane mode, the eSIM connects to AT&T or Verizon within seconds — before you reach the immigration queue. - Keep Your Home SIM for Calls
Your phone runs both SIMs in parallel. eSIMno handles all data (maps, apps, uploads); your home SIM stays active for incoming calls and texts without roaming charges on data. - Head to the Empire State Building
Pull up your timed-entry QR from your confirmation email, follow real-time directions on Google Maps or Citymapper, and your phone stays connected from the Fifth Avenue lobby through both observation decks.
Traveler Tips
- Book timed-entry tickets through the official Empire State Building site at least 3 days ahead for sunset slots — the QR code on your phone is your entry pass, no printout needed.
- The 86th-floor open-air deck sits at 1,050 feet with unobstructed 360-degree views; the 102nd-floor enclosed observatory at 1,250 feet costs extra but offers floor-to-ceiling glass.
- Crowds peak 30 minutes before sunset on clear days — arrive early or visit after 10 PM when lines thin and the city lights spread below.
- Tripods, selfie sticks, and professional camera gear are prohibited on both observation decks; phone photography is unlimited.
- Download offline maps for Manhattan before your visit — the elevator shafts have no signal, so preloaded directions save time when you exit.
- Keep WhatsApp or FaceTime ready for data-based calls; placing native voice calls through your home SIM while abroad triggers roaming charges.
Why Data Matters at the Empire State Building
Your Empire State Building visit runs on data from the moment you leave your hotel. The timed-entry QR code lives in your email or the official confirmation page — pull it up at the security checkpoint on Fifth Avenue and you skip the paper-ticket line entirely. Inside the Second Floor galleries, the Dare to Dream exhibit includes interactive displays that benefit from a live connection, and the building's own multimedia content loads faster on cellular than on the crowded internal WiFi.
The 86th-floor observation deck sits 1,050 feet above Midtown, with sightlines stretching to the Chrysler Building, One World Trade Center, the Hudson River, and Central Park. Most visitors spend 20-40 minutes rotating through the open-air parapets, uploading photos, tagging locations, and messaging travel companions still at street level. Signal strength holds steady across the outdoor deck — AT&T and Verizon both maintain macro coverage across Midtown Manhattan, and the deck's open-air design avoids the signal drop you'd hit inside an enclosed elevator shaft.
After you descend, data keeps working. Rideshare pickup coordinates go to Uber or Lyft for the corner of 34th and Fifth; real-time subway directions via Citymapper route you to the B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W at 34th Street–Herald Square two blocks west. If dinner reservations at a Koreatown spot on 32nd Street need confirmation, OpenTable or Resy handle it over the same eSIMno plan that powered your observation deck uploads. One installation, one activation, and your phone works from the lobby to the Lyft ride to the next borough.
Visiting the Empire State Building
Hours & Entry
The observation decks open daily around 10 AM and stay open until midnight, with the last elevator ascending roughly 45 minutes before close. Hours hold consistent through holidays and peak seasons. General admission to the 86th-floor deck runs in the $44-50 range for adults; combined tickets including the 102nd floor sit around $75-85. Express Pass options that skip all queues cost upward of $100.
Getting There
The nearest subway station is 34th Street–Herald Square, served by the B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, and W lines — a 3-minute walk west on 34th Street. The 6 train stops at 33rd Street one block south. Penn Station sits 5 minutes west on foot, connecting Amtrak, NJ Transit, and the Long Island Rail Road. From JFK, the AirTrain to Jamaica Station plus the LIRR to Penn takes 50-60 minutes total; from Newark, NJ Transit to Penn runs 25-35 minutes.
Accessibility & Rules
Both observation decks are wheelchair accessible via elevator. Large bags, tripods, and selfie sticks are not permitted — lockers are available on the lower levels. Photography for personal use is unrestricted; commercial shoots require advance permission.
Skyline View from the Observation Deck
Compare eSIM Options at Empire State Building
eSIMno | Local SIM / Operator | Roaming | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FEATURES | |||
| Setup time | Few minutes | Store kit, needs activation | Auto |
| No local ID needed | Online checkout | No SSN; passport at carrier stores | Use home account |
| Speed | 4G/LTE on AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon; 5G in some areas | One carrier only | Partner-dependent |
| Travel support | English support 24/7 | English-language service | Home carrier hours |
| Keep home number | Dual SIM | Replaces it | Same number |
| Cost predictability | Fixed price | Advertised price needs Auto Pay | Bill-shock risk |