3. 70 Pine Street
At 952 feet, 70 Pine was the tallest building in downtown Manhattan from 1932 until the completion of the World Trade Towers. The building was one of the last Art Deco skyscrapers completed, for World War II began soon after it was built and another skyscraper did not rise up downtown for another 30 years. Originally, the building was called the Cities Service Building after the company that built it in 1932. Later, it became the AIG Building after the company that bought it in 1976 and was forced to sell it during the Great Recession.
Today, it is an apartment building and the 20th tallest building in the city at 952 feet tall. With its rooftop glass observatory and limestone walls designed to resemble a mountain, 70 Pine is one of New York’s most recognizable skyscrapers. It has a lot to offer on the inside, too — there are two wraparound terraces near the top, and a gym, hotel, and Michelin-starred restaurant.