Met Life Tower – New York, New York

I continued east on 23rd street to 5th Avenue — a mile from the High Line. After walking all day, I was getting run down with many more destinations on my photography list. I contemplated taking a bus but rejected the idea. I like subways with their fixed stations. Buses always seemed a bit confusing — a little too free-form — unless you know the route well.

As I approached my destination, the classically pointy Met Life Tower came into view and begged for a capture. The 700-foot-tall tower has the proportions that I like so much — a profile you don’t see in modern developments.

Completed in 1909 and modeled after the famous St Mark’s Campanile in Venice, Italy, the Met Life Tower is now older than the tower in Venice. Huh? St Mark’s Campanile rose to its full height in 1514. However, it collapsed in 1902 and was rebuilt in 1912. Thus, the Met Life Tower is three years older.

The Met Life Tower was also the world’s tallest until 1913. It’s twice the size of St Mark’s Campanile. While inspired by the Italian tower, the marble facade differs and features a clock on all four sides.

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