Rising 589 feet above you, the Erastus Corning Tower is also known as the Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd Tower, or simply the Corning Tower. Completed in 1973 and sided with Vermont Pearl marble and glass, this state office skyscraper rises 589 feet and 44 stories, the tallest skyscraper in the state of New York outside of New York City. Its namesake, Erastus Corning 2nd, was mayor of Albany for over 40 years from 1941 to 1983; the tower was dedicated to him in March 1983 during his hospitalization, and before that dedication it was known as the "Tower Building.
Inside and above, the Corning Tower houses the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Office of General Services, and two New York State Department of Transportation traffic cameras help monitor nearby traffic conditions. From 2000 to 2004 it even topped the World Almanac's list of "Other Tall Buildings in North American Cities. On the 42nd floor an observation deck offers expansive views of Albany, the Hudson River, and the surrounding area.
Picture the view from that 42nd-floor observation deck, stretching across Albany, the Hudson River, and beyond.