James Marksbury has one of the top jobs in New York City—literally. He works atop some of the city’s tallest buildings. He can often be found dangling from ropes hundreds of feet above the ground.
Marksbury is a rope access supervisor. He and his team are trained to do all types of jobs that ladders and cranes can’t reach. He does everything from fixing leaks to painting.
He recently spent about three years helping restore the top of the Empire State Building. He and his team worked more than 1,000 feet above the streets below. They made repairs while dealing with strong winds.
Marksbury has worked at dizzying heights for nearly 20 years. He says he’s never gotten scared. And what’s the best part of his job?
“The view is still stunning to me,” he says.