March 28, 2024


Gone are the days when the objective of visiting a viewpoint was to enjoy the best views. Those of today have an added value for many travelers: taking pictures in a unique and spectacular space to succeed on social networks.

The Edge

Do not rule out the possibility of witnessing a proposal for a hand in this viewpoint, the scene of all kinds of events since its opening in March 2020 in the Hudson Yards neighborhood. The second highest outdoor terrace in the Western Hemisphere (the first is in Toronto, Canada) is suspended 345 meters above an arrow-shaped outdoor platform that juts out from the building’s 100th floor to offer the best 360 degree views of Manhattan.

The Edge observation deck is suspended 345 meters above an arrow-shaped open-air platform that juts out from the building's 100th floor.
The Edge observation deck is suspended 345 meters above an arrow-shaped open-air platform that juts out from the building’s 100th floor.Gary Hershorn (Getty Images)

Here the viewer feels the emotion of peering into the abyss from the edge (edge, in English) of the terrace, only separated from the vertiginous precipice by a tilted and frameless glass panel. The eastern end, the most requested space, reserved for a single person, allows you to take pictures surrounded by air and darling. The cost of an individual ticket for an adult is $36 when booking online and $38 if purchased at the box office located on the fourth floor of the shopping center through which the building is accessed (children, $31 and $33, respectively ).

Opening in October 2021, Summit One Vanderbilt is the most interactive and fun observatory of New York's skyscrapers.
Opening in October 2021, Summit One Vanderbilt is the most interactive and fun observatory of New York’s skyscrapers. Anadolu Agency (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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Summit One Vanderbilt

The most interactive and fun skyscraper in New York, located next to Grand Central Station, in the heart of Manhattan. The tour begins in the Ascent, an outdoor glass elevator where visitors can watch the city recede beneath their feet during a dizzying ascent of 369 meters in just 42 seconds. In addition to the observatory, spread over four levels, there is an area called Levitation with a series of cantilevered transparent glass boxes over Madison Avenue. You can also enjoy a multisensory art experience designed by Kenzo Digital, with mirror games where the visitor sees himself projected to infinity, which will delight any fan of Christopher Nolan’s science fiction movies and his games. temporary space. The basic 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 (children, 33 euros).

The One World Observatory is at the top of the Freedom Tower (Torre de la Libertad, in Spanish), the tallest building in the United States, at 541 meters.
The One World Observatory is at the top of the Freedom Tower (Torre de la Libertad, in Spanish), the tallest building in the United States, at 541 meters. Chris Moos (Getty Images)

One World Observatory

At the top of the Freedom Tower, the tallest building in the United States (541 meters), this observation deck evokes all the mystique of glory and mourning in New York after the 9/11 attacks. . Its construction began in 2005, five years after the attacks, 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 you can see the entire city, 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 you from getting too close to the windows. Since its opening, more than 10 million visitors have already paid the $43 for admission that allows them to enjoy its impressive views.

Little Island Park stands on 132 structures (named tulips) between 5 and 19 meters high above the Hudson River.
Little Island Park stands on 132 structures (named tulips) between 5 and 19 meters high above the Hudson River. Stef Ko (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Little Island

Located in Hudson River Park, near the Meatpacking and Chelsea neighborhoods, this New York public park opened in May 2021 and functions as an overwater addendum to the Hudson River. Raised on 132 structures (named tulips) between 5 and 19 meters high, designed to withstand the rise in sea level, 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 landscape designer of French origin Signe Nielsen, who combined 350 plant species. Little Island is a public park, so its visit is free and can be combined with one of the music, dance, theatre, comedy and art workshops that the park programs in its amphitheater or as a replenishing technical stop before visiting the nearby Whitney museum.

Binoculars on the observation deck of the Empire State Building.
Binoculars on the observation deck of the Empire State Building.Alexander Hafemann (Getty Images)

empire state building

No gazebo can compete with elegance art deco of the skyscraper at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street in Manhattan. The main icon of the city, with the permission of the Statue of Liberty, has had to revitalize his offer so as not to lose the attraction that even King Kong visited. In recent years, all kinds of events have been added to the usual visits to floors 86 and 102: from a special visit to contemplate the sunrise for only 40 visitors, to one accompanied by a guide and even a package for requests for hand. Few views are as evocative as those seen from there of southern Manhattan through the ancient iron binoculars scattered throughout the terrace. The third-tallest building in the city, behind One World Trade Center and Central Park, it offers sweeping views of New York, Brooklyn, Queens and, on clearer days, spanning six states, taking in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Delaware. The cost of the individual ticket depends on the floor you want to go up to: the 86th floor costs $44, while to get to the 102nd you have to pay a toll of $77 per person.

View of Manhattan from the Top of the Rocks observation deck at Rockefeller Center.
View of Manhattan from the Top of the Rocks observation deck at Rockefeller Center.Alamy Stock Photo

Top of the Rocks

It may not have the tradition of the Empire State, but Top of the Rocks is certainly the second classic viewpoint in Manhattan, if only because it was shot here in 1932. Lunch on a skyscraper, the famous photograph showing 11 workers having lunch during the construction of the RCA Building. Located on top of the Rockefeller Center shopping mall and oriented towards the north of the island of Manhattan, this viewpoint allows you to contemplate like few others the green heart of New York, Central Park. After paying the entrance fee (40 dollars per person), and after leaving behind the Joie Chandelier, whose 14,000 Swarovski crystals hang over three floors above the lobby of the Great Atrium, you access an elevator that, in less than a minute, ascends 260 meters. A first stop on the 70th floor is perfect for taking pictures, since here the viewpoint has no metal or glass fences. To fully enjoy the experience, it is recommended to schedule your visit just before sunset.

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