A recent op-ed piece in the Daily News lamented the sky-high price of admission for the new observation deck at One World Trade (opening this spring). It tried to make the case for providing free public access to the terrace of the Manhattan Municipal Building a few blocks to the east. That’s an excellent idea. It would give the regular joe a shot at a panoramic view of NYC’s dense greatness.
It got me thinking about the few times I got freebie views of this great city. Flying into LaGuardia on a clear day is perhaps the best, most exhilarating look at the city from above but you can’t really bank on it. And you only get a short glimpse if any at all.
My aunt had an upper floor room at that Marriott hotel just south of ground zero and I was dazzled by her view when she visited last December. That view wasn’t free for her but it was for me on the short visit I made to her room.
A few months before that, I had a restaurant week lunch at Gannouri which sits on the 39th floor of a building at Broadway and 32nd. The look uptown from the windows in that place is pretty incredible and you can look and linger for nothing as long as you square the dining tab.
The Rosie Island Tram is a kick-filled ride of high-from-above views and that’ll cost you the price of a Metrocard swipe.
If you have any suggestions on additional places to get great urban landscape views for cheap – or for nothing – please comment here so I can try ’em.
Here’s a list of popular, touristy observation decks and their regular adult admission prices using info from each site’s web page.
One World Observatory (opening in a few months) – $32
Empire State Building (main deck) – $29
Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock) – $29
Willis Tower Chicago – $19.50
John Hancock Chicago – $19
CN Tower Toronto – $29 (Canadian)
Space Needle Seattle – $19
-The Democratic National Committee’s choice to stage the party’s 2016 convention in Philly instead of Brooklyn is consistent with how Democrats will approach the selection of its nominee. It’s about taking the safe route. I disagree with Mike Grynbaum and Alexander Burns of the Times who blamed Brooklyn’s failure to get the nod on “logistical difficulties” created by Brooklyn’s location “far from the ample hotels and amenities of Manhattan.” That’s ridiculous. Most U-S political convention sites feature far worse commutes between lodging clusters and the host arena. Philly will be no better in that regard. The Dems chose Philly for its optics. It’s a battleground state. The DNC may have ducked Brooklyn to avoid some of the nonsense that could emerge 18 months from now including both a governor and assembly speaker in the crosshairs of a federal criminal investigation. It didn’t help that NYC police unions made noise about their discontent during the bidding process. And yes, the mayor of this city is left of the party and may not provide Hillary the visuals she’ll want – and get – with Brotherly Love moderates. Madison Square Garden is not an option as long as Jim Dolan is attached to it. And so Brooklyn made a lot of sense. It would have worked great. Don’t blame it on location. Delegates would have loved it more than anywhere else but this is about a pre-ordained candidate wanting a safe stage in a theatre that’s aligned with the strategy.
here’s a good example of that Coney approach over Brooklyn courtesy of Rachel Nichols Twitter feed:
Thanks Fan for the response. They still use what they call a “river visual” approach up the Hudson but not too often. The most common arrival path that provides the best view is the one from the south over Coney with a great view of Manhattan from the left side of the airplane. The view I forgot to mention is going to the highest allowable public floor at the Time Warner Center (only six stories up) with a great look at Columbus Circle, the park and Central Park South. Especially in the fall season.
Best view of the city I ever had was on an inbound flight to LGA years ago while I was still at Mizzou. Somehow the plane came straight up Sixth Avenue at low altitude and I had a window seat as we glided past the twin towers, the ESB, Rockefeller Center and the park. I don’t know if that path is banned in the post-9/11 world but working on 6th ave every day I never seem to see planes take this route and I never had that view from a plane again.
For the price of a drink you can take in the views from the bars at the top of 30 Rock or the Standard hotel. The Standard in particular is great because you’re way west and so it’s an angle on the city you don’t often see. Rare View on Lex is also a good roof bar if you like the Chrysler building. And there’s one on like 30th that’s kind of a more moderate hotel roof with an insane view of the ESB.
Of course for a really cheap view you can always bring a sixpack to my office and we’ll turn it into an informal 28th floor bar. Cash only.