What would a visit to New York be without a view of the city from above? For many decades there was only one vantage point, the Empire State Building. On the terrace of the building, which is now more than 90 years old, generations of tourists have photographed each other in front of the striking metal grille.
Then there was the also outdoor observation deck at Rockefeller Center. But the complex above the Rainbow Room, the well-known bar, was closed in 1986 and only reopened in 2005 as “Top of the Rock” after extensive renovation work. This place still has its special charm: Here, visitors do not hover over the city, but are in the middle of Manhattan, at eye level with many other well-known skyscrapers.
Two new vantage points since 2020
In this millennium, three more high-altitude attractions have been added that compete with each other: The Edge at The Hudson Yards, a new high-rise district on the former site of the Long Island Rail Road, the Summit at One Vanderbilt in the immediate vicinity of Grand Central station Station and the One World Observatory at the southern tip of Manhattan, at 406 meters the highest viewpoint that New York City can offer.
A visit to a viewing terrace is particularly impressive at the blue hour, when the sun disappears behind the horizon on the other side of the Hudson River in New Jersey. Then many Lookout institutions charge a surcharge of 10 US dollars on the admission price.
Click through the following photo series:
– New York’s newest attraction: Climbing into the sky above Manhattan
– Soar above Manhattan on the top of One Vanderbilt
– The Empire State Building is gearing up for the Instagram generation