Recently, my family was able to visit the new Summit One Vanderbilt in NYC for free. It’s an observation deck that recently opened up near Grand Central Station, and tickets go for about $50 per person. The walls are made of windows, and the theme has a focus on mirrors and other reflective surfaces. Not only does it have an amazing view of the city, but it also has art installations you can look at, all of which match the respective theme. Our luck wasn’t the best and the day ended up being quite cloudy, but even then it was still fascinating. I can’t imagine how it must be when the skies are clear!

On the last floor, there’s a small cafe and an outdoor terrace. The highlight of the whole experience, in my opinion, is the elevator that goes up from the terrace. It’s floors and walls are made of glass, and because it had gotten dark by the time we got there, it gave us a spectacular landscape view of Manhattan at night. The few downsides were that it could get disorganized sometimes, and the food and merchandise were a bit too expensive for my taste (it’s NYC though, so it’s not surprising). However, we went before the grand opening, so it’s very likely that issues such as disorganization will be solved, if they haven’t already. Overall, I’d rate this experience a ⅘, and I definitely recommend going at least once if it sounds like something you’d be interested in (and if you’re willing to pay the money for it).