The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York. The building was built from 17 March 1930 to 11 April 1931, and opened on 1 May 1931. The Great Depression led to most of the building's offices being empty; it was nicknamed "the Empty State Building" for its lack of business. The building's owners failed to make a profit until the early 1950s, but it became a popular tourist attraction, as it was the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years, when the World Trade Center's North Tower surpassed it in height. The building became an American cultural icon, and it became a National Historic Landmark in 1986.