Viewpoints in New York City
New York City not only has classic skyscrapers like the Empire State Building or The Edge or the One World Observatory, which is the tallest building in the city. The Summit On Vanderbilte Observatory, in the heart of Manhattan, offers an experience designed by none other than Kenzo Digital. Not only the objective of visiting a viewpoint is to enjoy the best views. There is also an added value: photograph yourself in a unique and spectacular space to succeed on social networks.
Empire State Building
The art deco elegance of the skyscraper at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street in Manhattan is second to none. The main icon of the city, together with the Statue of Liberty, has had to revitalize its offer in order not to lose the attractiveness that it achieved until the inauguration of other skyscrapers.
In recent years, all kinds of events have been added to the visits to the 86th and 102nd floors: from a special visit to watch the sunrise for only 40 visitors, to one accompanied by a guide and even a package for marriage proposals.
Few views are as evocative as those seen from there of lower Manhattan through the old iron binoculars scattered throughout the terrace. The third tallest building in the city, behind One World Trade Center and Central Park. This lookout offers sweeping views of New York, Brooklyn, Queens and, on clear days, spans six states, taking in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Delaware.
The cost of the individual entrance depends on the floor to which you want to go up: to the 86th it costs 44 dollars, while to get to the 102nd you have to pay a toll of 77 dollars per person.
The Edge
It is the scene of all kinds of events since its opening in March 2020 in the Hudson Yards neighborhood. The second tallest open-air terrace in the Western Hemisphere and is suspended 345 meters above an arrow-shaped open-air platform that protrudes from the 100th floor of the building to offer the best 360-degree views of Manhattan.
You have to peer into the abyss from the edge of the terrace, only separated from the precipice by a sloping, frameless glass panel. The eastern end, the most requested space, reserved for one person, allows you to be photographed surrounded by air and sky. The cost of a single ticket for an adult is 36 dollars when reserving online and 38 dollars if purchased at the box office located on the fourth floor of the shopping center through which the building is accessed For children, the price is 31 and 33 dollars, respectively.
Summit One Vanderbilt
Opening in October 2021, Summit One Vanderbilt is the most interactive and fun observatory of New York’s skyscrapers. It is located next to Grand Central Station, in the heart of Manhattan. The tour begins in the Ascent, an exterior glass elevator where visitors can watch the city recede beneath their feet during a dizzying 1,800-foot-per-minute ascent.
The observatory is divided into four levels. There is an area called Levitation with a series of clear glass boxes cantilevered over Madison Avenue. You can also enjoy a multisensory art experience designed by Kenzo Digital, with games of mirrors where the visitor sees himself projected to infinity, which will delight any fan of Christopher Nolan’s science fiction films and his games. temporary space. The base fare, Summit Ascent, starts at $59 for adults and $53 for children; to enjoy the Summit Experience you have to pay an extra 39 euros. The cost for children is 33 dollars).
Top of the Rock
It may not have the fame of the Empire State, but Top of the Rocks is without a doubt the second classic lookout point in Manhattan. Here was shot in 1932 Lunch on a Skyscraper, the famous photograph showing 11 workmen having lunch during the construction of the RCA Building. Located on top of the Rockefeller Center shopping center and facing the north of the island of Manhattan.
This viewpoint allows you to contemplate the green heart of New York, which is Central Park. The price of admission is $40 per person, and after leaving behind the Joie Chandelier, whose 14,000 Swarovski crystals hang three stories above the Grand Atrium lobby, you enter an elevator that, in less than a minute, it ascends 860 feet.
A first stop on the 70th floor is perfect for taking pictures, as the observation deck here has no metal or glass fences. To fully enjoy the experience, it is recommended to schedule the visit just before sunset.
One World Observatory
The One World Observatory is at the top of the Freedom Tower , the tallest building in the United States, at 1,775 feet. Its construction began in 2005, five years after the attacks in 2001, next to the site occupied by the Twin Towers, and it was inaugurated in 2015 as an office building.
Its SkyPod elevators go up 102 floors in 47 seconds. From the observatory the entire city is covered, and they are especially recommended for those who suffer from vertigo, since the entire viewpoint is closed with glass and there is a railing that prevents getting too close to the windows. Since its opening, more than 10 million visitors have already paid the 43 dollars for the entrance that allows you to enjoy its impressive views.
Little Island
Located in Hudson River Park, near the Meatpacking and Chelsea neighborhoods, this New York public park, opened in May 2021, functions as a cape over the water of the Hudson River. Built on 132 structures (baptized as tulips) between 5 and 19 meters high, designed to withstand rising sea levels, this artificial island offers views of Manhattan from the west of the Big Apple, between rolling hills and winding roads, designed by the architect and landscaper of French origin Signe Nielsen, who combined 350 plant species.
Little Island is a public park, so your visit is free and can be combined with one of the music, dance, theater, comedy and art workshops that the park programs in its amphitheater or as a replenishing technical stop before visiting the nearby Whitney museum.