This photo of the Empire State Building exhibits two dramatically different eras of architecture in NYC. The Empire State Building represents the epitome of the "skyscraper era", when the use of steel structures allowed for buildings to reach unprecedented heights for the period, and dominate surrounding neighborhoods of mostly brick and masonry buildings. The structural integrity of these masonry buildings limited heights to ten or so stories. The dominance of the Empire State Building in the photo is facsimile for views from its heyday when it was the tallest building in the world. For more info see... http://www.empirestatebuildingfacts.com/