4/5 Pavel D. 5 months ago on Google
Any
view
of
NYC
is
great
but
some
are
better
than
others!
I
visited
the
observatory
on
Sunday
mid-day
and
there
was
absolutely
no
queue,
I
guess
I
was
lucky
to
be
here
on
a
less
busy
time.
It's
better
to
buy
a
ticket
online
as
you
might
find
some
special
deals/coupons
so
you
won't
have
to
pay
the
full
$45
admission
fee.
If
you
need
to
buy
a
ticket
on
the
spot,
use
the
self-serve
kiosks,
which
are
much
faster
than
waiting
in
line
at
the
entrance
cashier.
Most
likely
you
will
be
asked
to
pay
an
additional
15
USD
for
a
premium
access,
but
if
there
is
just
a
short
line
for
security,
it's
not
worth
it.
I
passed
it
within
minutes
and
I
was
allowed
to
have
drinks
and
snacks
with
me.
Going
up
I
witnessed
one
of
the
coolest
elevator
screenings
visualizing
how
Manhattan
developed
from
early
1500s
forest
to
today's
concrete
jungle.
If
you
think
that
after
a
short
47
second
ride
I
got
to
enjoy
the
view
from
the
highest
observation
deck
in
the
city,
you
would
be
mistaken.
Instead
I
was
forced
to
line
up
with
others
and
watch
a
video
(with
a
questionable
quality)
on
a
lifting
wall
that
later
reveals
the
NYC
skyline.
While
I
understand
they
try
to
build
up
the
anticipation,
I
personally
found
it
unimpressive
and
it
did
not
work
for
me.
Generally
I
dislike
when
I
am
forced
to
do
things
I
have
no
interest
in.
One
more
thing
before
I
was
free
exploring
the
observation
deck
-
I
got
offered
an
iPad
that
helps
identify
the
landmarks
on
the
skyline.
I
think
it
can
be
quite
helpful
if
you
are
not
familiar
with
the
city,
but
if
you
know
your
way
around,
like
me,
there
is
no
need
to
carry
an
additional
device.
As
they
say,
the
number
one
rule
in
real
estate,
'location,
location,
location,'
can
also
apply
to
observatories.
The
views
are
good,
offering
unobstructed
360-degree
panoramas
but
they
are
not
the
best
money
can
buy,
at
least
from
my
point
of
view.
I
felt
a
little
disconnected
and
distant
from
Midtown,
however
I
appreciated
the
close
up
view
of
the
ever
changing
skyline
of
Jersey
City
as
well
as
the
east
part
of
Downtown
with
Brookly
Bridge,
that
was
actually
quite
impressive!
There
is
a
good
view
of
Statue
of
Liberty
Island
and
the
whole
Upper
Bay
including
Governors
Island,
but
it's
much
less
exciting.
Unfortunately
Ground
Zero
and
the
9/11
Memorial
(facing
south)
is
challenging
to
see
without
dealing
with
glare
from
the
windows,
especially
on
a
sunny
day.
Additionally
the
air
conditioning
built
into
the
metal
ledges
on
the
floor
not
only
prohibits
visitors
from
coming
close
all
the
way
to
the
windows,
but
creates
another
awful
reflection.
This
was
very
annoying!
On
a
positive
note,
I
liked
the
signs
suggesting
how
to
take
pictures
depending
on
the
time
of
day,
which
is
a
clever
touch.
Overall,
the
One
World
Trade
Center
Observatory
deck
isn't
bad,
not
at
all,
but
it
does
not
rank
as
high
as
some
other
Manhattan
options
for
me.
On
the
100th
and
101st
floors,
there's
plenty
of
space,
including
a
gift
shop,
a
small
cinema,
and
two
cafes.
The
basic
cafe
offers
sandwiches,
pastries,
and
hot/cold
beverages,
though
it's
a
bit
pricey
and
lacks
seating.
For
a
more
upscale
experience
with
a
great
view,
there's
a
bar
where
you
can
enjoy
a
full
meal
with
a
nice
view.
As
for
the
building
itself,
it's
a
magnificent
structure
perfectly
filling
the
huge
gap
the
collapse
of
Twin
Towers
left.
Its
super-reflective
facade
is
one
of
my
most
favourite
features
alongside
its
shape.
It's
kind
of
complicated
to
explain
it
actually,
but
basically
as
the
building
rises
its
edges
are
chamfered
back
forming
eight
tall
isosceles
triangles
culminating
in
the
square
shape
parapet
that
is
oriented
45
degrees
from
the
base.
For
some,
or
maybe
just
me,
it
could
symbolize
the
merger
of
the
former
Twin
Towers
into
one
tower.
Height
wise
it
is
the
tallest
building
in
the
country
with
a
symbolic
height
of
1,776
feet
(541
m)
referencing
the
year
when
the
United
States
Declaration
of
Independence
was
signed.
First
visit
in
September
2017,
last
visit
on
a
Sunday,
September
2013.
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