432 Park Avenue the tallest residential building

NEW YORK (WABC) -- In Midtown, Manhattan people are craning for a look, all the way to the top of 432 Park Avenue, now the tallest residential building in the western hemisphere.

"The feat of technology and the feat of putting it all together is just shocking," one woman said.

It soars to 1,396 feet, and for the record that is taller than 1 World Trade without its antenna. And it dwarfs the Empire State Building.

"It definitely catches your eye as you are walking down Park Avenue, but I think people are going to be following suit and there are going to be more like it, I hope," one real estate agent said.

He works in the real estate world, but not everyone loves what they see.

"You can see it from far away, but that doesn't mean its good," one passerby said.

"I guess New York thinks the higher, the better, but I disagree," one man said.

But, there is demand for places like this where the views are above and beyond. The price tag is also beyond, a penthouse already sold for $95 million.

And if not there, then buyers can find a similar experience a little farther west at 157. Both are slender super high-rises. They are the kinds of buildings that concern Margaret Newman. She's with the Municipal Art Society of New York, an advocacy group.

"We think there needs to be more oversight by the city," Newman said. "There's no environmental review associated with these, so that if they are casting shadows or taking away amenities, but there is no review process."

She'd like to see stricter zoning laws and more transparency in how these are erected, but clearly this building is here to stay and will forever change the city's skyline.

"It's not really finished yet, but I'm hoping, I'm hoping it looks really nice once it's done," a man said.