Not just any old observation platform, Edge turns the whole sky-high NYC deck thing into a fully immersive — and often adrenaline-fueled — experience. That sound you can hear? NBD: that’s just your heart hammering inside your chest as you step out onto the highest outdoor viewing platform in the Western Hemisphere. Yep, you read that right: Edge is an open-air deck that juts out like a shard of broken glass that’s been stabbed into the side of 30 Hudson Yards, a knee-knocking 1,131 feet over the streets of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. But that’s not all. No siree! There’s also a huge triangle of toughened glass set into the platform’s floor, promising truly aerial views to any visitor brave enough to step onto it. Nerves of absolute steel are also required for the experience of leaning out into the angled glass walls that surround the deck.
Of course, the views up here ain’t half bad either, with 100th-floor panoramas that take in almost every must-see icon the Manhattan skyline has to offer. Take a deep breath and read on for our pick of the landmarks you need to look out for…
1. The Empire State Building — Midtown’s shining star
1. The Empire State Building — Midtown’s shining star
Look east
The superb, clear sightline from Edge to the Empire State is one of the upstart viewing deck’s absolute USPs. We’re talking direct, head-on views of one of the planet’s most recognizable buildings, a 1930s Art Deco confection that should be at the top of even the most jaded New York tourist’s tick-list. It’s surely no accident that the sharp corner of Edge’s shard-like shape is pointing right at it, drawing the eye towards Midtown’s O.G. skyscraper from the moment you step out of the elevator.
Mic drop moment: built in just 410 days (!) in the early years of The Great Depression, the Empire State Building held onto the title of world’s tallest building for some 40 years before finally being topped out by the World Trade Center’s North Tower in 1970.
2. The Chrysler Building — an Art Deco delight
Look east
The Chrysler Building has long lived in its more famous sibling’s shadow, but its distinctive Art Deco crown and spire are no less beautiful than the Empire State’s and — whisper it — maybe even more so. Again, the sightline is good, and you should be able to pick it out easily over the ESB’s left shoulder, still proudly strutting its stuff at a relatively modest 1,046 feet. Still can’t see it? Look directly to the right of One Vanderbilt, a modern glass-and-steel monster that towers more than 350 feet above it and it should quickly come into focus.
Mic drop moment: the Chrysler Building also once held the title of world’s tallest building, but basked in its glory for less than a year before — yep, you guessed it — the Empire State Building swooped in to nab the title.
3. The High Line — taking park life to the next level
3. The High Line — taking park life to the next level
Look south
Follow your eyes south along the Hudson in search of the elevated green strip that connects the Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards. This 1.5-mile stretch of former railway track cuts a neat, leafy swathe over the streets of New York, with plenty of trees, foliage, sculptures and street art to explore. Eagle-eyed art fans might even be able to pick the cascading terraces of Renzo Piano’s masterful Whitney Museum of American Art, right down at the High Line’s southern end.
Mic drop moment: the proliferation of flowering plants along the High Line has attracted more than 30 different species of bee. Carpenter bees, masked bees, bumblebees: you’ll find them all here. It’s really quite the buzz.
4. George Washington Bridge — suspension of disbelief
4. George Washington Bridge — suspension of disbelief
Look north
Edge’s location in West Manhattan makes for fine views of New Jersey’s waterfront and life on the bustling Hudson river. Spin yourself around 180 degrees from the High Line and you should spot the mighty George Washington Bridge straight away. This masterpiece of 1920s engineering connects Manhattan to New Jersey across a 14-lane, one-mile span, and is recognizable by the great steel suspension towers at each end. There’s even an adorable little red lighthouse underneath it on the Manhattan side, which you should also be able to spot from Edge.
Mic drop moment: well, we say adorable, but the 1921 lighthouse (yup, it predates the bridge) is actually 40-feet tall. It just looks dinky next to the gargantuan GW.
5. One World Trade Center — scaling new heights
5. One World Trade Center — scaling new heights
Look south
Sure, Edge has the, um, edge when it comes to who has the highest outdoor viewing deck in the Western Hemisphere. But the highest deck overall? That’d belong to the One World Trade Center, which also happens to hold the title of tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and has done since it topped out at 1,776 feet back in 2013. In other words, it’s pretty hard to miss, even for the very least enthusiastic of skyscraper enthusiasts. You’ll find it towering over Lower Manhattan, a great gleaming glass goliath complete with soaring spire, which stands defiantly on the former site of the Twin Towers.
Mic drop moment: wow your crew with a mastery of One World’s symbolic numbers. The roof is 1,362 feet with a glass parapet that extends to 1,368 feet — the exact heights of the former South and North Towers. The spire adds a further 408 feet, totalling 1,776, a nod to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed.
6. The Statue of Liberty — islands in the stream
Look south
Cast your eyes slightly right of One World to where the Hudson meets New York Harbor and you’ll see Ellis and Liberty Island floating into view. Sure, you might need a pair of binoculars to pick out some of the Green Goddess’s actual features from way up here in Midtown. But can you still truthfully say you saw the Statue of Liberty on your New York vacation? Why yes, dear reader; yes you can.
Mic drop moment: the flexible hidden framework that keeps Lady Liberty standing upright was designed by none other than Gustave Eiffel!
7. Central Park — Manhattan’s great green lung
Look north
That big patch of grass with a lake in the middle just the other side of Midtown? That’s Central Park. Looks like a postage stamp from up here, right? See if you can pick out any details from this height — tricky but not impossible. Look for the monumental Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Green Lawn and the Central Park Reservoir then raise the difficulty level a notch or 10 as you seek out the painted carousel, Sheep’s Meadow and Belvedere Castle. Good luck!
Mic drop moment: The Central Park Tower — that great big narrow glass residential block that’s obscuring your view — has the highest rooftop of any building outside Asia (for now, anyway). It tops out at a staggering 1,550 feet, nearly 200 feet north of the One World Trade Center’s highest floor.
8. The streets of Midtown — 1,131 feet below your own
8. The streets of Midtown — 1,131 feet below your own
Look down
Brace yourself for an aerial view of Manhattan like none you’ve ever experienced before, as you step out onto the 225 square-foot glass triangle that looks from Edge all the way down to Hudson Yards and the streets of west Midtown far beneath your feet. Here’s your chance to play Big Apple bingo with some of the moving targets down below. Tick off NYC classics including yellow cabs, Big Bus sightseeing tours, hot dog carts, and ant-sized humans scurrying to and from their offices.
Mic drop moment: Edge has an optional add-on that gets you even higher. The City Climb allows brave souls to suit up and climb a narrow external staircase to the very top of 30 Hudson Yards. Should you reach the summit, dear adrenaline fiends, you’ll be invited to lean out forwards across the roof’s apex, with nothing but air separating you and the sidewalk, a casual 1,271 feet down.
Top tips for landmark-spotting
- Clear mornings are your friend when visiting any New York observation platform. This is when you can be assured of the sharpest photos and furthest-reaching views.
- Evenings ain’t bad either. There’s nothing quite like seeing lights twinkle on across the Manhattan skyline as twilight descends and the sky turns purple.
- Take a small pair of binoculars with you if you want to pick out details like Lady Liberty’s crown, the red lighthouse under George Washington Bridge or public art installations along the High Line.
Enjoyed this little slice of New York?
Keep your sightseeing top-level with our sister guides to the things you can see from Top of The Rock and One World Observatory.
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