The Summit – One Vanderbilt – Experience in New York City is the BEST!

There are no shortages of skyline viewing experiences in New York City. From the classic Empire State Building to the new One World Observatory at the World Trade Center, visitors to the city that never sleeps can be sure to see some of the best views of Manhattan and beyond.

Having visited the Empire State Building before, we had hoped to change it up by visiting the new observatory when we visited the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. But we were on a schedule that day. We devoted extra time to the 9/11 Memorial (something we highly recommend doing) but needed to get to our appointment at the Statue of Liberty. Something had to go so we opted to forego the skyline view.

We were disappointed. We considered our other options. A re-visit to the Empire State Building wasn’t something we had much interest in doing again. But with that being said, it is a must see at least once especially if you’re visiting New York City for the first time. The architecture and history of the building is worth the trip alone. Top of the Rock is an excellent alternative – one that we have also done on a previous trip – as you get a view of the Empire State Building from this location. And who wouldn’t want to have a birds eye view of that iconic building in their pictures. I did a search to see if there were any other options before we committed to a return to Top of the Rock and I found the Summit One Vanderbilt Experience.

This is hands down the best skyline viewing experience in the city. Not only do you get the 360° views of Manhattan that include the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the new World Trade Center Building, the Statue of Liberty, etc you get an experience for the senses. Multiple floors of glass & mirrors provide an unending optical illusion of not knowing what is up or down. Reflective sculptures and forced air rooms make mirrored balls dance around you. It’s a social media influencer’s dream for picture taking so it will and can get crowded. Visiting during magic hour costs a little more. Everyone wants to be there for sunset. So visiting during the early morning hours would be an unforgettable alternative. Remember your shades. All reflective materials in the experience will make for a toasty visit during the heat of the day.

If you want to go to even more heights, you can add on the Ascent glass bottomed elevator that can take you to the very top. Summit Experience representatives are on hand to take your photo with your mobile devices and they will take plenty! I have nothing but good things to say about our time there. I do wish we could have kept the sunglasses. That would have been cool!  😎