New York is one of the great cities of the worldCosmopolitan wherever we see it, we can go many times and always do different things. Museums, sightseeing, jazz nights, restaurants, great theatrical shows ...
But one can never resist looking at it from a good height. Cities this magnificent attract us and we want to see beyond street level, climb a skyscraper, a bridge, a tower and see what it looks like from the clouds. Therefore, when you travel to New York, do not forget to choose one of these five high points from which to contemplate New York City. Or everyone.
Empire State Building
It is a classic. It is located at 350 5th Avenue (between 33rd and 34th streets), in the center of Midtown Manhattan. It has two observatories, one on the 86th floor and the other on the 102nd floor.. This place is open all year round from 8 am to 2 am.
The most popular observatory is the one on the 86th floor, the one that always appears in the movies and that for that very reason attracts tourists from all over the world. The platform surrounds the spire of the building and gives us a 360 degree view of New York. You will see the Brooklyn Bridge, the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty or Central Park, for example.
You can always rent the audio guide or put coins in the huge binoculars stationed there to get a better view. The standard ticket for the 86th floor costs $ 34 per adult (includes audio guide, exhibits and main platform). There is also the Express VIP ticket that avoids the wait for 60 dollars.
For its part, the other observatory is on the 102nd floor, 16 floors above than the first. The urban layout is seen more clearly and the ideal is to do the two observatories together. The combined ticket costs 54 dollars per adult for the standard and 80 for the Express VIP. Tickets are valid for one year from the date of purchase so you can buy them from home long before you travel.
Since 2012 the building has a lighting system of LED lights that changes color, 16 million dancing colors. A great light show that you can see in any YouTube video. Or in person!
Top of the Rock
From this building you have a great view of downtown Manhattan and Central Park without any interference. It is a jungle of skyscrapers. The truth is that it is also one of the busiest observatories, so if you decide to visit it, you must schedule everything in advance.
The entrance is on 50th street between Fifth and Sixth avenues. There is a red carpet on the sidewalk on the south side of the street and a second entrance is located on the Concourse floor of the Rockefeller Plaza building. There are security posts so be careful what you wear. Neither food nor drink are also allowed.
You can buy tickets online or at the box office but at the time of purchase you must choose the day and time of the visit. There are some tickets without a day and fixed times, but yes or yes you will have to exchange them for the others at the box office on the day of the visit. A regular adult ticket costs $ 34. If you also want to do a tour of Rockefeller Center, it is only in English, you pay $ 25.
There is a VIP ticket with secured fast track access, a quick walk through security, and a 25% discount at the gift shop for $ 56. The Premier Pass is a upgrade of the regular ticket that includes a digital photograph, costs 5 dollars, and also there is a special ticket called Sun & Stars that allows you to visit Top of the Rock twice in one day, in the morning and in the evening, for an extra $ 15.
There are three platforms on three levels. The first also contains a gift shop and an exhibition called Radience Wall. The second is outdoors and has an interactive exhibit called Breezwway, and the third is on the 70th floor and is also outdoors and has no glass to stop the eyes or the wind. What pictures!
The Top of the Rock open from Sunday to Saturday from 8 am to midnight and the last elevator works at 11:15 pm.
Brooklyn bridge
It is one of the most famous bridges in the world and one of the oldest in the United States. Construction was completed in 1883. Has a pedestrian path that people and cyclists can use and precisely from here is that you have a Great view of the city.
On the Manhattan side it's Park Row and on the Brooklyn side it's Cadman Plaza. You can get there on the subway.
Le bain
In this case the observatory is on the 18th floor of a hotel, the Standard Hotel. It is a very cool hotel located in Meat Packing, a very fashionable neighborhood in the city. The hotel offers an indoor and an outdoor observatoryThere is a disco area, a heated indoor pool and up a few stairs is the open terrace with artificial grass and a stand that sells French crepes.
It is called Le Bain because there is a huge bathroom upstairs, with a bathtub included, a black toilet and sink and glass walls. If you go in summer and you don't have a bathing suit, you can buy one from a nice vending machine. Super cool! Cool people, cool people, something extravagant. It's actually a place to see and be seen but it has a great view of New York. The hotel is on 848 Washington Street.
Highline
This is a great place to visit on a nice day. It's about a elevated park built on an old railway line that stopped being used in the '80s. Since 2003 it works for different things but the green walk is the most popular.
Highline it is two kilometers long and it goes from Gansevoort to 34th street. It has three sections and you can go up from different sides. There are benches everywhere so you can take your food and sit and enjoy the place. In summer or spring there are Pilates classes, astronomy classes or even a guided walk. Everything is free.
Highline open every day from 7 am to 10 pm. You can get there by subway, using lines A, C, E and L getting off at the 8th Ave - 14th St. station or by bus.