A new sky deck is set to soar above New York City, and it’s not for the faint of heart.
The highest outdoor viewing platform in the Western Hemisphere, the 7,500 square foot space, named EDGE, adorns the 100th floor of the new Hudson Yards skyscraper and serves up panoramic views over Manhattan, Brooklyn and beyond.
While most observation decks limit themselves to rooftops, or windows from a high floor, EDGE is a pointed platform protruding 80ft out over the city, surrounded by 9ft tall panels of glass. A marvel of modern engineering, the whole structure consists of 15 different modules each the size of a small yacht.
It’s one thing to look out over New York, but quite another to look directly down at it. Fearless visitors can walk, sit and selfie over a 225 square foot glass floor in the centre of the deck, offering the kind of vertiginous views normally reserved for pigeons and Spider-Man.
Those in need of liquid courage can quaff champagne with 360 degree views, while a new restaurant named Peak is set to open on floor 101, all reached by a silky smooth 60-second elevator ride.
It’s the jewel in the crown of the new $25 billion Hudson Yards complex – reportedly the most expensive development in US history. A wildly ambitious piece of real estate, the site also boasts luxury residences, a high-end shopping mall, public gardens, a school, and several giant art installations.
Developers are hoping the EDGE’s elemental thrills can puncture an increasingly saturated New York viewing platform market, that already includes a new-and-improved observatory atop the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center’s Top of the Rock.
The deck will debut on March 11, and will be open 365 days a year between 8am and midnight. Tickets will cost $36 (£27.50) for adults, $34 (£26) for seniors, and $31 ($23.50) for children. You can book here.
