The “Edge” opened on the 100th floor of the 30 Hudson Yards skyscraper in New York on March 11, 2020, officially making it the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere at 1,131 feet. Here’s what you need to know before you go, including essentials like how to get tickets—and where you can find a glass of champagne up top.
Where is the “Edge” observation deck?
Edge is located on the 100th floor of the tallest building at Hudson Yards. If you haven’t been to New York recently, Hudson Yards is a sleek new neighborhood that was built from the ground up on the west side of Manhattan, just north of Chelsea and south of Hell’s Kitchen. Since the area debuted in early 2019, the city’s first Neiman Marcus department store, a José Andrés–backed Spanish food hall, the debut Equinox Hotel, and a climbable landmark dubbed the Vessel have drawn tourists and locals alike to the complex, which centers around a massive shopping mall.
The entrance to 30 Hudson Yards is located at the corner of 10th Avenue and 33rd Street, where the Edge observation deck can be accessed from the fourth floor of the shopping center via a specially designated set of elevators that will take visitors to the 100th floor in 60 seconds. The closest subway stop is the 34th Street–Hudson Yards train station, on the 7 line.
Remind me, how tall is this observation deck again?
A 1,131 feet, the height of this observation deck isn’t the only thing that makes it unique. Unlike the outdoor observation decks at 30 Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building, which are located on the roofs of those historic buildings, Edge is a triangular wedge that juts out 80 feet from the side of the building, giving it the appearance of being suspended in midair. Made up of 15 sections, the 765,000-pound observation deck is bolted together and attached to the southern and eastern sides of the skyscraper.
Technically, the indoor observatories on the 102nd floors of New York’s One World Trade Center and the Empire State Building are the highest observation decks in New York City at 1,250 feet. Before Edge opened, the Empire State Building’s 86th-floor open-air observatory was the city’s tallest observation deck set outdoors at 1,050 feet. Rockefeller Center’s Top of the Rock 70th floor observation deck is only 850 feet high.
Currently Dubai’s Burj Khalifa holds the world record for the tallest outdoor observation deck in the entire world at 1,820 feet. The indoor observation deck at the Shanghai Tower in China claims the title of the world’s highest observation deck, overall, at 1,841 feet.
Looking east over Manhattan from Edge
Courtesy of Related-Oxford
What are the views of NYC like from the top?
The name “Edge” is fairly apropos. If you’re scared of heights, you might need to skip this observation deck or stand way, way back from, well, the edge. The 79 angled glass panels that surround the sky deck offer views straight down to the street level 100 floors below and nearly 360 degrees around you, providing a whole new perspective of New York.
From its location at the far western end of Manhattan at 30th Street, you can see the city’s most famous landmarks, including the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building to the east, the World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty to the south, and the Hudson River directly west. To the north, you can see Central Park. On a clear day, you’ll be able to see 80 miles into the surrounding areas of New York State and New Jersey.
Looking for an extra rush of adrenaline? Thrill-seekers can walk across the glass floor built into one part of the observation deck (it is not for the faint of heart). Covering 225 square feet of the 7,500-square-foot observation deck, the glass floor looks directly down to the street below.
The view straight down 100 stories from the glass floor of the observation deck is not for the faint of heart.
Photo by Lyndsey Matthews
How much does it cost to visit the Edge observation deck?
Adult tickets cost $36 when bought in advance online at edgenyc.com and $38 on-site. When purchased in advance, tickets for children ages 6 to 12 are $31 or are $33 on-site (children 5 and under can enter free). Online tickets for New York City residents are reduced to $34 (there are also discounted rates for seniors, groups, and U.S. military members). Overall, tickets for Edge are priced similarly to New York’s other observation decks (tickets start at $35 to enter the One World Observatory and $38 for the Empire State Building).
What else is up there?
Eager tourists can take advantage of the 8 a.m. opening—but we’re most excited that it stays open to midnight seven days a week. While Top of the Rock also stays open until midnight and the Empire State Building stays open until 2 a.m., Edge has a champagne bar to make those late night visits even better. Located inside on the 100th floor, the bar will serve champagne, of course, as well as cocktails and light bites that can be taken outdoors while you wander around the sky deck (if the weather turns windy and chilly, you can still enjoy the views from inside).
A full-service restaurant called Peak serves dinner indoors on the 101st floor, too. (Lunch service begins April 3.) There’s hardly a bad view in the entire dining room, but when you call to make a reservation, try to get the two-top located in southeast corner for the best sightlines. Both venues are operated by London’s Rhubarb Hospitality Group, which also operates Wild Ink, an Asian-inspired restaurant on the fifth floor of the Hudson Yards shopping complex.
This article originally appeared online on October 31, 2019; it was updated on March 11, 2020, to include current information.
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