Views from the tallest building in Queens

Published on: January 13th, 2016 | Last updated: January 5, 2017 | Written by: Joseph Anastasio

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Citibank building in 2015 (on the left), the top gets lost in the clouds on rainy days…

I watched this building rise while growing up, and as the years passed, the itch to get to the top of it grew stronger.

History
Construction this building began in the late 1980s and was completed in 1990. Most people simply know it as the ‘Citibank building’, though it is officially known as One Court Square.

The land here was originally St. Joseph’s hospital, as seen on this historic map. (Also note ‘Ely Avenue’ – a street name that is completely gone today except for within the MTA 23 street Ely avenue E & M subway station).

IN

As with most office buildings, this one is well secured. It is covered in cameras and has security personnel who won’t let anyone in who doesn’t have business in the building.

Long story short, I had business, so I got in. And I brought my camera.

This building offers a very rare, uninterrupted view of Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Nevermind Manhattan – you can see as far as Long Island to the east, and the New Jersey palisades to the Northwest. To the south, you can see the top of the Verrazano bridge.

The only sad thing about being in this amazing space is how off limits it is to the general population, and how those who work here seem to take it for granted. I’m sure many who work here enjoy it, but most of them just seemed to work all day never once stopping to look out at an amazing view found literally in no other NYC building.

If this were my office, I’d stop at least once a day to take it all in.

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5PTZ being demolished.

LIRR & The 7 Train passing Hunterspoint Avenue LIRR stop. Also them stored M3 cars at Arch street

Sunnyside Amtrak yard, with Honeywell Avenue Bridge crossing over.

Williamsburg, and Lower Manhattan. The watertower at Greenpoint Terminal is in the foreground.

The Montauk Cutoff

Brooklyn.

Court Square 7 train station

The Queensboro Bridge

Queens Blvd.

The other Citibank building, plus 432 Park.

Chrysler, MetLife, and UN buildings

The Queensboro bridge again – star of many movies.

Anable Basin

Harlem, The Bronx, New Jersey

Standard building, Northern Blvd, and the new-ish Amtrak Acela servicing building in sunnyside

‘Harold’ interlocking, some of the busiest railroad tracks in the world.

The Triboro, Hell Gate, The Bronx, and… North.

Comments

NOTE: It sometimes takes a short while for comments to be approved - unfortunately there's a lot of spam comments that come in. I absolutely love when y'all share personal stories of friends relatives etc who worked in these places. It really helps capture what these places were like before they closed up shop.

If you're feeling salty, argumentative comments completely devoid of facts (supply links to support your argument) will not be published. Got a case to state? come with the details.

One response to “Views from the tallest building in Queens”

1. PegLegGuy says:

   January 31, 2016 at 11:28 PM

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   Killer pics!

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