Highest you've been in a building/structure

[Duke87]

However, I am probably the only person here who has been to the 103rd floor of the Empire State Building. 

Are you King Kong?

No, just someone who had a work-related reason to be in the mechanical room above the observation deck.

It's pretty neat, actually. You can see the hatch that was intended for use in getting people into and out of docked airships. Today it's only used by people working on the communications tower.

There's also a ledge you can go outside onto.

[inkyatari]

Chicago - Willis Tower Skydeck (1,353 ft)

I've heard of this "willis" tower, but nobody from northeast Illinois knows where it is.

[1995hoo]

Chicago - Willis Tower Skydeck (1,353 ft)

I've heard of this "willis" tower, but nobody from northeast Illinois knows where it is.

I think they're referring to one of the two Drummond boys as seen from Arnold's point of view.

[inkyatari]

Chicago - Willis Tower Skydeck (1,353 ft)

I've heard of this "willis" tower, but nobody from northeast Illinois knows where it is.

I think they're referring to one of the two Drummond boys as seen from Arnold's point of view.

You, sir win an internet.


My wife's maiden name is Willis, and her nickname is "watchoo talkin' 'bout."

[Jardine]

I can scarcely believe I'm first to post this:


Royal Gorge Bridge

955' above Arkansas River

[inkyatari]

I can scarcely believe I'm first to post this:


Royal Gorge Bridge

955' above Arkansas River

I've been there, but I never count it because I judge height from where I enter the structure to the highest point of said location, ergo, I've only been 0 feet up the Royal Gorge Bridge, whereas I've been more than 1000 feet up the SEARS tower.

[triplemultiplex]

In my opinion, dams and bridges (support towers notwithstanding) don't fall in line with the intention of the thread.  A 'hole' filled with concrete or a span over a 'hole' is not the same thing as a building or spire rising high above the surrounding landscape.

[formulanone]

Chicago - Willis Tower Skydeck (1,353 ft)

I've heard of this "willis" tower, but nobody from northeast Illinois knows where it is.

I get the resistance when something goes from a name/founder to a corporation, or gets renamed for a self-serving politician, but...oh noes, you're replacing one sponsor with another!

[inkyatari]

Chicago - Willis Tower Skydeck (1,353 ft)

I've heard of this "willis" tower, but nobody from northeast Illinois knows where it is.

I get the resistance when something goes from a name/founder to a corporation, or gets renamed for a self-serving politician, but...oh noes, you're replacing one sponsor with another!

It's a bit different situation.  Sears, believe it or not, once had a lot of money.  Enough that they could build the world's tallest building.  They owned it lock, stock and barrel at one point (IIRC,)  Eventually to cut costs, sometime in the 80's/ early 90's they sold the building, but the new owners kept the name.  Years later a British insurance company leased four floors, and part of that deal was to rename the building. 

Honestly, a large part of it also has to do with the fact that outside corporations come into the area, purchase local institutions, and rob them of their Chicagoness.  Marshall Fields is the first that comes to mind.  To this day I will not ever set foot inside a macy's, even if it means a shorter path into a mall, for the company purchasing Marshall Fields, and destroying it by changing them to macy's.

[empirestate]

I get the resistance when something goes from a name/founder to a corporation, or gets renamed for a self-serving politician, but...oh noes, you're replacing one sponsor with another!

It's a bit different situation.  Sears, believe it or not, once had a lot of money.  Enough that they could build the world's tallest building.  They owned it lock, stock and barrel at one point (IIRC,)  Eventually to cut costs, sometime in the 80's/ early 90's they sold the building, but the new owners kept the name.  Years later a British insurance company leased four floors, and part of that deal was to rename the building.

Yeah, I've grappled with this question, too–why do I accept one corporate name, but reject another? It has to do with how closely tied the one company or brand is to a place, including not only proximity but longevity.

To this day I will not ever set foot inside a macy's, even if it means a shorter path into a mall, for the company purchasing Marshall Fields, and destroying it by changing them to macy's.

Honest question: how does not setting foot in a Macy's retaliate for their misdeed?

[cl94]

Let's see...

1. Toronto - CN Tower SkyPod (1,467 feet)
2. New York - WTC North Tower (1,377 feet)
3. New York - 1 WTC (1,268 feet)
4. New York - Empire State Building 86th Floor (1,050 feet) (highest floor open when I was there)
5. New York - 30 Rockefeller Plaza (~850 feet)
6. Albany - Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower Observation Deck (~550 feet)
7. DC - Washington Monument (500 feet)
8. Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observation Deck (~420 feet)
9. Buffalo - Buffalo City Hall (~350 feet)

Edit: forgot about Penobscot Narrows. Quite a cool place to visit if you're in the area.

[inkyatari]

To this day I will not ever set foot inside a macy's, even if it means a shorter path into a mall, for the company purchasing Marshall Fields, and destroying it by changing them to macy's.

Honest question: how does not setting foot in a Macy's retaliate for their misdeed?

It probably has no effect, but it makes me feel good, and that's what matters.

[Ian]

Alright, top eight...

• CN Tower SkyPod in Toronto (1,467 feet)
• Empire State Building 102nd floor in New York (1,224 feet)
• Olympic Stadium observatory in Montreal (873 feet)
• 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York (850 feet)
• Corning Tower Observation Deck in Albany, NY (~550 feet)
• Kingda Ka roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey (456 feet)
• Penobscot Narrows Bridge observatory in Maine (~420 feet)
• World Trade Center "Top of the World" Observation Level in Baltimore (~400 feet)

[Takumi]

To this day I will not ever set foot inside a macy's, even if it means a shorter path into a mall, for the company purchasing Marshall Fields, and destroying it by changing them to macy's.

Honest question: how does not setting foot in a Macy's retaliate for their misdeed?

It probably has no effect, but it makes me feel good, and that's what matters.

Same with me and Mercedes, because they're responsible for the 25-year import ban on non-US-market cars.

[english si]

These are the ones over 45m. There might be another roller coaster/thrill ride in there, but I don't think so. Note how none of them are anything other than tourist attractions/amusements. I did try and check other buildings, but I've either not been high up them, or they weren't that tall.

Stratosphere Las Vegas: 869 ft
London Eye: 443 ft
Stealth (Thorpe Park): 205 ft
Big Apple Coaster (New York New York, Vegas): 203 ft
Tower of Terror (MGM Studios, Disney World): 199 ft
Scream (Six Flags Magic Mountain): 150 ft
Big Wheel (Dreamland, Margate): 148 ft

[inkyatari]

Stratosphere Las Vegas: 869 ft

Do they still have the timeshare shillers at the top of the tower?

---

What's the difference between a timeshare shiller and a hooker?

I'm interested in the hooker.

Thank you, I'll be here all night!

[abefroman329]

Stratosphere Las Vegas: 869 ft

Do they still have the timeshare shillers at the top of the tower?

---

What's the difference between a timeshare shiller and a hooker?

I'm interested in the hooker.

Thank you, I'll be here all night!

I envy the people who can sit thru a timeshare presentation and not buy anything, and get a free trip in exchange.  That is not me, unfortunately.

[english si]

Do they still have the timeshare shillers at the top of the tower?

I don't know. This was 10 years ago and so I definitely wasn't in their demographic. It was also between Christmas and New Year, which I gather was the quietest time for tourists, and at about 10.30am, so a quiet time. And I walked straight to the outside deck so didn't pay attention inside.

There might be timeshare shillers, but I wouldn't know even if they were there when I was, and they were highly unlikely to have been there even if they did operate then. Plus then is not now.

I envy the people who can sit thru a timeshare presentation and not buy anything, and get a free trip in exchange.  That is not me, unfortunately.

I've endured a couple as my dad didn't realise what it was and thought it would be something worth sitting through. It wasn't that aggressive sell, only half an hour (but felt longer, especially as I worked out that it wasn't what my dad said it was, but rather a timeshare pitch, 5 minutes in and zoned out), but we didn't get a free anything out of it. Other than a drink (tea, coffee, soda) and maybe a pastry.

[formulanone]

I get the resistance when something goes from a name/founder to a corporation, or gets renamed for a self-serving politician, but...oh noes, you’re replacing one sponsor with another!

It's a bit different situation.  Sears, believe it or not, once had a lot of money.  Enough that they could build the world's tallest building.  They owned it lock, stock and barrel at one point (IIRC,)  Eventually to cut costs, sometime in the 80's/ early 90's they sold the building, but the new owners kept the name.  Years later a British insurance company leased four floors, and part of that deal was to rename the building. 

Honestly, a large part of it also has to do with the fact that outside corporations come into the area, purchase local institutions, and rob them of their Chicagoness.  Marshall Fields is the first that comes to mind.  To this day I will not ever set foot inside a macy's, even if it means a shorter path into a mall, for the company purchasing Marshall Fields, and destroying it by changing them to macy's.

Uh...welcome to capitalism. You're really mad at Sears, why carry their baggage? To me, it was just another monolithic company. It's not a "Corporations Are Evil" thing, but because retail doesn't really resonate much with me; they obviously want my dollar and my loyalty, but few companies really care care much about developing any sort relationship with the latter. Or at least, that's my take on it.

Would you terribly mind if Walmart previously owned a giant building, and then sold decades later it to say...Allianz or Petrobras? Probably 90% would get over it quite soon enough (who knows, there's loads of Walmart Angst out there). I think it's more about not accepting that change is inevitable; Sears/Kmart is about to go the way of telegraph and horse-drawn carriages. They made their money and the hangers-on are just going to get their feelings hurt out of the deal.

That said, you're right...local institutions are mostly disappearing to a monolithic-homogeneous retail model. Why go to Italy when you have Olive Garden right by the mall? The enclosed mall is a dying breed, replaced with a open-air design that's clumsy and oafish (but chock full of its own style...just like the next suburban platt) if it's not sunny and 60-75 degrees outside. I never liked either one, but I sure know which is preferable in January, and which one suffers from a dearth of parking solutions. Another reason why I can't find much attachment to big-box retail.

[Buck87]

Hey, just be glad it's not called "Ron White's Big Ol' Goddamn Building"



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii8rC6CPCvM

[jakeroot]

Here's a list of the times I've been the highest:

1) Willis Tower (~1350 feet) (2010)
2) Empire State Building (~1220 feet) (2008)
3) London Shard (~800 feet) (2014)
4) Gateway Arch (~620 feet) (2010)
5) Space Needle (~520 feet) (many, many times)

[inkyatari]

I get the resistance when something goes from a name/founder to a corporation, or gets renamed for a self-serving politician, but...oh noes, you're replacing one sponsor with another!

It's a bit different situation.  Sears, believe it or not, once had a lot of money.  Enough that they could build the world's tallest building.  They owned it lock, stock and barrel at one point (IIRC,)  Eventually to cut costs, sometime in the 80's/ early 90's they sold the building, but the new owners kept the name.  Years later a British insurance company leased four floors, and part of that deal was to rename the building. 

Honestly, a large part of it also has to do with the fact that outside corporations come into the area, purchase local institutions, and rob them of their Chicagoness.  Marshall Fields is the first that comes to mind.  To this day I will not ever set foot inside a macy's, even if it means a shorter path into a mall, for the company purchasing Marshall Fields, and destroying it by changing them to macy's.

Uh...welcome to capitalism. You're really mad at Sears, why carry their baggage? To me, it was just another monolithic company. It's not a "Corporations Are Evil" thing, but because retail doesn't really resonate much with me; they obviously want my dollar and my loyalty, but few companies really care care much about developing any sort relationship with the latter. Or at least, that's my take on it.

Would you terribly mind if Walmart previously owned a giant building, and then sold decades later it to say...Allianz or Petrobras? Probably 90% would get over it quite soon enough (who knows, there's loads of Walmart Angst out there). I think it's more about not accepting that change is inevitable; Sears/Kmart is about to go the way of telegraph and horse-drawn carriages. They made their money and the hangers-on are just going to get their feelings hurt out of the deal.

That said, you're right...local institutions are mostly disappearing to a monolithic-homogeneous retail model. Why go to Italy when you have Olive Garden right by the mall? The enclosed mall is a dying breed, replaced with a open-air design that's clumsy and oafish (but chock full of its own style...just like the next suburban platt) if it's not sunny and 60-75 degrees outside. I never liked either one, but I sure know which is preferable in January, and which one suffers from a dearth of parking solutions. Another reason why I can't find much attachment to big-box retail.

My main big point is that's what we know the building as, that's what it was built as, that's what it will always be to us.

And I'm not mad at Sears.  If anything, I'm mad at the asshole CEO who ran it into the ground.

[Roadgeekteen]

The empire state building. Don't remember what floor I got to.

[kkt]

The hut at the top of Mt. Whitney, 14,505 feet elevation.

[cl94]

The hut at the top of Mt. Whitney, 14,505 feet elevation.

Height off the ground, not total elevation. If elevation was the requirement, my entire list would be different (mostly with stuff I have climbed under my own power),