The Empire State Building once symbolized an urban way of working and New York’s resilience. In the pandemic’s second year, that legacy, and the future of the world’s most famous skyscraper, is in doubt.

We take you inside the iconic landmark. nyti.ms/39jJKnq
The pandemic emptied out attractions, shops and offices in both the Empire State Building and New York City for months.

Now, as a promised return to normal is once again on hold, the plans being made by the building’s occupants reveal a cultural shift. nyti.ms/2VUbhsQ
In the second quarter of 2019, nearly a million people visited the Empire State Building's observatory.

In the second quarter of 2021, it had 162,000 visitors, underscoring the wider collapse of New York’s once lucrative tourism industry. nyti.ms/2VUbhsQ
Most of the Empire State Building is dedicated to office space. We contacted dozens of the building’s tenants to understand how they think about the office now — and whether they'll ever go back. nyti.ms/2VUbhsQ
In all, a vast majority of tenants who shared their plans are remaining in the building, and only a small share have decided to give up their office space. But most are adopting a hybrid work model. nyti.ms/2VUbhsQ
Many of the tenants who plan to stay in the building have years remaining on their leases, and generally have to pay that rent in full, whether they use their offices full time or not. nyti.ms/2VUbhsQ
New York has adapted to other big shocks, but speaking to the Empire State Building’s tenants about their plans — and tracking how they’ve fared in the pandemic economy — reveals that many painfully uncertain months lie ahead.

Read more: nyti.ms/2VUbhsQ

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More from @nytimes

16 Sep
"It's always going to haunt me." Before Jan. 6, the Capitol seemed almost impenetrable — a symbol of a secure democracy. For many, it's now tinged with trauma, anger and sadness.

We spoke to people who were there during the riot. Here's what they said. nyti.ms/39dty7q
As the mob breached the Capitol, Alisa La, who was working as a close aide to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, barricaded herself with her colleagues in a room in Pelosi’s Capitol office suite, hiding in the dark as rioters loudly ransacked it. nyti.ms/3ErowT1
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11 Sep
It can be hard to remember, but at one point, flying was considered part of a vacation, not just the means to get to it. Today’s flying environment, 20 years after Sept. 11, can be boiled down to one overriding motivation: just get through it. nyti.ms/3z3xOAM
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On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, here are some of their stories. nyti.ms/3leh6tI
When the towers fell, most people streamed uptown. But Charles Cook, a retiree in Harlem, walked nearly 10 miles downtown to ground zero, where he dug through the rubble by hand in search of survivors.

He also helped in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.nyti.ms/3E2BFly Image
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Twenty years after Sept. 11, we look at how a single day continues to shape us. nyti.ms/3A5tPVF
A viral documentary film popularized conspiracy theories about 9/11 and the "truther" movement. Years after its release, its DNA is still all over the internet, our tech columnist @kevinroose writes. nyti.ms/3l41bhw
Twenty years later, the command to “Never Forget” retains its power, jolting us into the past whenever we see it on a hat or flag or the back of a car, writes @DanBarryNYT. "What instantly transports you back to that deceptively sunny Tuesday morning?" nyti.ms/3z2PdcI
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10 Sep
2,753 lives were lost the day of the Sept. 11 terror attack on the World Trade Center. That toll has likely been eclipsed by deaths from exposure to toxic pollutants in the air in the weeks and months after the collapse — and that number keeps growing. nyti.ms/3tIYZjz
John Mormando, 54, was working as a commodities broker a few blocks from ground zero in 2001. He later underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer, an ailment suffered by a cluster of men who spent time near ground zero. nyti.ms/3tIYZjz
Carrie Benedict Foley’s firefighter husband, Daniel, died at age 46 from pancreatic cancer believed to be linked to his exposure to airborne debris. Daniel knew his death would devastate their five children, but he did not regret working at ground zero. nyti.ms/3tIYZjz
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7 Sep
Breaking News: Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled that making abortion a crime was unconstitutional, setting a landmark legal precedent for the conservative Catholic country. nyti.ms/3zWfECu
The unanimous ruling from Mexico's Supreme Court follows a growing women's movement that has repeatedly taken to the streets of major cities across the country to demand greater rights and protections. nyti.ms/3zWfECu
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