USA Skylines: Skyscrapers Of The United States
The USA is one of the most exciting cities in the world, and is also home to some of the world’s most famous and largest cities. This article will look at some of the most well-known, beautiful, and recognizable skylines across the United States.
The first skyline we shall look at is probably one of the most famous in the world - New York City - which is partly thanks to Hollywood’s obsession with the city, and it’s appearance in numerous movies. There are numerous well-recognizable buildings along the Big Apple’s skyline - including the Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty, and the art-deco Chrysler building. New York city has 47 buildings over 200 meters tall, which is more than any other city in the world. The top four tallest buildings were all built in the 1930’s.
The second USA skyline we shall look at is Chicago - the largest city in the state of Illinois. Chicago is the home to the world’s first skyscraper. It has 19 buildings over 200 meters, one of which is the tallest in North America - Sears Tower. It also has three out of five of the USA’s tallest skyscrapers - as well as Sears tower the other tw0 are the Trump Tower; and the Aon Center. One of the best places to view Chicago’s magnificent skyline is from the John Hancock Center Observatory - one of the tallest buildings in Chicago. The Chicago skyline is constantly changing, and more and more plans are being developed - including the much anticipated Chicago Spire. Although construction on the spire as well as other buildings have been postponed due to the global credit crunch..
Quite possibly one of the most recognizable skylines in the world is Seattle - with it’s dominant 184 meter Space Needle Observatory Tower. This beautiful city is surrounded by mountains and water and offers picturesque views from wherever you stand. The Space Needle was made famous on the popular sitcom Frasier, when it was shown on the opening credits, as well as on Grey’s Anatomy and the movie Sleepless in Seattle. The two tallest buildings in Seattle are the 76 storey Columbia Center and the Washington Mutual Tower.
Miami also has a beautiful skyline, helped along by it’s stunning location on the Caribbean Sea. In the evenings the sunsets over the city are fantastic. Nine out of ten of the tallest buildings in Florida are situated in Miami. The tallest building in Miami is the 70-storey Four Seasons Hotel which was completed in 2003, and is also the tallest building in the state of Florida and 47th tallest in the USA. The second tallest building on the Miami skyline is the Wachovia Financial Center. The Miami skyline first began taking shape in 1913 when the first skyscraper - the McAllister Hotel - was built. The Freedom Tower, completed in 1925, remains one of the most iconic buildings along the Miami skyline. Miami’s skyline has been ranked the third best in the United States after New York City and Chicago.
One of the most colorful skylines in the USA, and indeed the world, is that of Nevada’s largest city and “entertainment capital of the world”- Las Vegas. The city’s skyline is full of bright lights and high-rise casino resorts based on various themes such as Circus Circus, and Bellagio.
Rated as the sixth best skyline in the USA, Dallas is the third largest city in the state of Texas. The tallest building in Dallas is the 72-storey high Bank of America Plaza. The second tallest building and one of the most prominent is the Renaissance Tower. The first skyscraper built in Dallas is the Praetorian Building that was built in 1909. There are 19 skyscrapers along the Dallas skyline.
The last skyline in the USA we shall look at today is San Francisco. This beautiful Californian city is situated on San Francisco bay on the Pacific west coast of the USA. The most prominent feature of San Francisco’s skyline is the Golden Gate bridge. The tallest building in San Francisco, and also one of the most dominant is the Transamerica Pyramid - a 260 meter high structure in the shape of a pyramid. The second tallest building in the city is 555 California Street, or better known to the locals as the Bank of America Center. Based on the number of skyscrapers that exist or are being constructed, San Francisco ranks as the second best skyline in the Pacific coast region (after Los Angeles), and the seventh in the USA. In the 1990’s, building heights were restricted to prevent what has been dubbed “Manhattanization”, but laws have been relaxed in recent years and numerous new tall skyscrapers are continuing to be built.
