Early skyscrapers introduced New Yorkers to the novelty and thrill of being hundreds and thousands of feet in the air. Most of New York’s Art Deco skyscrapers, like the Chrysler Building, 70 Pine, and the Chanin Building, featured observation decks where visitors could experience new heights for the very first time. Today, while many of those original observation decks have closed and the experience of ascending 70 or more stories may be a mundane daily experience, the thrill of seeing the city from high above the ground hasn’t worn off. New super tall towers are adding observation decks that look down upon New York City’s landmarks, and some old observation decks are opening up again. We’ve highlighted the best NYC observation decks that offer amazing views of the city and unique climbing experiences!
1. Edge at Hudson Yards – Most Foot-Tingling
Edge at Hudson Yards is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. The knee-shaking platform extends out 80 feet from the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards, 1,100 feet above the Manhattan streets below. Angled glass barriers ring the 7,500 square foot space providing an uninterrupted view of the city from the Hudson to the East River and down to Lower Manhattan.
If the extreme height and stunning views alone don’t provide enough of a thrill for you, place yourself on the glass-bottomed portion of the deck. Here you can look down and see the goings-on of New York City happening directly below your feet, 100 stories down. And with City Climb, you can actually scale the side of the skyscraper on which the Edge stands. All in all, the Edge offers not only one of the best NYC observation decks, but also the highest open-air building ascent in the world. Grab your tickets here!
2. Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center – Most Art Deco
Photograph Courtesy of Tishman Speyer
Rockefeller Center boasts one of the most iconic NYC observation decks, from Top of the Rock, which offers some of the best views. Though the Top of the Rock as New Yorkers know it today only opened in 2005, the tradition of visitors climbing to the 70th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza dates back to 1935 when the observation deck first opened. At that time, the available deck space was only 190 feet, compared to today’s 9,500 square feet. Early 20th-century guests lounged on Adirondack chairs in a setting designed to invoke the atmosphere of a luxury ocean liner deck. There was an outdoor refreshment bar that served sliced egg and tomato sandwiches, pie, and frosted malts, tour guides to answer all your questions, and souvenirs to buy like ashtrays, lighters, compacts, and tiepins.
The deck closed in 1986 and reopened in 2005 after major renovations. Today, visitors will experience fascinating exhibitions about Rockefeller Center’s construction and breathtaking views of the city’s skyline on the expansive rooftop deck, 850 feet in the air. You can make your reservations online here and uncover more secrets of Rockefeller Center on our upcoming walking tour of the Art Deco complex! Please note that Untapped New York’s walking tour does not include access to Top of the Rock.
3. The Empire State Building – Most Iconic
From 2016 to 2020, the observation decks at the Empire State Building underwent a $165 million renovation. A new museum, the “Observatory Experience,” has been added to the lobby to entertain visitors while waiting in line. The museum features hands-on exhibitions that explore the history of different parts of the famous building. On the redesigned 80th floor, the landing spot for those continuing on to the 86th and 102nd-floor observatories, visitors can enjoy six new exhibitions, including an augmented reality experience that lets you explore famous landmarks such as Grand Central Terminal, the Statue of Liberty, the United Nations, the High Line, and Coney Island.
The open-air observation deck on the 86th floor wraps around the Empire State Building‘s legendary spire, providing 360-degree views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and beyond. You can even see parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Delaware if the skies are very clear! The indoor observation deck on the 102nd floor now has floor to ceiling windows and Art Deco decor. You can purchase tickets online to experience every level.
4. One World Observatory – Most High Tech
Photo Courtesy of One World Observatory
One World Observatory offers some of the best views of New York City. The experience, which ends at the top of One World Trade Center, starts at its very bottom. As you make your way to the elevators you will walk through a recreation of the Manhattan schist bedrock that makes up the tower’s foundation. The original rocks date back 450 million years. Once inside the Sky Pod elevators, guests are treated to a journey through 500 years of history as the story of New York visually unfolds on enveloping LED screens over the course of the 46-second ride.
Once you have arrived at the observation level there are many ways you can explore the view. The One World Explorer iPad guide lets you choose a landmark and learn more information. Tour guides at the City Pulse Ring will answer any questions you may have. At 1,250 feet above the ground, you gain a whole new perspective of the city. Grab your tickets here!
5. SUMMIT One Vanderbilt – Newest
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, an indoor/outdoor observation deck opened at One Vanderbilt in 2021, reaches an elevation of over 1,000-feet. The 71,938-square-foot space features a series of skyboxes that hover over Madison Avenue. The attraction, designed by internationally famed architecture and design office Snøhetta, also boasts a glass elevator that travels up the side of the building and an outdoor terrace called Après with light food and cocktails by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Events.
But perhaps the main attraction is an immersive experience created by Kenzo Digital that replicates the feeling of being in one of Yayoi Kusama’s infinity rooms. Of all the NYC observation decks on this list, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is also the most instagrammable. Grab your tickets here!
6. Riverside Church – Most Historic
For the first time in twenty years, visitors were allowed inside the Riverside Church bell tower in December 2020. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic forced the tours to temporarily pause, but they returned for the 2022 season. Tours are expected to start again in the summer of 2023 and visitors will have an experience like no other. After taking an elevator up twenty floors, guests walk up 145 stairs through the bell tower to reach the top. As you climb the metal staircases, you weave your way through 74 massive bells of varying sizes. The small ones are just ten pounds and the largest is 20 tons! You will also get a peek at the carillon, the instrument used by the carillonneur to play the bells. The bells ring every fifteen minutes.
Restoration of the Harlem Fire Watchtower began in 2015. Built between 1855 and 1857, the cast-iron tower is the last of thirteen such historic structures that were once scattered around Manhattan. The 5,000-pound bell housed within alerted all of northern Manhattan of fires — three bells for Yorkville, four bells for Bloomingdale, five bells for Harlem, six bells for Manhattanville, and so on.
To properly restore the 47-foot-tall tower, it was dismantled piece by piece and stored in Queens. After four years it was reassembled and re-erected at the highest point of the Acropolis in Marcus Garvey Park (formerly Mount Morris Park) in October 2019. Urban Park Rangers lead tours to the top of the watchtower and you can even ring the bell! Check out photos from our Untapped New York Insiders visit here.
8. Jefferson Market Library – Most Exclusive
The Jefferson Market Library has one of the most unique NYC observation decks. This New York City landmark was designed by noted architects Frederick Clark Withers and Calvert Vaux (who also assisted in the design of Central Park). Its original purpose was to serve as a courthouse with an adjoining prison and market. Since 1967, it has been the home of the New York Public Library Jefferson Market Library branch.
The library’s observation deck encircles its iconic clocktower. After a climb up 149 steps, guests are treated to a special view of Greenwich Village and beyond. Untapped New York Insiders have had the pleasure of making the climb multiple times! When the library’s giant spider used as a Halloween decoration isn’t in use, it’s stored up there. The observation deck has yet to reopen after the library’s extensive renovation, but we anxiously await the day when it is!
Nicole Saraniero is the Insider-in-Chief at Untapped New York, leading our Untapped New York Insiders membership program. Nicole graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Science in Televis
