That was finished in 1930, two years before this picture was taken, also the angle towards the Empire State Building doesn't fit. The Rockefeller Center was under construction in 1932 and would fit the location.
This is how workers built those skyscrapers--with zero safety devices. 5 workers died building the Empire State Building and 60 workers died building the World Trade Centre. These buildings had several thousands of workers so the death rate was just 1%-2% which was deemed acceptable. A handful of workers dying while something was being built was just expected before unions and safety regulations changed that.
I'm trying to see if his shoes are tied with a square knot.
I had a friend who worked high steel and cranes and he said his guys used short laces with square knots so they didn't untie easily and if they did the ends weren't a tripping hazard.
I don't know when that started, but it looks like his shoes don't have loops.
Great way to tie hiking shoes, round-section laces work best.