The New York Times
Why the Empire State Building, and New York, May Never Be the Same
Now, as a promised return to normal has once again been put on hold, the plans being made by the building’s occupants reveal a meaningful cultural shift.
Interviews with dozens of the building’s tenants and an analysis of public records suggest that the role of the office building in America has changed, perhaps permanently, and that local economies once centered on the traditional 9-to-5 workday face an uncertain future.
Like other tourist attractions around New York City, the famous observatories on the Empire State Building’s 86th and 102nd floors sat nearly empty for months.