Monday, August 10, 2015

One World Trade Center Observatory, NYC


My husband and I made a visit to New York City for two weeks in July. We were there to celebrate a birthday milestone for my sister-in-law and to visit family and friends. One of the first tourist sightseeing objectives was to visit the recently opened Observatory on the 100, 101, and 102 floor of the new One World Trade Center building in lower Manhattan, and the National September 11  Memorial Museum.   One World Trade Center is the highest building in the Western Hemisphere, standing a symbolic 1776 feet. The Observatory is at 1,250 feet above the city, offering panoramic views through its windows. (All photos and photo collages in this post will enlarge for easier viewing if clicked on)


The morning we arrived there were wispy clouds around those windows in an otherwise bright blue sky.  There were some storm clouds in the distance, so we hoped the good weather would last long enough to give us good visibility.



We had pre-ordered our tickets online prior to our visit. They are pricey, at $32 a person, $30 for seniors, and $26 for children, but we knew it would be worth the cost. Upon entry, guests are welcomed at a Global Welcome Center.



We were surprised to see a graphic that said the day we visited, in early July, there had already been 349,988 visitors to One World Trade Center, from 190 countries!  We walked through a corridor filled with movie screens called "Voices" that told the personal stories of the men and women who built One World Trade Center. My husband was pleasantly surprised to see the face of a steelworker with whom he rode the bus from Brooklyn to Manhattan every day when we lived in Brooklyn. They often conversed about the construction of the tower.  Next,, we passed through an exhibit called "Foundations" which shows the bedrock upon which the tower stands.




Youtube link: https://youtu.be/l_hPh70-W1I

There are five dedicated elevators that bring guests up the 102 floors. While you ride in the elevator a time-lapse video is shown that shows New York City from the year 1500 to the present day.  The Youtube above was the best video I could find of the ride, although it is slowed down somewhat, and the sounds are slightly off.



There is then a two-minute movie about New York City in the "See Forever" theater. At the end of the movie, the screens move up and you get the first view of the city outside the windows.




It is spectacular to look out the tall floor to ceiling windows, North, South, East, and West and see the views!




Unfortunately, the blue skies we saw earlier were replaced by heavy clouds over the city, but it was fascinating to see lightning coming down from the clouds towards the buildings.  Here I was looking North towards uptown.  The Hudson River is to the left.



Closer...


Zooming in with my camera, I could see the Empire State Building in the distance...



...and an even closer view!


Do you see the tall skinny building in the background of the photo above?  Almost completed in construction, and at 96 stories high, 432 Park Ave is the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere.  Penthouses there will cost close to 100 million dollars!  Unbelievable!



There are round "City Pulse" screens on the observation deck with HD video monitors that help visitors pick out landmarks on the horizon.




Looking North East at the East River and the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn in the distance.



A closer look at the Manhattan Bridge upper left and the Brooklyn Bridge, lower right.




An even closer look at the Brooklyn Bridge.



Looking southeast, I could see Lower Manhattan and Governors Island, with some of the shorelines of Brooklyn.



A closer view of Governors Island -- click here to read my blog post about this island.



More views of Brooklyn to the South East...


...and in the Distance the Verrazano Bridge that connects Brooklyn with Staten Island.



To the south, we could see the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island and near it, Ellis Island.



Closer view of both and...




...closer view of the Statue of Liberty.




To the West, we saw the Hudson River and New Jersey.



More views West to New Jersey.




Back around looking North towards upper Manhattan. 



If I looked directly down the windows I saw some landmarks I recognized.  In the upper left in the collage above is looking down towards Church Street and the unusually shaped Oculus Transportation Hub building. The upper right photo shows one of the 9-11 Memorial pools, on the lower left is the Irish Hunger Memorial--click here to read my post about that, and the lower right looks down on the golden brown-hued Stuyvesant High School. Stuyvesant is a specialized high school for mathematics. science and technology, and is one of the premier high schools in the United States.



The elevator rides down from the Observatory is another one-minute video experience that makes you feel as if you are descending outside the building.




No matter how you look at One World Trade Center...




....whether near...




...or far, it is an interesting building to see, and an amazing one to visit!


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55 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow - what fabulous views!

Mersad said...

Thanks so much for the tour. Always wanted to see what it looks like now and what it feels like to visit. If you like you can link up with the "Through My Lens" meme as well. Link is below.

Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Wow, is there anything you can't see from up there? The sites are dazzling and the elevator ride must have been a great experience in itself. Yes, it was well worth every penny of the price. What a treat through the eyes of your camera Pat.
Sam

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Amazing pictures. The views are incredible. I especially like the view of the Brooklyn bridge, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty! Thank you again! Have a wonderful day!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Great post, I've just added the building to my bucket list.

eileeninmd said...

Hello Pat, it is an amazing building. The views of NYC are just stunning. It is neat they shared the movies of the workers that helped build the One World Trade Center. Awesome photos, thanks for sharing your visit. Happy Monday, have a great new week!

podso said...

Thanks, Pat, this is wonderful to see. What an amazing building. Thanks for posting all of the photos with the details. I hope we can see it in person some day. The view looking towards the Empire state building is the same one we had when we celebrated our 15th anniversary on top of the old World Trade Center--our table was at a window with that view. Memories!

Linda Kay said...

Pat, an awesome post. I don't even have to go there now, as I'm not really fond of heights. The views are spectacular, like being in a plane! And the layout is certainly well done. Great job with the photos.

Dana of The Stone Rabbit said...

OMG.....I LOVE NYC, but there is NO WAY I could be that high....it's the height fear thing I have! I'm glad you could do it so I could enjoy the beautiful photos you shared! Soooo incredible!!

I'm loving your explorations of CO, too, Pat!! So happy that you are enjoying everything there!

HPS!!

L, Dana

SmilingSally said...

Hi Pat,

So informative. I'm envious! Thanks for playing today.

Happy Blue Monday!

Vee said...

Fascinating! Thank you for taking me where I will never go. Amazing elevator rides, too!

Jeanne said...


Good morning Pat, I am a week late from visiting you last week. Thank you for your sweet comment. This morning is the first morning in weeks that I wasn't taking care of Bill or company. We love the company but it just happened to be nonstop. I feel like a free woman. LOL.

Our daughter and family visited NY last week and they had a grand time. Your post about the One World Trade Center is awesome. Your detail is so well written and you would have made a wonderful teacher. I mean it.

I see you went to Pikes Peak. When we were there we were amazed. It was freezing cold at the top. We ate their famous donuts and they tasted just like my grandmother's homemade donuts. Yum.

Have a wonderful week and find a great hike to share with us.
Big hugs...I have missed you and way too many of your educating posts.
Jeanne

Linda (More Fun Less Laundry) said...

Pat,
Thank you for the amazing photos of the new observation deck! I had been to the deck of the previous WTC, and to the restaurant at the top many times as I worked in 2WTC and of course lived in NYC too. I am impressed with the way this one has been designed and all the information the visitor has even before seeing the incredible view. I am going to do a little meditating and praying and hopefully I will be able to face the elevator trip and the step onto the viewing area. Someday I will do it! Thanks for the inspiration. Linda

Sally Wessely said...

Your photos are great. I haven't been to New York since they have built these memorials. I'd like to see them.

Mascha said...

What a great series! Thanks for sharing, greetings from Germany

Donna said...

I am so glad you shared these views...i doubt I will ever go up in a tall building and look down....not what I can handle in person, but I do love the views in pictures!

Crimson Kettle said...

Oh my goodness that's awfully high up! Thanks so much for all the photos I found this really interesting and I won't need to go up there myself! :-)

Snap said...

Wow! Amazing! I doubt I will get back to NYC anytime soon, so thank you for the tour!

Gracie said...

They did an amazing job with this place. Thanks for sharing it wasn't completed when I was in NYC

Fun60 said...

Your post was almost as good as being there.

Barbara F. said...

Don't know if I am brave enough to do this, I did eat at Windows on the World once, but I was invited to a party there. Such fabulous views. Hope it is safe always.

Holly Myers said...

Great post!

Anonymous said...

A worthwhile visit for sure. Your photos are beautiful! I hope to be able to go in person some day!

NCSue said...

Amazing series of photos!
Thanks so much for stopping by http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/08/say-yes-to-neigh.html to share.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Looks like an amazing place to visit Pat with breathtaking views.
Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday.

GreenComotion said...

Wow - beautiful views and photos!
Have a Great Week!
Peace :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Pat! Oh, this must have been awesome to see. You captured some great shots too! Do you miss New York? Hope all is well.

Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Ciao Chow Linda said...

A wonderful tour of the new trade center building Pat. I still haven't been up there to the observation area and hope to get there soon. Your photos were great, even though clouds were coming in. You are a great tour guide.

Black Jack's Carol said...

This was a wonderful post, Pat. I felt about as close to One World Trade Center as possible without visiting myself (as I hope to do one day). Such beautiful photographs; I loved looking at all of the landmarks from that enormous height. It is a beautiful project that I hope will bring some peace to the families and friends of the 9/11 victims. I love that it is titled "One World" as that supports a notion of people living in harmony across the world. It hasn't happened yet, I know, but I will never give up on that hope.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Thanks for taking us along and showing us this place with utterly amazing views from the top.

diane b said...

Sure is an amazing building. Love how the top had clouds hanging around it. The views are breathtaking just like from a plane. It was still being built when we were there.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

I think it's all the more magical with the clouds and mist! :)

csuhpat1 said...

Wow. Great shots and thanks for sharing. I think it was well worth the price you paid for it.

http://csuhpat1.blogspot.com/2015/08/pedal-fest-2015.html

Adam Jones said...

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post and looking at your pictures. Such an awesome city. Now I need to take myself back there one day.

Pamela Gordon said...

Wow! Thank you for the view from the top of this beautiful new building. I don't know if I could go that high and look out to the views. And I can't imagine living in that new condo tower being built! Yikes! Too high for me. I found the video very interesting. Thanks for sharing your visit with us Pat!

Al said...

I have not yet been up that building, but it looks spectacular. And yes, there's lots to do and see in the Colorado Springs area. I played tourist yesterday and went sightseeing in the Cripple Creek/Victor area, just over an hour away - I went 1,000 feet down an old gold mine, visited an active surface mine, and more!

fredamans said...

Amazing views! I can't wait to visit there as well! Gorgeous building!

Kim, USA said...

That is the place we missed in going when we went to NY last year. Geez it is so pretty up there. A reason for me to go back. Beautiful photos!

Kim,USA

A Colorful World said...

Your post was awesome, and I loved your beautiful views. Having said that, I couldn't go. I know I wouldn't want to. Just seeing it in the post made me sad.

Janice / Dancing with Sunflowers said...

Your photographs are wonderful. I love the shots looking up, with the blue sky, but the atmospheric shots with moody skies looking out from the top of the tower are great too. I went up one of the original World Trade Centre towers about 25 years ago and remember the thrill of seeing all these sights, so well-known but never before seen other than in photos and films by me. You have lovely memories of your day out.

Deanna said...

Wow, Pat! You moved from NY to Colorado! I've been to both places and as different as they are from one another, I love both equally. As always, your photos are simply stunning!

Deanna

DrillerAA09 said...

What a wonderful set of images. Anyone who sees these will put NYC and One World Trade Center on their bucket list. Thank you for sharing with us. I actually like the images with the storm clouds and the mist. They really take the mood to a different level.

Pamela S said...

Oh these pictures show how beautiful and majestic it all is. I will probably never get there so thank you for sharing these.

Costin Comba said...

Big apple - "around the world"

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

This is wonderful Pat! Thank you so much for the comprehensive tour! It is a beautiful place, wonderfully done. As is your post!

Cranberry Morning said...

I'm so glad you got to visit and that you shared your visit with us! What a beautiful building! I love the symbolism of the 1776. Your photos are stunning. Makes me actually want to visit New York again, something I thought I'd never say. I would not be one of those people leaning against the window, however! Yikes!

Cranberry Morning said...

I'm so glad you got to visit and that you shared your visit with us! What a beautiful building! I love the symbolism of the 1776. Your photos are stunning. Makes me actually want to visit New York again, something I thought I'd never say. I would not be one of those people leaning against the window, however! Yikes!

Cranberry Morning said...

I'm so glad you got to visit and that you shared your visit with us! What a beautiful building! I love the symbolism of the 1776. Your photos are stunning. Makes me actually want to visit New York again, something I thought I'd never say. I would not be one of those people leaning against the window, however! Yikes!

ann said...

I am so glad that I read this post! I saw the Twin Towers from the air as we flow over them to land in New Jersey on our way to London in 2001. I was so excited to see them from the air. This monument is absolutely stunning. I have never been to NY and don't know if I will ever get there, so it is very nice that you shared the memorial with us. Thank you.

The Gathering Place said...

Beautiful views. I just marvel at the size of the city. I guess one has to see it in person-which I hope to some day. Thanks for all the information about this interesting city.

maryaustria said...

An amazing series of photos! This view is fascinating! Gorgeous!

Spare Parts and Pics said...

Even without blue skies, the views (especially Uptown) are spectacular!! Great post, and thanks for taking us along with you!

Sarah said...

Thanks for sharing this, Pat. Amazing building. I recently put together a photo book for my husband to celebrate our 40th anniversary. I included photos of us through the years together, and one of the photos I included was taken in 2000 atop the then World Trade Center. I would like to see this one.

Indah Nuria Savitri said...

a must see indeed while you are in New York City! I haven't got a chance to do so but it's in my bucket list :). Great pics

Rue said...

No amount of money could make me go to that observation deck. I'm scared to death of height lol

The time lapse elevator was really interesting though :)

xo,
rue