By Fang Cui

Ask tourists what they like about the Empire State Building and most will say "the Statue of Liberty" or "the Chrysler Building." It may sound strange, but most people visit the skyscraper, a prominent icon and once again the tallest building in New York City, primarily for its view of other Big Apple attractions.

Click to get a bird's-eye view from the Observatory (Quicktime Video)

That is why Grace School, accompanied by her son and grandson, stands at the 86th floor observatory of the Empire State Building.

"I come here to have a bird's-eye view of the whole city," says School, 70, visiting from Appleton, Wis. And she thinks the Statue of Liberty is "the most beautiful and interesting place" seen from the observatory.

On clear days, visitors can see not only the major sites of New York City, but also the surrounding countryside for distances up to 80 miles, looking into the neighboring states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Although School has toured New York City once before, this is the first time she's come to the top of the Empire State Building. She plans to someday return at night to see the city's glorious lights.

By day or by night, the spectacular views of the city lure more than 3.5 million people to the 86th floor of the building each year. But this year, the observatory has become an even more popular destination for visitors.

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It recorded a nearly 20 percent rise in ticket sales in March 2002 over the same month last year, according to Howard J. Rubenstein, spokesman for the building. In addition, advance ticket sales for the next six months are also up.

Rubenstein says there had been a slump after the World Trade Center tragedy. The building promptly tightened security and closed the observatory to tourists for 17 days after the Sept. 11 attacks. But ticket sales have picked up quickly in the beginning of 2002.

"Whether people visit the observatory to enjoy the New York skyline or mourn how it has changed," says Rubenstein, "the increase in visitors is a vote of confidence for New York City, and the Empire State Building is proud to be part of it."

Led by the Empire State Building, the major sightseeing spots in New York are once again attracting crowds, says Cristyne L. Nicholas, the president and CEO of New York & Co., which promotes tourism in New York City.

"Many people, especially those from the tri-state area, do come here to show their support for New York's recovery," says Nicholas. "We are focusing efforts on the 15 million visitors that come from the tri-state area, Boston and Philadelphia. They can get on a train or a bus, they can walk, or they can drive."

Entrance to Observatory

$9: Adults

$7: Senior Citizens & Military

$4: Children aged 5-11 years

Free: Children under 5 years old

*If purchased online, add a $2 service charge per ticket

The city agency's efforts are well reflected by visitors to the Empire State Building. A representative for the building's management company estimates that 80 percent of the visitors in the past six months have been from within the United States, with approximately 75 percent of those from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The huge twin beams of light at Ground Zero, which marked the half-year anniversary of the terrorist attack, were a particular draw to the observatory of the Empire State Building. The memorial lights, together with beautiful spring weather, drew many tourists at night.

Foreign tourists are back, too, in groups or as individuals. Many come from as far away as Holland and South Korea.

Monique Russo, from Marseilles in southern France, says she had long dreamed of visiting the Empire State Building.

"I had watched a movie about its construction when I was a little girl. And ever since then, I've wanted to check this place out."

Monique Russo dreamed of visiting the Empire State Building as a little girl. This is her first time on top of the Observatory with her 32-year-old son Gilles.

Now standing on the 86th floor and taking in the sights, she keeps saying "wonderful, it is magnificent."

Russo's son — Gilles Russo, a US citizen living in Connecticut — has been to the Empire State Building before, in 1992.

Back then, he remembers, he was thrilled to see the twin towers in front of him. Now in the heart of the city, "I can almost see everything, but the WTC is missing."

For Fanny Italianer and Sarah Berkhout, both from Holland, their visit to "one of the oldest, highest and greatest architecture in New York", as they say, is just to check an item off their must-see lists.

"We are totally tourists," says Italianer. "We want to see Wall Street, try the subway and go shopping at Macy's. We want to take a bus trip around the town. But we want to see the whole view of the town first."

Before queuing up for tickets, the two had even debated whether it was worth standing in line for 25 minutes.

Plain economics won the day. "Guess what," they laughed. "We qualified for senior citizen tickets."