Getaway22183411587
Nov 2021
The Edge boasts itself to the "highest observation deck in the Western Hemisphere." And, that's what you get. I was really disappointed by the amount of time it took to get to the deck from the ground floors. If you don't buy your ticket ahead of time, then you have to wait in line to use a kiosk. Then, you wait in line to show that you have a ticket, then wait in line to get your ticket validated, then wait in line to go through security, then wait in line to get your picture taken for a souvenir you can purchase at the end, then wait in line to get in line for the elevator, and then get in the elevator. (Throughout the 40 minutes of lines, you get to see video presentations of how Hudson Yards is modernizing.) The view is impressive, but, after all the wait, it seemed anticlimactic. Really, is there that much difference between the 86th floor of the Empire State Building and the 100th floor of the Edge? You do get to see more of the Hudson river, and you get a rare view of the Statue of Liberty. If you want to give your brain a treat to go with the thin air, you can purchase alcohol at ridiculous prices. Not a bad place for romantic couples wanting to share something novel, or tourists wanting to take selfies from a height. (Apparently, Justin Bieber filmed a video on the deck.) This isn't a great place to take young kids, as they will likely get bored quickly with nothing else to do than look at skyscrapers after waiting in line with nothing to do at all. Having said that, the elevator ride down features a 20-second beautifully created animation of a descending point-of-view trip flying through buildings and landing at the Vessel- it was really impressive, and too bad it couldn't have lasted longer.