Speaking of vertigo inducing, can you believe a pilot actually took off from the roof of the Los Angeles Railway Building at 1060 S. Broadway.
Above: It was for a scene in a 1920 silent film. (the title of the film escapes me now)*
If I remember correctly, he fell almost five stories before he swooped up and landed at a nearby airport.
Below: A much later photo of the Los Angeles Railway Building showing it's height.
I'm not sure why the arrow is there.
usc digital archive
*After much 'googling', I believe the film is 'Stranger Than Fiction' (1921) starring Katherine MacDonald.