Want to know what the tallest buildings in America are, but you also want to be entertained by a video that lost a contest for Quizno’s? You’ve come to the right place – kind of!! In 2008, Quiznos hosted a video contest hoping for people to talk about their Toasty Torpedo sandwich, This is a very tall sandwich with way too much bread, and I realized it also looked like a Skyscraper if you turned it standing upright, so I headed around the country to see what the tallest buildings in America in 2008 were, and hold this sandwich next to them.
UPDATE: This list has changed since 2008, and you can find a much more accurate, but much more BORING answer to this question on Wikipedia.
If you want a little context about these buildings, want to see an absolutely FABULOUS song about a sandwich you cannot buy, to understand why Quiznos is going out of business, or just to go down a really weird rabbit hole on the internet, keep reading. I’ll tell you about how I traveled the country with these stupid sandwiches to dance around in front of every one of the ten tallest skyscrapers, what inspired the song, and why I lost.
- Skyscraper of Sandwiches Video Contest Entry
- What were the tallest buildings in America in 2008?
- What constitutes a skyscraper?
- How did you get all those shots?
- Who are the Talking Heads and what does their music sound like?
- Whatever happened to Quiznos?
- Is Quiznos still around?
- Should I be scared of heights?
Skyscraper of Sandwiches Video Contest Entry
What were the tallest buildings in America in 2008?
- Sears Tower, Chicago, IL
- Trump INTl, Chicago, IL
- Empire State Building, New York, NY
- Bank of America Tower, New York, NY
- AON Center, Chicago, IL
- John Hancock Center, Chicago, IL
- The Chrysler Building, New York, NY
- The New York Times Building, New York, NY
- Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta, GA
- US Bank building, Los Angeles, CA
What constitutes a skyscraper?
The first skyscraper was built over 100 years ago, thanks to advances in technology. They are characterized by the number of floors they have, though things considered skyscrapers in the late 1800s would not be considered skyscrapers now – especially in a large city where 20, 30 and 40 story buildings are a dime a dozen.
How did you get all those shots?
Depending on when you read this, you might look at the above video and think that it was made using greenscreen or CGI graphics or AI or some other similar labor saving device. It was not. I lived in Los Angeles at the time, and I wanted to figure out a way to make this idea come to life. I did it by scheduling the following:
- Some car trips to downtown LA. Easy.
- A flight to visit Chicago, where I had a bunch of friends and my wife’s family is from, complete with a jaunt around the downtown area for a few hours. Medium hard, but pleasant.
- A trip to New York City, where my brother was. I had Delta miles so this trip was free and would have been medium easy, but I did something to make it more complicated –
- I opted not for the nonstop flight to NYC, but instead to swing through the Delta hub in Atlanta, give myself a 4 hour layover, race in a cab out to the one ATL based skyscraper that made the list, with a quiznos sub in hand, then back to the airport in time to get to New York. Extremely hard.
I actually handed the cabbie the camera for the Atlanta shot, which I think he did a fine job with, and the real challenge was transporting toasty torpedo subs all over the nation in the airplane. Secret? There is no actual meat or veg inside them. I just took the bread, and kept the wrapper to hold them in place everywhere.
Then I did it all over this Talking Heads inspired song which remains one of my favorites.
Who are the Talking Heads and what does their music sound like?
Talking Heads were an American rock band that formed in 1975 in New York City. They were known for their innovative and eclectic style of music, which combined elements of new wave, post-punk, funk, art pop, and worldbeat. They were also acclaimed for their artistic and energetic live performances, which often featured costumes, choreography, and multimedia. Some of their most popular songs include “Psycho Killer”, “Once in a Lifetime”, “Burning Down the House”, and “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)”. They disbanded in 1991 and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002
They have no relation to the tallest buildings in America.
Whatever happened to Quiznos?
Quiznos is a chain of sandwich restaurants that specializes in toasted subs. It was founded in 1981 and grew rapidly in the 1990s and early 2000s, reaching over 5000 locations worldwide by 200. However, Quiznos faced several challenges that led to its decline, such as lawsuits from franchisees, competition from other sandwich chains, high food costs, and changing consumer preferences. Quiznos filed for bankruptcy protection in 2014 and emerged with fewer than 2000 locations. Today, Quiznos continues to operate in the US and Canada, as well as in some international markets. It offers a variety of subs, salads, soups, and sides, as well as limited time offers such as lobster sandwiches.
Quiznos has no relation to the tallest buildings in America that I know of, other than this song.
Is Quiznos still around?
Yes, though the number of Quiznos stores has diminished dramatically. They were roundly beaten by Subway in the sandwich wars of the early 21st century.
Should I be scared of heights?
No, you should work on that. It’s holding you back. Good luck.