Trump World Tower in New York: 72 floors, button 90 in the elevator and apartment prices

On First Avenue, directly across from the UN headquarters, stands a dark glass tower. Tourists often mistake it for an office center. Trump World Tower was built in 2001.

It is one of the most recognizable residential skyscrapers in Midtown East. You can see it from the East River waterfront, from the UN building, or simply walking along First Avenue.

Below are verified facts: how many floors and meters the tower has, where the number 90 on the elevator display came from, who designed the building, and how apartment prices have changed. There is also a practical section with the address and nearby landmarks.

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Where Trump World Tower is located

💡 In short:

• Address: 845 United Nations Plaza, First Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets.
• Height 262 m with 72 floors; it is a residential building, not a museum or an observation deck.
• The best view of the tower is from the East River waterfront and from the UN building.
• Height and location: 09/2026, verified on the official website.

The tower stands in the Turtle Bay neighborhood, in Midtown East. The landmark is simple. You come out onto First Avenue and see it to the left of the UN building if you are walking north from 42nd Street. From the 51 Street subway station on Lexington Ave to First Avenue is about a 10-12 minute walk.

From the street, the tower looks very narrow. Its base occupies a plot of 23 by 44 meters, and the height-to-width ratio is close to 11 to 1. That is why the building is considered one of the most slender high-rises in the world. Only residents and their guests are allowed inside: there is security at the entrance, and you cannot just go up.

© Patrick Nouhailler's… · CC BY-SAPhoto: Patrick Nouhailler's…, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

Bronze glass and Gothic motifs

The tower's facade is made of dark bronze glass. It absorbs some of the light, so during the day the walls are almost black, and at sunset they reflect the orange sky. From First Avenue you can clearly see how the glass changes shade depending on the weather.

The facade is a smooth glass curtain wall with an upward-stretched silhouette. The building has no spires or domes, which usually crown American skyscrapers. The large windows offer a wide view of the East River and the eastern part of Manhattan.

The frame is made of concrete, not steel. This increased wind resistance. The tower's appearance has not changed since 2001.

© Erik Drost · CC BYPhoto: Erik Drost, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), Wikimedia Commons

Who designed the tower

The project was designed by architect Costas Kondylis. His firm specialized in Manhattan residential high-rises, and he was commissioned to design buildings with maximum apartment density. Marta Rudzka also worked on the drawings and is listed as the project architect.

The developers were The Trump Organization and South Korean Daewoo. Construction was carried out by Bovis Lend Lease. According to the official website, the building was completed in 2001.

From 2001 to 2003, the tower was considered the tallest residential building in the world. It was later surpassed by 21st Century Tower in Dubai and Tower Palace 3 in Seoul (building profile, 09/2026). For you, this means one thing: you are looking at a record holder of its time, not an ordinary residential building.

Why the elevator shows 90 floors

The tower's most famous quirk has to do with numbering. The building has 72 constructed floors, but the elevator display shows the top level as 90.

The reason is simple. The client decided to count the building's height as 900 feet and divided that number by ten (numbering breakdown, 09/2026). That is how the numbers with gaps came about.

This arithmetic gave rise to legends in the press about secret floors. Guests of the building looked for codes that supposedly could call non-existent levels. In practice, there is no mystery: the elevator serves the same 72 floors, and the numbers simply jump upward.

If someone tells you about a hidden 90th floor, tell them it is a marketing number. The building's actual height is 262 meters, confirmed by the city's Department of Buildings.

Construction history and the dispute with the UN

The site was previously occupied by the 18-story United Engineering Center, built in 1961. In 1997, Donald Trump and his partners bought the site for $52 million and began purchasing air rights from neighboring buildings (site deal, 09/2026). Demolition of the old building began in October 1998.

The construction immediately sparked conflict. The tower was supposed to rise higher than the UN building across the street, and diplomats did not like that. Residents of the plaza joined the protests, including journalist Walter Cronkite. Opponents raised $400,000 for lawsuits, but lost the case in 2000 (protest report, 09/2026).

Despite the opposition, work moved quickly. The building was constructed from 1999 to 2001 and took about two years. Two German banks financed the construction, and the total project cost was around $300 million.

The lower floors used to house the World Bar, a favorite spot for UN diplomats. It is now closed (note about the bar, 09/2026).

© Error46146 at English Wikipedia · CC BYPhoto: Error46146 at English Wikipedia, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

How much housing costs in the tower

The developer recouped the investment through apartment sales, which went for record prices for the city (official website, 09/2026).

A two-story penthouse with 1,858 m² of space and ceilings up to 3.7 meters was listed for $58 million. No buyer appeared for several years, and the apartment was split into four parts (penthouse listing, 09/2026).

Today prices depend on the floor and the East River view. Studios and small apartments sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, while penthouses with views go for tens of millions. Some apartments are rented out: the landlord only quotes the exact rate for a specific unit, so you cannot agree on a price in advance.

Who lives here and what was filmed in the tower

The upper floors of Trump World Tower sold quickly to wealthy buyers. According to the owner registry, about 65 apartments in the late 1990s were bought by buyers from post-Soviet countries. In 2001, baseball player Derek Jeter bought an apartment here for $12.6 million, and 11 years later sold it for $15.5 million.

In 2002, Bill Gates, Harrison Ford, and Sophia Loren were named among owners and renters (tenant list, 09/2026). In 2001, Saudi Arabia bought the 45th floor for $4.5 million and later included these apartments in its UN mission.

The building also made it into film. The tower's apartments appeared in the NBC show "The Apprentice," and in 2007 scenes from the film "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" were shot in the penthouse (film appearances, 09/2026). If you are interested in the area's high-rises, come here in the evening and look at them from the waterfront.

Trump World Tower on the map

The tower's address: 845 United Nations Plaza, New York. The easiest way to get here is from the 51 Street subway station: from the exit, walk east to First Avenue.

If you are planning a route through Midtown East, add the East River waterfront and the UN building to the tower. You can walk to both points, no taxi or bus needed.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Can you go up to the observation deck at Trump World Tower?

No. It is a residential condominium, not a tower with an observation deck. Only apartment owners and their guests can get inside; security stops everyone else at the entrance. To see the Manhattan skyline, you should pick another high-rise with a public observation deck.

How many floors does Trump World Tower have?

The building has 72 constructed floors, although the elevator panel shows the top level as 90. The numbering came from the developer's decision to count the building height as 900 feet. The actual height of the tower is 262 meters.

How to get to Trump World Tower?

The tower stands on First Avenue, between 47th and 48th Streets, across from the UN headquarters. The easiest way is to take the subway to 51 Street on Lexington Ave, then walk about 10-12 minutes. If you are strolling along the East River waterfront, walk north to 48th Street.

When was Trump World Tower built?

Construction began in 1999 and finished in 2001, in just two years. Demolition of the old engineering center on the site began in October 1998. The total project cost is estimated at around $300 million.

How much does an apartment in the tower cost?

There are no exact prices publicly available: each unit is sold separately. Studios and smaller apartments are known to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while penthouses with views go for tens of millions. The most expensive penthouse, at 1,858 m², was once listed for $58 million.

In short: what to book

There is nothing to book inside Trump World Tower: it is a residential building, not a museum. But the tower is easy to add to your route as a free stop on the way to the UN headquarters.

• If you want a view of Manhattan: head to the East River waterfront at sunset.
• If you want to see the city from the water: book New York tours on GetYourGuide.
• If you are interested in architecture: compare the tower with other Midtown East high-rises.

One evening by the East River covers the main goal: you see several high-rises at once and pay nothing for admission.